Keeping Academic Focus: Coping with Stress

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If you find it difficult to focus on your academic studies, it could be that you are under an excessive amount of stress  It could be positive stress, negative stress, or even a combination of both.  Common sources of stress include a sudden change in finances, relationships, or for that matter, a poorly written textbook or a teacher that has a history of giving bad grades 

Recognizing  the symptoms of stress and its source and  knowing what you can do to alleviate it, may help reduce the level of stress, and bring about a level of calm that will help you deal more effectively with a stressful situation or environment. 

One of the major problems with stress is that it is often not addressed correctly or recognized. This often results in increasing the levels of stress and associated health problems. 

Recognizing Stress Symptoms

Inability to focus on cognitive tasks

Losing keys

Forgetting appointments

Inability to sleep

Lack of patience 

Irritability and anger about petty or insignificant things

Increase in smoking and drinking

References

Identifying Stress Symptoms and Dealing With Them, National Institute of Stress

URL: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml

Dealing with Stress

Optimize your diet: Increase nutrition levels, eat every four hours, avoid non-nutritious food

Exercise in a calm and soothing environment

Supplement your diet with stress-reducing vitamins and minerals

Drink plenty of water

Focus on keeping your composure and calm

Meditate

Cry in a serene and comforting environment

Avoid dirty air, such as that found from houses that emit chimney smoke and at a congested intersections. 

Discuss the source of the stress with trusted and close friends

References

The Truth about Crying: Why we tear up, WebMd

URL: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/why-we-cry-the-truth-about-tearing-up?page=2

Nutrition and Stress, Stress Management Organization, United Kingdom

URL: http://www.stress.org.uk/Diet-and-nutrition.aspx

Stress, food, and inflammation: psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition at the cutting edge, Discusses health effects of stress and various nutrients used to deal with stress National Institute of Health

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20410248

The Top Foods to Deal With Stress

URL: http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/13-healthy-foods-reduce-stress-and-depression?

Controlled human wood smoke exposure: oxidative stress, inflammation and microvascular function

URL: http://www.particleandfibretoxicology.com/content/9/1/7