We all know that exams, tests and deadlines can be full of stress and anxiety. It‘s an unavoidable part when you‘re studying at school, college or university. However, stress can do real damage and lead to a lot of serious health problems or worsen them, such as depression, heart disease, asthma or obesity. To avoid this, you need to find ways to relax a little and deal with all of that stress. The following tips that I recommend are really simple and well known but it really might help you through the preparation for exams so have a read!
Go for a walk. It will help you to calm down your thoughts and feel refreshed.
Sleep well. You may see this tip everywhere but trust me, you really need to have enough hours of sleep to do well. It‘s not going to be useful if you‘re going to study until 3 A.M. when you’re drowsy and exhausted.
Compliment your family members and friends. It won‘t just decrease stress but will make the other person happy, which will make you happy.
Make time for breaks. You should stay focused for about 50 minutes, then take a 10 minute break to do some exercise or just to change the activity and do something else. After a break, you will feel better able to concentrate.
Actively interact. It‘s one of the main things that will help you to decrease stress and helps you to think about other things for a while.
Eat dark chocolate. It is scientifically proven that people who eat chocolate in moderation are more likely to focus better and be in a better mood.
Always eat breakfast. It will help you to gain more energy, be more concentrated and focused. Grab some fruit which has vitamin C. It strengthens your immune system and again, helps you to focus.
Change your routine. Even a little change in your life like a new haircut can make your day.
Learn to say “no“. Before accepting a task, consider all the pros and cons. Do not take the task if you know that you won‘t be able to do it on time or you just feel like there aren’t many benefits in doing so.
LOVE YOURSELF. Spend your time doing activities you like and those which put a smile on your face. Finding a hobby can increase the quality of your life and protect you from feelings of hopelessness.
A lot of people say I spend too much time on my phone. If I'm not scrolling through my timeline, I'm retweeting a friend or eyeing yoga masters on Instagram. I would like to say that my phone is an extension of me, but in actual fact it's the apps that are ruling my life.
Every night I find myself sleeping between 11 pm and midnight. No, I'm not working or exercising, Instead I am looking at new recipes, liking inspirational quotes, and saving videos. It was only when I noticed how my writing was suffering due to my chronic fatigue ( I can't function on six hours of sleep) that I decided to deactivate my Facebook account, and reassess my fascination with social media.
Was social media worsening my depression? Were my eating habits being impacted? Did I sacrifice quality time for a like and a 160 character post? Was social media really taking over my day to day life?
There have been many studies that have linked depression to social media usage. Countless of articles can be read on this topic, but below are five ways social media is impacting your mental health:
1. Addiction
How much time do you spend on social media everyday? Although most of us always claim to not have time, the average person spends almost two hours everyday on social media. Whether it's Twitter, Facebook or Instagram; we spend valuable minutes doing very little apart from liking and commenting. Whether it is to escape our daily reality, or pass time, we feel a compulsive need to check our accounts. Just to make sure there are no unattended notifications. The idea of addiction may seem far fetched, but when was the last time you were at a social gathering and people weren't on their phones updating Snapchat or Pinterest?
Are you addicted to social media? Use the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) to find out.
2. Poor productivity
A few minutes on YouTube, becomes 5 hours. The report on your desk is not even touched, and you promised your boss you would do it first thing in the morning. Although we all claim to be masters at multitasking, the brain has difficulty focusing on more than one task at a time. So instead of giving 100% to the task at head, your focus becomes divided between your job, updating your Facebook status and following the latest trending topic. This leaves you mentally exhausted, and in a lot of trouble with the boss.
3. Low self-esteem
Why am I so fat? Maybe I should dress like that? Will I ever get married? Am I good enough?
These are just a few of the questions many of us ask ourselves as we scroll through profiles on social media. Our times lines are filled with announcements of marriage, pregnancy and dream vacations. We see pictures of flashy cars and fancy offices, all in the while wishing we were them. However one needs to keep in mind that social media is deceiving in many aspects. People always out their best foot forward, often embellishing their reality. All in attempts to make themselves feel less inadequate than the next person.
4. Cyber bullying
Cyber bullying is the ugly side of social media that many do not talk about. A growing percentage of users are becoming victim to cyber bullying, but a very small percentage of this harassment is reported to site administrators or law enforcement. Cyber bullying includes offensive speech, posting embarrassing or sexually suggestive images of an individual on social media without their permission, as well as threats against ones life.
5. Reduced physical activity
An increasing number of people are opting out of exercise in order to have more time on social media. Poor blood circulation and an increase in unhealthy snacking are just a few examples of what happens when one chooses social media over the gym.
Have you become a victim of social media? Perhaps you would like to join me as I challenge myself to a month with no Facebook (perhaps Instagram will follow)?
Ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut? Do you often tell yourself that life will be better after this week, better after exams are finished, better after you leave school or move to a new job? Ever tell yourself that your future will be better? Well then, you are simply in a case of preventing yourself from having the best life now.
