Module 11: Beating StressLynbrook Branch

By: Carl Shan, Kavya Shankar, Anu Prasad,Varun Pemmaraju

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Introduction

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Hey everyone,

Welcome to our 11th module on beating and managing stress! We know that it’s an important part of being the successful person you want to become. Stress is our body’s way of reacting towards the many pressures in the environment around us. Now there are actually many types of stress, and dealing with each one may require a different mix of tactics and strategies.

The authors of this module tried to curate some of the most effective and powerful ways to deal with the different types of stress in their own lives.

We don’t promise that all of them will achieve 100% successful results for everyone, but we do believe that they can all be a powerful factor in helping at least partially alleviate the stressful feelings you may have.

We’ve broken down this module into 3 sections:

– How to Avoid Getting Stressed– How to Deal With Stress– Online Resources for Dealing with Stress

We hope you enjoy!

Everyone

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Module 11: Beating StressSection 1: How to Avoid Stress

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Section 1: How to Avoid Stress

Anu Prasad:• Work strategically: if you have a organized schedule and to-do list, you won’t fall behind.

For example, if you know you have an extra work shift and another paper due next week too, try to get a math assignment out of the way the weekend before. That way, you won’t be stressed with numerous deadlines, simultaneously.

Kavya Shankar• The number one thing you can do to avoid stress is really plan ahead to make sure you

give yourself enough time to get things done so that you aren't stressing out at the last minute. The main technique I use is what I call the "A-B-C Method." This involves taking a piece of paper, folding it into thirds, and labeling each column with a letter, A through C. In Column A, you write down everything that absolutely must get done before you get to bed that night, such as the homework that is due the next day. In Column B, you put down some tasks you should definitely get started on if you have time, because the deadlines are coming up soon (within about a week). Column C represents long-term planning; you put down the bigger tasks that you want to start thinking about and working on if you particularly have a lot of time. Then, every night, I keep working until I get tired. No matter how tired I am, I can’t go to bed until I finish Column A. If I’m done with Column A and it’s still pretty early, I move on to Column B. Using this technique, I am able to finish everything that needs to get done in a prioritized fashion.(c) CompassPoint Mentorship

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Carl Shan

• Don't overcommit to things! Overcommitting is one of the most common causes of stress. Most people do not really know where their abilities and expectations lie. I suggest thinking over every single opportunity you receive, and every class you're looking to take with utmost scrutiny. I also suggest vetting the idea of engaging in the activity with a friend who can be honest with you. Many times, others see us more clearly than we can see ourselves.

• Remember the big picture: although I don't discourage prioritizing and bunkering down to work on what you need to, remember the big picture. Many things that seem incredibly pressing and high-priority to you today probably won't make a difference in 5 years. That's not to say you shouldn't give your activities your all, but don't forget that it's but one tree in a forest. If you were to screw up one particular activity or event, all is not lost. Life goes on, and the fact that you failed can actually be a huge advantage -- you can extract much value and insight from your losses. Sometimes much more from them, than from your wins.

• Take breaks. Lots of people seem to thinking that 'grinding' is the most productive way to spend their studying and working outs. Grinding involves non-stop 'working' for many hours at the library or in their room. I think this is incredibly inefficient. Your efficiency level probably peaks after 1-2 hours, and from that point on its a quick descent to just bad work. I call this 'pseudo-work.' It's better to take a break for 30 minutes than to pseudo-work for 30 minutes because when you're engaging in pseudo-work you're only about 10% as productive as before, yet it takes just as much energy to put yourself through it as normal work. So you're not getting as much value out as you're putting in. Learn to relax, and recharge your batteries!

Section 1: How to Avoid Stress

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Varun Pemmaraju

• #1 Rule - Learn how to say no and don't over-commit. I know I'm a giant hypocrite for saying this but it really is true. Come to terms with the fact that at the end of day, you are only responsible for making yourself happy and getting your work done. Anything more you can do is a benefit to those around you. What I mean by that is don't make commitments to people that you can't keep, or can only keep at the expense of your own time, sleep, sanity, hunger, etc.

