Mind mapping is a visualization technique that involves arranging ideas around a central concept or theme using branches, lines, and images. It can be used to take notes, brainstorm, organize information, and plan assignments. The key steps in mind mapping are to place the central idea in the center and radiate related ideas outward in branches or spokes. Color, images, and symbols can be used to represent different types of information. Mind maps provide an overview of information and show relationships between ideas, helping with understanding and retention. They are useful for note-taking, essay planning, and problem-solving.

2. Introduction to Mind Mapping
Mind mapping is an effective means to take notes and brainstorm essay topics. A mind map
involves writing down a central theme and thinking of new and related ideas which radiate out
from the centre. By focusing on key ideas written down in your own words and looking for
connections between them, you can map knowledge in a way that will help you to better
understand and retain information.
What is mind mapping?
Mind mapping was developed as an effective method for generating ideas by association. In
order to create a mind map, you usually start in the middle of the page with the central
theme/main idea and from that point you work outward in all directions to create a growing
diagram composed of keywords, phrases, concepts, facts and figures.
The way it can be used for assignments and essay writing relates to the initial stages. It is an
ideal strategy to use for your ‘thinking’. Mind mapping can be used for generating, visualizing,
organizing, note-taking, problem-solving, decision-making, revising and clarifying your
university topic, so that you can get started with assessment tasks. Essentially, a mind map is
used to ‘brainstorm’ a topic and is a great strategy for students.
How do I use mind mapping?
You can use mind mapping for the following:
Taking notes in a lecture and listening for the most important points or keywords
Showing links and relationships between the main ideas in your subject
Brainstorming all the things you already know about an essay question
Planning the early stages of an essay by visualizing all the aspects of the question
Organizing your ideas and information by making it accessible on a single page
Stimulating creative thinking and creative solutions to problems
Reviewing learning in preparation for a test or examination
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3. How do I get started with mind mapping?
1. Place the central theme/main idea or controlling point in the centre of your page. You may
find it easier to place your page on the side, in landscape orientation, which is easier for
drawing purposes.
2. Use lines, arrows, speech bubbles, branches and different colors as ways of showing the
connection between the central theme/main idea and your ideas stemming from that
focus. The relationships are important, as they may form your essay paragraphs.
3. Avoid creating an artistic masterpiece. You should draw quickly without major pauses or
editing. Chances are, your first idea was fine and you placed that idea in the direction or on
the branch you thought made the most sense. It is important in the initial stages of mind
mapping to consider every possibility, even those you may not use.
4. Choose different colors to symbolize different things e.g. you may choose blue for
something you must incorporate in your paper, black for other good ideas, and red for the
things you need to research or check with your tutor/lecturer. Your method is entirely up
to you, but tries to remain consistent so that you can better reflect on your mind map at a
later stage.
5. Leave some space on your page. The reason for this is that you can continue to add to your
diagram over a period of time. If A4 sized paper is small, you may like to use A3.
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4. What does a mind map look like?
A standard mind map begins with the following shape:
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5. How do I turn my mind map into an academic essay?
Before you can begin to write your essay paper, you must first understand and determine what
the ‘main’ idea of your writing will be. What is the central theme/main idea or controlling point
that you are trying to convey to your reader? Whatever the topic, it is always a good idea to
think about the issues that surround that topic and mind mapping is an excellent form of
brainstorming.
The information that comprises your paragraphs must have a relationship to that controlling
point. The decision about what to include in your paragraphs ultimately begins with your ideas.
Ideally, each paragraph in an essay should contain one idea or cover one aspect relevant to the
central theme on your mind map.
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6. Uses of mind maps
Mind maps can be used in a wide range of situations, from brainstorming, sorting out family
problems, business meetings, making notes from books or lectures, to planning a series of
television programmes. Most useful to you in your student career, however, will be:
Making notes from books and other secondary sources.
Making notes from lectures.
Making notes for essays or presentations.