There is a wonderful quote by the author and motivational speaker Jack Canfield that reads “Everything you want is on the other side of fear”. A common way that fear rears its ugly head in everyday life is in the form of procrastination. I often found myself unable to start a project or assignment in fear of not performing to the best of my ability. You may also find yourself not exercising, or not eating well, and making the excuse that you will start tomorrow. This all because of the fear of failure. What if I cave halfway through my lifestyle change and binge on food that isn’t good for my body? What if I get a C on the test? What if I can’t find the motivation to exercise? We instead fill ourselves with the dream and hope that one day we will fit into a certain jean size or get paid an inordinate amount for a job that’s the easiest thing we’ve ever done, and so we build ourselves a blanket of disillusionment by doing so.
Firstly, a large problem is with the idealistic and unhealthy nature of these dreams. You shouldn’t measure your worth by a number on a piece of fabric, nor should you aim to obtain a job that doesn’t push you. Secondly, and most importantly, you promise yourself you will have a better life in the future, and so prevent yourself from building a better life now.
The present is all that is guaranteed. The present is all that we have to clutch at with our fingertips. What if that future never comes, because you are always promising yourself that you will start tomorrow? What if by the time you’re 70, you look back and wonder where the past went and what you wasted it fretting over? I personally used to struggle HUGE amounts with this. I used to lounge about doing NOTHING, and honestly, when I did that, I was the saddest I have ever been. I find my happy place in being productive, in being busy. The more I work and fight for what I want to become now, the happier and less stressed I feel. Every time I complete a piece of work, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I am ready to start the next piece.
It is a problem that I see every day in the people around me. I am currently studying for my GCSEs, and almost everyone vows that they will be happier when exams are finished, when it’s summer, when all this is over. However, this is an extremely dangerous mindset. Not only is memory linked to overall happiness, but you also prevent yourself from ever living your life. Soon enough they will be complaining about how they will be happy once their A-Levels or over, or after they finish uni. Of course you are going to face hardships, life is all about overcoming these and pushing forward with the life you want to live.
Promise yourself today that you will work towards the future that you want, that you will take the baby steps necessary to obtain a stronger core, or to eat less sugar, or to gain more knowledge on a particular subject. Life is all about baby steps, you are not going to get your goals in the day, but the most important thing is that you start now. Build your better life now.
- Megan
Traveling is on almost everyone's bucket list, which is why it's possible to feel that it is not an important enough goal - it's too cliché. I have heard some people comment on how 'everyone wants to travel', rolling their eyes, suggesting that to hold this yearning is to be a sheep.
I say, do not let that discourage you to fulfil this dream and share it with others. Sometimes the best things in life are cliché. For good reason, traveling is a common dream - not only is it a luxury to be able to have such an experience, you have the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the diverse world we live in. If you'd like to engulf your senses with the different flavours, styles and scents of other cultures, that’s a pretty admirable dream.
If you are interested in studying psychology at university, I have created a little guide that will hopefully get you thinking about whether it is the degree for you.
The assumptions
It wasn’t the easiest decision to study psychology at university; although I absolutely fell in love with it, I couldn’t help but feel discouraged by the grimaces on the faces of some teachers and distant family members.
Psychology has had difficulties building a positive reputation, a reputation as a science. Instead, psychology has been dubbed as a ‘wannabe’ science, still associated with phrenology, mesmerism and spiritualism. As a consequence, the potential development of this field has been hindered by the lack of funding. It is a therefore a relatively new area of study at university. Many assume that it is an ‘easy’ degree, but truth be told, no degree is an easy journey.
What it’s really like
Many people fail to realise the scientific nature of psychology - studying it at university is unlike what you study at lower levels of education. Forget Freud, you are to become familiar with Wilhelm Wundt, William James, John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov and the like.
Just like science, it is all about taking a critical approach. Science is not always fact - one of the principles of science is to disprove, disprove and disprove.
You learn about the brain: the structure, the elements, influences on behaviour, cognitions. You may have some mathematical modules, more precisely focused on producing and analysing statistics. This is why you are required to obtain good grades in at least one A-Level science subject as a prerequisite, but of course this varies depending on the university you are applying to. Be prepared for a lot of essay writing mixed with laboratory work.
What I study
Psychology is an applied science, with there being many different branches. I have studied: language acquisition as well as occupational, cognitive, positive, social, clinical, developmental and evolutionary psychology. I have also had some lessons on the history of science, neurobiology, and biology.
Why study it?
University is definitely an investment - some people aim to achieve a degree that will hopefully settle them with a high paying job, traveling down a very narrow, deterministic route. The sheer broadness of psychology is what I think people are afraid of; you open multiple doors to many fields of work. However, it is also important for you to enjoy what you are learning because you’ll be dedicating three or more years of your life to it, not to forget taking examinations and writing up lengthy assignments based on what you have learnt from those lengthy lecture and lengthy textbooks.
Psychology teaches many applicable skills to real life that you can exercise day to day rather than waiting for a job to allow for this. It has definitely helped with my ability to think critically/scientifically and also has improved my writing and numeracy skills. You won’t be able to read minds, though. You laugh, but you’d be surprised by how many people ask me to guess what they’re thinking!