• Find time for the little pleasures -  I think I said this in a previous module too but reserve time for yourself and solely yourself. Be it a short run at sunset, a huge bowl of Dulce de Leche ice cream (ask me what I'm eating right now..), pleasure reading (your CS book doesn't count), knitting, piano, whatever floats your boat; it'll do wonders for your well-being.

• Take 5 minutes in the morning or before going to bed to review the day and think about what has to get done tomorrow.

Section 1: How to Avoid Stress

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Module 11: Beating StressSection 2: Dealing with Stress

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Section 2: How To Deal With Stress

Anu Prasad• Find an activity that relaxes you and make sure you set apart 30 minutes each week for it! It

doesn’t have to be something big, just anything that makes you calm and happy like reading, biking, or cooking. Make sure that it doesn’t have to do with Facebook or the Internet, because then you’ll be glued to your computer screen all day!

• Take pleasure in the little things: seeing a nice sunset (if you’re an outdoorsy person), getting to sleep early (for those early risers), or a great cup of coffee (for those coffee lovers). There are a lot of amazing things out there, just look for them and you’ll find yourself smiling!

Kavya Shankar• Okay, let's say that you're already stressed out. When I feel overwhelmed by the amount of

work that I have to do, the first thing I do is break up everything that I have to do into smaller, more manageable items, so that I can more easily track my progress. Next, I spend a few minutes freaking out about how stressed I am, and then tell myself to let it go. Focus on the objective, the end result. Freaking out will not get you anywhere. Instead, you should focus on figuring out a game plan and then powering through it. 

• Other ways I deal with ongoing stress: fitness (go for a run, go to the gym), sleep, spend time writing down why I'm stressed and how I can address it. It seems kin of silly, but it honestly helps to force yourself to write out why you are stressed because you can pinpoint the reason for your feelings.

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Carl Shan• Accept the things you can't change: there will be times in life when you

make mistakes and inevitably stress out. Understand and accept that. We all make mistakes with our working habits, schedules, commitments and involvements; we all stress out. Learn to become more accepting of the mistakes that you can no longer fix and move on.

• Adopt a healthier lifestyle: sleep, diet, fitness all affect various biological mechanisms of your body that contribute to feelings of stress and worry. I learned this myself. When I lived a more unhealthy lifestyle, frequently downing soda and coffee, I accumulated a lot of health problems that made me more fatigued and stressed. Sleeping less than a full 8 hours a day also contributed much to my stress level. But by switching my habits around, so that I am much more physically engaged and healthy (I quit both soda and coffee), I higher more energy and less stress.

Section 2: How To Deal With Stress

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Varun Pemmaraju

• Talk it out - Find someone who will except your b*itching (er moaning, whining for the actual module) and let it all out over coffee. It's like emptying the Trash/Recycling Bin on your computer - all that junk is still sitting there sucking up memory until your really get rid of it. I'll admit that this only works for some people. Others get more worked up and get high blood pressure from talking about what they have to get done and what's stressing them out, but then again, I'd never recommend internalizing the stress that you have. Chances are, there's someone with similar problems who will understand and want to help you get through your stress so that they can see the smile on your face again.

Section 2: How To Deal With Stress

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Module 11: Beating StressSection 3: Online Resources

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Section 3: Online Resources

Carl ShanArticles worth reading:• http://www.the6healthyhabits.com/biggest-causes-of-stress-7.html• Cal Newport's series on eliminating stress: http

://calnewport.com/blog/category/features-eliminating-stress/• ZenHabits on de-stressing: 

http://zenhabits.net/20-ways-to-eliminate-stress-from-your-life/• Harvard Med School’s Article on Stress:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/PDFs/Stress_Relief_Guide.pdf

Task Management Tools• Wunderlist – Get Things Done (GTD) application for all devices/OS’s• iStudiez Pro – Course Tracking / Assignment Tracking application• Vitamin – R – The merge between GTD and productivity tracking apps.

It actually helps you work on your tasks rather than just organize them.(c) CompassPoint Mentorship

   

Thank You For Reading!Carl Shan, Kavya Shankar, Anu Prasad, Varun PemmarajuContact us at: shan.carl@gmail.com, kshankar.92@gmail.com , anuuuuuish@gmail.com , varun.pemmaraju@gmail.com