Making notes from books and other secondary sources
As a student you will need to browse a large number of secondary sources – textbooks, journal
articles, and websites. Sometime, the amount of material can seem daunting. The benefits of
mind maps, however, is that rather than working through the material from beginning to end in
a chronological sequence, you proceed in a more "spiral" fashion from firstly having an
overview to looking in greater and greater depth.
Before you begin to study, organize the task by:
Browsing the document, getting an idea of how it is organized, what are its basic
organizing ideas etc.
Determining the amount of time you have to study it.
Determining your goals – for example, are you reading it as background to your course,
or do you want to concentrate on a particular topic, for example for an essay question?
What is your existing knowledge – on a separate sheet, mind map this which will give
your mind "grappling hooks" as it seeks to assimilate new information.
You are then ready to do the mind map of the document, for which you go through the
following (spiral) stages:
1. Overview – look at the chapter summaries, chapter and other main headings. Note that
most text books these days have a very explicit structure with objectives at the
beginning of each chapter, as well as chapter summaries. This way, you are searching for
the gist of the author's argument before looking at the detail.
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7. 2. Preview – go a stage beyond the book's "organizing bits" and look at the beginning and
end of chapters and sections.
3. Inview – look at the rest of the material, but if there is something that you find very
difficult, leave it and return to it.
4. Review – finish your mind map notes, going back over anything you found difficult.
Note that the above assumes that you are reading a book; journal articles and websites also
have their own organizational structure, for example pages or headings. The same principles
will apply.
Making notes from lectures
Lectures lend themselves less easily to the mind mapping technique because their structure is
inherently linear. However, you should be able to get a good idea of the "basic organizing
ideas" from the scheme of work for the course, or from the notes which the lecturer gives out
at the beginning of the lecture. Try and search for the BOIs as the lecture progresses.
Note: if your mind map seems confused, then this may be because the lecture, book or website
is confused!
Making notes for essays or presentations
The basic difference here is in the preposition: you are making notes for something rather than
from something, so you will need to draw together your existing mind map notes and prepare a
new mind map covering what you are going to write or present.
Start with the central idea or image.
List the main BOIs.
Brainstorm as many ideas as possible, and set them down as keywords on the main
branches. For a presentation, the keywords will represent themes which you will talk
about.
Edit your mind map, numbering the branches in the order you want to write about or
present the topics.
Do individual mind maps of particular sections.
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8. Do a first draft, revising your mind map as necessary, and doing a new mind map for
difficult parts of the draft or when you get writer's block.
For a presentation, insert symbols where you want to introduce visuals.
What are the benefits of using mind mapping?
To achieve higher levels of concentration and creativity, together with greater organization and
more concise communication, mind mapping might be an effective strategy for you to consider.
The benefits of mind mapping are many and varied. In summary they include:
Giving you an overview of a large subject/broad topic and allowing you to represent it in a
more concise fashion;
Encouraging you to see the bigger picture and creative pathways;
Enabling you to plan/make choices about the selection of resource material you have for an
assignment and where you are going to place it; and
Providing you with a more attractive and enjoyable format for your eye/brain to look at,
muse over and remember.
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9. Sample Mind Map
Blank Mind Maps:
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12. Time Management Questionnaire
Score yourself on the following questions; 2 for "always", 1 for "sometimes", 0 for "never" and
tally your score at the bottom of the column.
_____I do things in order of priority.
_____I accomplish what needs to be done during the day.
_____I always get assignments done on time.
_____I feel I use my time effectively.
_____I tackle difficult or unpleasant tasks without procrastinating.
_____I force myself to make time for planning.
_____I am spending enough time planning.
_____I prepare a daily or weekly "to do" list.
_____I prioritize my list in order of importance, not urgency.
_____I am able to meet deadlines without rushing at the last minute.
_____I keep up-to-date on my reading and homework assignments.
_____I prevent interruptions from distracting me from high priority tasks.
_____I avoid spending too much time on trivial matters.
_____I am spending enough time on academic matters.
_____I plan time to relax and be with friends in my weekly schedule.
_____I have a weekly schedule on which I record fixed commitments such as classes and work
hours.
