Managing academic stress – especially during exam time – is easier said than done! However, taking care of your mental and physical health during this time is very important. Here are some strategies you can try to help cope with stress:
Take Breaks for YOU.
Take a break! Schedule some time in between studying to do something you enjoy. Relax, go for a short walk outside, or watch an episode of a show you like – whatever you like to do, make some time to do it each day if you can to reduce build up of academic stress.
Go for a Walk.
Being outside in the fresh air can help reduce your stress levels. If you are beginning to feel anxious and overwhelmed, go for a walk – even a short walk can help! Exercise is an excellent way to ward off academic stress!
Take Care of Your Body.
Most students tend to neglect their bodies when exams come – you’re tired, you’re stressed, and maybe you’re so stressed you just don’t feel like eating. However, taking care of your physical health will help you focus, reduce your academic stress, and increase your ability to perform well on test day. Eat healthy meals, take time to exercise (e.g., go for a walk, do yoga, workout, or meditate), and most of all, get your rest. Sleep is important – make sure you’re getting enough!
Talk to Someone.
If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious, sometimes the best thing to do is talk to someone. Talk to your peers, friends, or your family about how you’re feeling. Sharing how we feel with people we trust can often make us feel better.
Watch Your Self-Talk.
Its very easy to fall into a downward spiral of negative thinking when you’re worried about an exam. How we talk to ourselves has a huge impact on our thoughts and how we feel. If you’re worried about an exam, avoid negative thoughts like “I’m going to fail” or “I’m too stupid for this”. If you find yourself saying thinking these things, try reframing them into something positive, such as “I am going to do my best” or “I am smart and I know I can do well.”
Get Help.
If you find that none of these strategies work for you and your stress feels overwhelming, give us a call. Our counsellors provide a safe and professional environment where you can build resilience and develop skills to cope with stress.
I am continuing my breakdown of Dr. Burns Podcasts. I have tried to put them in a logical order and skipped ones that are more for practitioners. As I have mentioned, they are very interesting to listen to, but I get it – who has the time? Below is a quick overview of Podcast #10, 11, and 12, all explaining some cognitive distortions. There are more, but it does give you and idea of what they are. If you would like to listen to the full podcasts and many others, click to go to Dr. Burns’ Feeling Good website. Not ready? The read below will get you started.
Podcast #10 – First 3 Distortions
It is not what happens to us, but our interpretation of what is happening to us.
This concept was introduced in the 1950’s by Albert Ellis and popularized in the 1960’s by Aaron Beck.
The idea is:
Thoughts create feelings – thoughts that upset us are often distorted and illogical.
Depression, Anxiety, and Anger are triggered by fraudulent, wrong thoughts.
Looking at things in a different way can have powerful effects.
It is human nature – we make ourselves miserable by looking at things in a way that is not realistic.
Cognitive Distortions are what you are telling yourself.
1. All or Nothing Thinking
This is black and white thinking based in the here and now. Examples are thoughts like:
I am going to blow an event completely.
I am totally worthless.
Things are going to be wonderful or terrible.
I am a loser.
Typically, they are 100% negative.
Perfectionism, borderline personality disorder are caused by all or nothing thinking.
Positive All or Nothing Thinking – When we are trying to be perfect, our work is often not the best. It is distorted to think we have to be #1 and anything less than 100% perfect is unacceptable.
2. Over-generalization
This occurs when we experience a negative event and project it into the future. Examples of thoughts are:
I am always messing up.
I am never going to…
I will be alone forever.
No one will ever love me.
Positive over-generalization – If someone is suffering from depression – the negative distortion is that we will never recover. Recovery occurs when we realize the negative thoughts we had were distorted. We experience the greatest happiness and think I will be happy forever. This is distorted because we will relapse at some point.
3 & 4 Mental Filter & Discounting the Positives
These two go hand in hand. We do this when we focus on the negative and discount the positive. We take in something positive and we convince ourselves it doesn’t count. Our negative mental filter rejects it.
An example of when we might do this is we receive several glowing positive reviews, but one negative. We shift our focus 100% on the negative review. We hyper-focus on errors and the negative. If we score 80% on a test, we focus on the 20% we got wrong. If someone gives us a compliment, we think they are only being nice to us. (“Imposter Syndrome” is often the result of this type of thinking)
You can have a positive mental filter which is distorted as well. Dr. Burns used Donald Trump as an example, because when he receives criticism, he views the other person as flawed.
When we are criticized, we naturally want to defend ourselves, discounting the validity of the criticism. Most of us learn to view criticism as constructive when it is meant to be, not as a personal attack.
Listen to Podcast #10 here:
Podcast #11 – 3 More Distortions
5. Jumping to Conclusions
This is when we jump to a conclusion that is not justified. We do this in 2 ways.
Mind Reading – we make negative assumptions about what another person is thinking. We assume they are not interested, or that they don’t “feel” like you do. Dr. Burns used the example of dining in a restaurant and watching a table that arrived after him get better service. The truth was that the server was waiting for him to finish an appetizer that Dr. Burns didn’t care for, before he brought the entree. A perfectly logical explanation and nothing personal.
Fortune Telling – this is when we make negative prediction about the future – all anxiety is caused by fortune telling. Examples are: the plane will crash, presentation will flop, etc. In anxiety, there are always thoughts that cause the anxiety. In a panic attack – I am going to go crazy, I am going to die. Depression – I am never going to get better, I will always be this way (hopelessness).
6. Magnification and Minimization
When we procrastinate or put something off, we are usually magnifying the task. We magnify when we imagine how delicious a donut is going to taste when we are trying to watch what we eat.
We do the opposite when we minimize. We convince ourselves that one donut won’t hurt.
7. Emotional Reasoning
This is when we reason from our feelings. Examples of what we might think are:
I feel anxious, so I must be in danger.
I feel hopeless, so I must be.
We believe our feelings. However, emotions are created by our thoughts and if thoughts are distorted, so are your feelings. There are causal linkages between thoughts and feelings that can operate both ways. Negative feelings cause negative thoughts – an initial thought will always precede the original feeling. It is like a domino effect.
Listen to Podcast #11 here:
Podcast 12 – 2 More Distortions
8. Should Statements
Self directed should statements create shame, guilt, and inadequacy. Other should statements (directed at others) create frustration and anger.
3 valid uses of the word should – legal should, laws of the universe should, moral should. All “shoulds” are a positive distortion.
9. Labeling
This is when we label ourselves – I am a loser or a failure – rather than allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Labeling others is painting others with broad brush strokes.
Examples:
A sexual abuse victim labels herself as dirty. This is distorted thinking as the person is a victim.
A mother calls herself a bad mother because her child struggling. This is distorted because the child’s struggles are not the mother’s fault.
