Ways to Cope with Exam Stress

1. Organize and Set Priorities
- List out all the task at hand
- Prioritize each task
- Schedule them and identify what need to be completed when.
- Organized your work area. It makes you feel more in-control of the situation.

2. Exercise
- It has been claimed that exercise releases Endorphines.
- Endorphine is a chemical released in the brain and acts as a natural pain killer.
- The release of endorphines in the body brings about a general feeling of well-being.
To use physical activity to bring down your stress level, you can just do some brisk walking or climbing up and down the stairs.

3. Sleep Well
- When we sleep our body rejuvenates itself and prepare us for the challenges the next day.
- Sleeping well also help us mentally, as the brain is given time to organized itself and absorb and organized the contents that was learned in the day.

4. Food and Nutrition.
- Eating well provides your mind and body with the essentials vitamins and minerals to maintain peak performance.
- It has been shown that eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids helps in memory function of the brain.

5. Take a break.
- It is equally important to set aside some time to relax and take a break from the studying.
- Most human minds have a limit on the attention span. And timely planned breaks can help in the understanding and absorption of new materials and contents.
- Factor time to do something that you enjoy. Go for movies, catch your favourite TV program or play the ball games that you like.

6. If stress is really bogging you down... TALK TO SOMEONE!
- Talking is a good outlet for everyone. Just find someone to talk will help tremendously.

Letting Go - Story of two monks

I read this story in the book "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. And here is what i remembered in my own words...

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Once there are two monks walking back to their monastery. They came across this girl trying to cross a puddle of water in her kimono.

So one of the monk picked up the girl and help her across the puddle.

Then the two monks continued their journey.

When they reached the monastery about four hours later, The other monk said, "I can't believe that you actually carry the girl, we are not suppose to touch girls."

The monk replied. "I have put her down 4 hours ago, why are you still carrying her in your mind."
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How many of us have consciously or unconsciously chose to carry emotional "baggage" with us?
Also, after the event has passed, we chose to replay it over and over in our minds to invoked the same emotions again and again.

It is kind of like, people do it to you once. Then you choose to replay it to your mind, and you do it to your self countless more times.

At times when we catch ourselves reliving some past event to bring about negativity in us. Think about the story of the two monks and think about letting go.