_____I try to do the most important tasks during my most energetic periods of the day.
_____I make constructive use of my commuting time.
_____I periodically re-assess my activities in relation to my goals.
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13. _____I have discontinued any wasteful or unprofitable activities or routines.
_____I screen and group my telephone calls to allow for control over telephone interruptions.
_____I judge myself by accomplishment of tasks rather than by amount of activity or "busy-
ness".
_____My actions are determined primarily by me, not by circumstances or by other people's
priorities.
_____I have a clear idea of what I want to accomplish during the coming semester.
_____I am satisfied with the way I use my time.
_____Score
45 - 50 points: You're on your way to becoming CEO of a major corporation!
38 - 44 points: You probably own a Franklin Planner and have organized your sock drawer.
30 - 37 points: You are managing your time fairly well, but sometimes feel overwhelmed.
25 - 36 points: Your college career is likely to be stressful and less than satisfying unless you
take steps to begin to manage your time more effectively.
less than 25 points: Your life is one long roller coaster ride, out of control.
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14. Understanding Time Management
“We all have time to either spend or waste and it is our decision what to do with it. But once
passed, it is gone forever.”
- Bruce Lee (“Zen in the Martial Arts” by Joe Hyams)
Every individual on earth has the same amount of time - 60 seconds in a minute; 60 minutes in
an hour; 1,440 minutes in a day; and 525,600 minutes in a year. While a vast majority of people
confesses faltering to come to grips with it, extremely few can claim to have made the most of
it. How is it that they have got it all done? It’s because they have managed a way to figure out
how to manage their time effectively. Time Management is more than just managing time. It is
about controlling the use of the most valuable - and undervalued - resource. It is managing
oneself in relation to time. It is setting priorities and taking charge of the situation and time
utilization. It means changing those habits or activities that cause waste of time. It is being
willing to adopt habits and methods to make maximum use of time.
With good time management skills one is in control of one’s time, stress and energy levels. One
can maintain balance between one’s work and personal life. One finds enough flexibility to
respond to surprises or new opportunities. It is not how much time one has, but rather the way
one uses it. The bottom line is how well one manages time. Internationally known authority on
time management Dr. Alec Mackenzie in his book The Time Trap argues that the very idea of
time management is a misnomer because one really cannot manage time in the way other
resources can be managed: financial capital, physical capital, human capital, information and
time. While each of the first four can be augmented, reduced, transferred or otherwise
controlled, Time cannot be manipulated. Dr. Mackenzie contends that when it comes to time,
one can only manage oneself in relation to it. One cannot control time as one can control other
resources – one can only control how one uses it. In the world in which we live, time cannot be
replaced or re-created. It is therefore not for us to choose whether we spend or save time but
to choose only how we spend it.
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15. Time Management for College Students
As a student you typically have 12-15 or more hours of class per week. In addition, you are
expected to put in about 2 hours of preparation and production outside of class for each hour
in class. This means that your work week is at least 36 to 45 hours long. This is a full-time
occupation. If you have a job outside of school and/or family responsibilities, you may feel that
there aren't enough hours in the day.
When lack of time is a problem your first consideration should be the "big picture." Everyone
should try to have a balanced life. To update a popular saying, "all work and no play makes Jack
and Jill dull people." If you don't think that your life is balanced, you may need to make some
serious decisions. Should you become a part-time student because you need the money from
your full-time job? Could you cut back on your job hours since you want to get your degree
now? Whatever your decision, you should also try to allow time for family and friends to keep
that important balance.
Now that you have considered the "big picture," it is time to improve your ability to manage
your time. This really means managing yourself. Read the series of mini-lessons for information
that may help you.
Have you ever told yourself that if you ignore an assignment that's due, maybe it will go away?
Have you ever told yourself, "I'll just watch TV (or do something else enjoyable) for just 5
minutes and then get back to my homework?"
Have you ever underestimated the amount of work or time an assignment was going to take?
Have you ever done something else "very important" to avoid working on an assignment?