A lot of people say that your teenage years are the most memorable and happiest parts of your life and they‘re probably right. This is the period when you can be free, wild and reckless. I‘m still a teenager and I want to share some tips which I discovered from my personal experience.
DO:
Try as many activities as you can. There are a lot of things you can take part in. It will help you to understand what you really enjoy doing and that will help you to develop your personality. Try jogging or a more active sport, try debate club or riding. There are a lot of hobbies you can experiment with and get to know your strong suits.
Stand up for your opinion and beliefs. Teenage years are hard because you feel a lot of pressure and hear a lot of opinions from your surroundings about how you should think and live your life but always trust your gut.
Always accept invitations from your friends to have fun or go to some party. You will create new memories with your friends and also it‘s a perfect opportunity to meet new friends, to meet new people with the same or different outlook on a lot of things and that will help you grow as a person. Talk with some stranger at the party, be brave, make connections and just have fun. Enjoy your adolescence.
Work for your dreams. What you‘re doing right now will reflect in your future. That‘s why you always need to invest in yourself, always learn new things, and do not stop. These days, in social media, you can see a lot of posts which could encourage you to do nothing and just wait for your beautiful future but that‘s not the best plan. Create your goals and find out the necessary actions to achieve it. You will be surprised what you are capable of, how you can achieve something if you really want it! And I can promise, when you achieve your goals, the feeling is priceless.
Fall in and out of love. You will get your heart broken, you will break someone‘s heart and sadly, this is how it works. You will have a lot of new crushes, new loves but most importantly - never beg for someone‘s attention and their love. If that person doesn‘t want your love – do not give it to them. You will find a lot of people who are worth much more. You told someone that you like them and they did not respond? Do not cry over that. You tried, and now you move on.
DON’T:
As I said, teenage years are wild so do not ever regret something you did. You might think that it was stupid, it was reckless but whatever you did, don‘t regret it. You‘re a teenager, you can do crazy things, because when we grow up, they act as lessons, and I can bet that we will only be regretting things we haven‘t done.
Do not be friends with people who always let you down. This is one of the most important things I have noticed. Probably, in your teenage years, your friendship circle is going to change really often and that‘s why you need to choose and keep the best friends in your life . Be friends with someone who you can talk about everything with. About education, your goals, things which inspire you and not just gossip. Be friends with someone who improves you and the most important - believes in you. You don‘t need someone who is always letting you down or someone who is always negative.
DO NOT doubt in yourself. Know your value and know what you‘re capable of. Other people`s opinion is very important to you when you‘re a teenager, but YOURS should be more important.
Do not believe everything you see and hear. Especially in this time, teenagers are creating drama and lies. Do not EVER believe in rumours and do not spread them either. Also, do not always believe what you see on social media. People know very well how to represent themselves and their lives.
Green tea is all over the blogosphere but believe it or not, I have not tried it out until now. I was aware of the many benefits, but being someone who isn’t the biggest fan of tea or coffee (I know, gasp), I wasn’t too quick to join the club. Browsing through my local Holland & Barrett, a little voice in my head told me it’s time.
Rather than your regular green tea, I was drawn to an organic ‘green tea chai’ by Higher Living, described to be infused with cinnamon, cardamom, clove and orange peel, and for £1.99, I was equipped with twenty bags to put to the test.
First impression:
I got a regular cup ready and brought it to my room, where I let it cool for a few minutes as instructed. My mother walked in and noted how lovely my room was smelling. Though the scent was pretty strong, the tea tasted just right. Not too spicy, but not bland either. Goldilocks would approve.
Ten days later:
It was a surprisingly pleasant experience getting a cup of aromatic green tea ready each day - I think I’ll make this a habit. I have noticed that in drinking this, my skin has been doing better and I do not have that dreadful bloated feeling anymore. I do not drink more than one cup per day like many others due to health reasons (I should keep caffeine intake to a minimum if I want to keep my endometriosis behaving). Nonetheless, I am eager to try out the other flavours on offer.
Do you like to drink green tea? Why?
- Maira
If you have read my post reviewing Alice Hoffman’s ‘The Museum of Extraordinary Things’, you would know that I am taking a break from the much-loved genre that is crime and thriller, to make some time for the others on my bookshelves that are unfortunately gathering dust. Since then, I have chosen five other books that I aim to read over the next three months. It was difficult deciding, so I allowed myself to pick two out of five books that are more sinister, kind of like a security blanket as I venture out to other genres.
1. A Tap on the Window - Linwood Barclay
“Dong the right thing could be your biggest mistake”
A man who goes from Good Samaritan to Murder Suspect overnight.
2. The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton
A cabinet-sized replica of a newly married couple’s home and a miniaturist who seems to hold their fate in his hands.
3. Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn
The debut novel from the author of Gone Girl.
4. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats - Jan-Philipp Sendker
Tells a story of love; a young blind man’s journey through a world of auditory intensity.
5. Waiting for Columbus - Thomas Trofimuk
Part romance, part mysterious thriller, this is a novel about love, loss, and fragile beauty of our own life stories.