Have you ever done part of an assignment, the part you were good at, and not done the part
you had problems with?
Have you ever spent so much time deciding what to do (e.g., which topic to write about) for an
assignment that you didn't get anything done?
Answering "yes" to any or all of these questions is a good sign that you know how to
PROCRASTINATE.
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16. Procrastination means putting things off until a future time, postponing or deferring
something. Most people have procrastinated at some time in their lives. There are many
reasons for procrastinating. How many of these describe you?
You are overwhelmed by too many things to do, and we know that we can't get them all
done. You don't think that you have the skills or knowledge to handle the task.
You are not clear about what is expected.
The task seems irrelevant; it has no meaning for you.
You are not interested the task.
You are afraid of getting a low grade or of failing.
You give yourself unreachable goals -- you are a perfectionist.
You are not clear about what is expected.
You have problems outside of school that you are having trouble dealing with. The list
seems to go on and on.
Dealing with Procrastination
There are many ways to deal with procrastination. Here is a list of suggestions or techniques for
you to consider.
Set realistic goals: Don't try to do too much and don't try to do everything perfectly.
Do school work when your energy level is at its highest: If you are a morning person, do
school work in the morning. If you are a night person, do school work at night.
Break large tasks into smaller ones: You don't want to be overwhelmed by the work you
need to do so create smaller tasks from bigger ones. Then focus on completing the smaller
tasks one at a time until you are finished.
Work for realistic periods of time: If you work best at 1 hour intervals, don't try to cram in
2 hours of study. Or if 1/2 hour at a time is best for you, then follow your own needs; do
not study for long periods just because your friends do.
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17. Avoid study marathons (like all-nighters).
Mix activities: Switch subjects after a while, or try to alternate between doing things you
enjoy with things that you find challenging or boring.
Create an effective place to do your school work. Make your work place comfortable but
not TOO comfortable. Try to keep distractions to a minimum (like phones, TV, and friends).
Don't forget the importance of good lighting and make sure that you have access to the
materials and equipment you need.
Allow extra time for unexpected things: The "unexpected" can be discovering that you
really need at least 5 hours to write your English composition when you had only planned
for 3 hours. And you don't want to wait until the last minute to do an important
assignment only to get sick or have your computer crash.
Schedule time for yourself: for exercise, relaxation, and socializing. Don't forget that "all
work and no play makes Jack and Jill dull people," not to mention frustrated, bored, and
stressed out.
Use your free time wisely: Make effective use of the time between classes or while you
are waiting -- for buses or friends, at the doctor's office, etc.
Reward yourself when you have finished tasks on time: Make sure that the reward is
suitable for the difficulty of the task and the time you spent on it.
Start NOW!
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18. Common Time ‘Thieves’
Problem: Feeling so overwhelmed and anxious about your workload that you ‘freeze’, put
things off and don’t get anything done.
Solution:
1. Set priorities.
2. Get started.
Actually starting a task reduces your anxiety about it. List all the tasks you have to do in order of
importance and urgency, and work through them one at a time.
For example, if an assignment is due in one week, then it goes to the top of your ‘to do’ list.
Problem: Putting off starting a task because it feels so overwhelming or difficult that you
can’t face it.
Solution: Break up the workload into small chunks. This is a very effective strategy. Divide work
into as many small, achievable tasks as you can. Then when you sit down to study, you are not
facing a huge, daunting pile of work, but one small task.
Complete a ‘chunk’ every study period. It might be a task or a period of revision. Take a break
after completing a ‘chunk’. If it’s something you’ve really been dreading, reward yourself when
you’ve done it!
Problem: Procrastination (or spending time on irrelevant tasks when you know you should be
studying)
Solution: Set study goals and vary your study techniques. If you’re feeling stressed about a task,
putting it off will only make things worse. Make a start, even if it’s simply to note down a plan
about how you will proceed further. Break up the task into ‘chunks’ and list each one from start
to finish. Set yourself a goal and tackle one chunk at a time. Be conscious of what you’re doing.
If you catch yourself delaying study in order to perform some ‘essential’ task—stop yourself and
do it later.
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19. Problem: Daydreaming or ‘drifting off’
Solution: Check your energy level and concentration. Take a short break or a little exercise
every hour. Open a window and walk around. If you drift off, try visualizing a red stop light.
Hold that image for a few seconds-then switches to a green light and go back to work.
Problem: Feeling that you can’t begin because you won’t be able to produce a ‘perfect’
assignment
Solution:
Forget about writing a masterpiece—aim for reasonable results. It’s better to produce a
reasonable effort and pass, than to delay for so long that you produce nothing.
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20. Getting Organized
Plan Ahead and Prioritize
The first step to good time management is to prioritize your tasks. In other words, deciding
which task is most important and should be completed first. For example, in a choice between
reading for an essay due in four weeks or preparing a seminar presentation in two weeks,
choose to prepare the presentation.
To prioritize successfully you must develop weekly and long term time management plans.
Many students find long, medium and short term planning useful for organizing their study.
Planning ahead saves time, stress and energy.
Long-Term Planning
Using a Yearly Planner
A yearly planner you can place on your wall or by your desk allows you to plan your
workload over an entire session and helps to remind you about deadlines and upcoming
commitments.
Place the planner in a position where you have easy access to it. Write in the dates
assignments are due and exams are scheduled. Work out how long you will need to
complete each task. Allow yourself plenty of time.
Remember to allow for extra workload. If you have several assignments due at the same
time, then you’ll need to begin each task earlier.
Set start dates for each task and write them on your planner. Draw lines back from the due
dates to ‘start’ dates. Use different colour pens for different subjects, assignments or
exams.
Doing this will give you a good indication of how much time you have to complete tasks and
cue you to start them.
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21. Planning on a Weekly Basis
Use Time Slots Wisely
Students often believe they have no time to study, but many of them think of study time in
terms of long time slots (three hours or more). While long time slots are necessary, medium
and short time slots can be used just as effectively. A well-used 15 minutes is more effective
than a wasted 2 hours. Different periods of time suit different activities. For example:
Fill in a Weekly Planner
For weekly planning, use a diary, a timetable or a Learning Centre Weekly Study Schedule. Fill in
all the main demands on your time:
• lectures and tutorials.
• Hours of work (if you have a part-time job).
• Any regular sport or leisure commitments.
• Mealtimes and regular family commitments.
• Sleep times.
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22. When you have blocked in the main demands on your time, look at the blank time slots left.
This will help you work out how many hours a week you actually have for study.
Next, plan time slots to use for unit-related work. Fill in times that could be used as study
periods including short, medium and long time slots.
Be Flexible
Some weeks will be busier than others, and unforeseen things can happen. Remember that a
timetable is only a plan or a guide. You don’t have to follow it religiously every week, but try to
stick to your plan as best you can. If you plan a study time slot and miss it, don’t panic—look at
the schedule and rearrange your time.
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23. Be Realistic
A great deal of time management is really about taking responsibility for your learning. The best
plan is to be aware of how much time you have and to manage it effectively. Be realistic about
your time and what you can do with it.
Over commitment
Before you undertake study, you need to realistically assess all the demands on your time.
Consider paid employment, family duties, sport, leisure or civic commitments. Good time
management will not help if you are overcommitted. If you study full time, spend more than
about 12 hours per week in paid employment and spend every evening at the gym, you won’t
have much time to study. If you suspect you might have taken on too much, reassess your
commitments, prioritize and compromise.
Be realistic about the amount of time an assignment will take you to complete. Different tasks
require different amounts of preparation time.
For example, you might only need a few hours to prepare for a tutorial, but writing an
assignment will take significantly longer. You can’t produce good, well-written work unless you
give yourself enough time to think, research and write. Brilliant assignments are not written the
night before, so start them in good time.
Seeking Help
It’s easy to procrastinate when you experience difficulties with an assignment, but putting off
starting only means you’ll have less time to work on it. If you miss an assignment deadline, you
will lose marks. So, if you think you need some assistance, ask for it. Remember, good time
management includes good self-management. Talk to your tutor about difficult assignments.
Don’t put off seeking advice the longer you wait, the more anxious you’ll feel.
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24. STRESS TEST
Answer yes or no to the following questions:
1. Do you worry about the future?
Yes/No
2. Do you sometimes have trouble falling asleep?
Yes/No
3. Do you often reach for a cigarette, a drink, or a tranquillizer in order to reduce tension?
Yes/No
4. Do you become irritated over basically insignificant matters?
Yes/No
5. Do you have less energy than you seem to need or would like to have?
Yes/No
6. Do you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them?
Yes/No
7. Do you have headaches or stomach problems?
Yes/No
8. Do you feel pressure to accomplish or get things done?
Yes/No
9. Are you very concerned about being either well liked or successful?
Yes/No
10. Do you perform well enough in life to satisfy yourself?
Yes/No
11. Do you get satisfaction from the small joys or simple pleasures of life?
Yes/No
12. Are you able to really relax and have fun?
Yes/No
Scoring: Give yourself one point for each question 1 – 9 with a yes response and one point for each question 10 –
12 with a no response.
If your score is four or more, then you may be under significant stress. You may want to find out more about
managing stress.
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25. Introduction to Stress Management
Stress is part of life in a fast-paced society. However, contrary to popular belief, stress is not
always bad. We need some stress to stimulate us. A certain level of stress is beneficial. This type
of stress is called eustress. It helps us to set and achieve goals as well as perform at a higher
level. For example, the demands of an upcoming competition, work project or exam can create
stress, which stimulates a person to work harder to win the competition, finish the project on
time or do well on the exam.
However, there are times when stress is overwhelming. This type of stress—called distress—
paralyses rather than stimulates. It contributes to decreased health and well-being. Therefore,
an important part of healthy living is to learn to bring stress to beneficial levels.
What is Stress Management?
Stress is anything that places a demand on us physically, mentally, or emotionally. It makes us
change the normal way we live.
Most of us think of stress as a crisis, but not all stress is bad. Without stress (astress), life would
be boring. There would be no growth and no change. With too much stress (distress), we reach
overload. Our ability to cope becomes limited, and we feel burned out. However, some stress is
good. It can provide an opportunity to bring about positive changes in our lives. We call this
eustress. This type of stress leads to peak performance.
Take a few moments to write down ten stressors in your life on Worksheet. Now rank them,
with “1" being the most stressful and “10" the least stressful.
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26. 26

27. What are the Signs of Stress?
Stress brings about many physical and emotional changes. Your heart rate and breathing
increase. Your muscles tense. The adrenaline begins to flow. In general, your body is getting
geared up to meet a challenge. Worksheet 2.2 shows some of the physiological,
emotional/mental, and behavioral reactions to stress.
Symptoms of Stress
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28. Test Your Coping Skills
How do you cope with stress? There are many ways, but some are more effective that others.
This stress scale was created largely on the basis of results compiled by clinicians and
researchers who tried to identify how people effectively cope with stress. It is an educational
tool, designed to help inform you of the most effective and healthy ways to cope.
Follow the instructions for each item below.
____ Give yourself 10 points if you feel you have supportive family around you.
____ Give yourself 10 points if you actively pursue a hobby.
____ Give yourself 10 points if you belong to a social or activity group in which you
participate more than once a month.
____ Give yourself 15 points if you are within 10 pounds of your "ideal" body weight,
considering your height and bone structure.
____ Give yourself 15 points if you practice some form of "deep relaxation" at least five times a
week. Deep relaxation includes meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, imagery and yoga.
____ Give yourself 5 points for each time you exercise for 30 minutes or longer during an
average week.
____ Give yourself 5 points for each nutritionally balanced and wholesome meal you eat during
an average day. A nutritionally balanced meal is low in fat and high in vegetables, fruits and
whole-grain products.
____ Give yourself 5 points if you do something you really enjoy and which is "just for you"
during an average week.
____ Give yourself 10 points if you have a place in your home to which you can go to relax or be
by yourself.
____ Give yourself 10 points if you practice time management techniques daily.
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29. ____ Subtract 10 points for each pack of cigarettes you smoke during an average day.
____ Subtract 5 points for each evening during an average week that you use any form of
medication or chemical substance, including alcohol, to help you sleep.
____ Subtract 10 points for each day during an average week that you consume any form of
medication or chemical substance, including alcohol, to reduce anxiety or just to calm down.
____ Subtract 5 points for each evening during an average week that you bring work home –
work meant to be done at your place of employment.
Now calculate your total score. A "perfect" score is 115. If you scored in the 50-60 range, you probably
have adequate coping skills for most common stress. However, keep in mind that the higher your
score, the greater your ability to cope with stress in an effective, healthy manner.
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30. Tips to Reduce Stress
Using one or more of the following techniques can help you feel more relaxed.
CREATE MIND/BODY BALANCE
• Practice deep breathing – This is both a short and long-term relaxation option. For a quick
way to destress, take 10 deep breaths. Focus on breathing in through your nose and out
through your mouth. As you exhale, imagine all of your stress and worries flowing out of your
body. Using breathing exercises daily will leave you feeling calmer.
• Exercise – Many studies have demonstrated that exercise is one of the most effective forms
of stress relief. Exercise can also counteract depression. Try to pick an activity you enjoy. From a
low intensity activity like walking to a high-intensity activity like kick-boxing, all forms of
physical exercise can be a big help.
• Sleep – This is one of the hardest areas to adjust for most people. Sleep is essential but
sometimes the pressures of assignments and other commitments mean that we fall well below
the 7-9 hours recommended. If you know you have a late night ahead, consider resting for 30
minutes to an hour in the afternoon.
• Eat well – Taking care of your body by giving it proper nutrients is extremely important. Try to
eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Drink plenty of water and take a
multivitamin. Avoid excess sugar, caffeine, and other substances that will cause your energy
levels to fluctuate dramatically.
POSITIVELY ADJUST YOUR ATTITUDE
• Know and respect your limits – Many of us try to impose order or control on areas over which
we have little power. When facing a difficult situation, take a step back and evaluate which
parts of the situation you have control over (your actions, etc.) and which parts you do not
(others’ behavior). If you realize a situation is largely out of your hands, let it go rather than
fighting it.
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31. • Be an advocate for yourself instead of a critic. – Celebrate your successes rather than dwelling
on what you perceive as your weaknesses.
• Visualize success – Before any big event, visualize the scenario. Try to picture all aspects of
the situation and how you might feel during the event. This kind of mental practice can make
the actual event seem far less intimidating.
REACH OUT
• Shift your focus – When stressed, many people focus their thoughts inward. This internal
focus can heighten stress and anxiety. Rather than constantly thinking about the issues that are
causing you stress, try to focus more on the external environment.
• Talk to others – Sharing your feelings of frustration, worry, and more with others you are
close to can help alleviate stress. Others’ perspectives can also help you see that while things
may appear bleak, they are actually not as bad.
• Explore your spiritual side – Seeking spirituality can greatly reduce stress, regardless of your
religious affiliation. Finding meaning and purpose can help you feel more joyful.
TAKE A BREAK
Stress tends to build up and can overpower us if we do not take breaks from our work. While
pulling an all-nighter may seem like a good strategy, it is actually leads to mental and physical
exhaustion that render you more likely to get sick. Here are some examples of ways to spend
quick and long breaks:
5-10 minute break (recommended for every 60-90 minutes of studying or work)
• Leave your room and take a walk
• Perform some deep breathing exercises and stretch
• Listen to music that you enjoy
• Have a quick chat with a friend
• Have a healthy snack
30+ minute break
• Exercise – go for a long walk or run; head to the gym
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32. • Have conversations with friends
• If you are in your room and know you may be up late, consider taking a short nap
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