A Guide to Coping with Stress

Feeling stressed is completely normal in our day-to-day lives. You might notice that stress sometimes motivates you to focus on your work, but at other times, you might feel overwhelmed. Though stress is different for everyone, it can be categorized into two main types: good stress and bad stress.

Good stress improves cognitive performance and motivates us to work harder with higher efficiency. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Berkeley found that in lab rats, “Brief stressful events caused the stem cells in their brains to proliferate into new nerve cells,” which resulted in increased mental performance after two weeks. Better brain performance explains why most of us, including me, work better under stress. A moderate amount of stress makes us more alert and allows us to perform better. It promotes the growth of brain cells and enhances our memory. Additionally, stress boosts our immune system. Under stressful situations, our body produces a hormone called cortisol. This hormone triggers a series of reactions such as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Our senses respond to these situations (aka the “fight-or-flight” response) with a laser-like focus so that physically-stressed situations can be avoided, such as moving away from a speeding car.

Despite the many benefits of a moderate amount of stress, an excessive amount can be detrimental for any of us. Chronic stress is a significant example of bad stress. Chronic stress refers to repeated exposure to stressful situations that lead to the release of stress hormones. Unlike the health benefits of “good stress”, chronic stress will lead to serious health problems because the stress system is continuously activated. Since our nervous system is not designed to be continuously stimulated, many physical and mental health issues result from this type of stress. Chronic stress nearly disrupts all systems in our body. Anxiety, depression, memory loss, and concentration impairment are a few of the many impacts of chronic stress on our mental health. Since physical health is interconnected to mental health, physical illnesses such as digestive issues, heart failure, and headaches will also result from an unhealthy amount of stress.

You might wonder how can we turn bad stress into good stress. This is where stress-relief comes into play. Several interviews with remote learners, boarders, and day students were carried out to find out how our peers cope with stress. The most common ways to relieve stress are staying organized, getting active, and talking about your feelings. A first step might be creating a timetable to make sure that you are staying on top of your tasks. A common time management trap many people fall into is that they don't know where their time goes. They might have overestimated the amount of time they have available or underestimated the amount of time it takes to complete each task. If this sounds like what you are going through, you may need to keep a structured schedule. Assign the amount of time you want to spend in each activity and make sure it is attainable. “A tip would be to add rest time in between study periods since our brains need time to take a break,” a grade 11 boarder suggests. By knowing you have a break coming up, you’re more likely to stay focused and work with motivation. 

Another strategy would be to get outside and get your body moving. A boarder in grade 12 mentioned that she becomes far more productive after exercising in the gym and that she enjoys the “feel good” moment after some cardio. Though it might seem contradictory, putting physical stress on your body can help alleviate mental stress. For instance, jogging is found to be extremely useful in lowering our bodies’ stress hormones and improving our sleep quality. 

Last but not least, talking about your feelings is much more beneficial than keeping them to yourself. Many day girls find it helpful to talk to their parents about how their school assignments are stressing them out. Family and friends also act as great pillars of support. Even when you don’t expect anyone to understand what you are going through, just being listened to can help you feel supported and less alone. This method works both ways: if you open up, it might encourage others to do the same. A remote learner in grade 10 found stress more manageable after talking to her family and friends. “I feel like I’m being heard,” she said. “As long as you’re comfortable with the person you’re talking to, expressing your feelings really helps.” If you find it difficult to talk to your family and friends, I encourage you to drop by the school social worker, Ms. Parsons’ Office, or the guidance department. Our school does a great job of ensuring students’ wellbeing and helping with stress management.

Learning to manage stress is not an easy task. In fact, most of us struggle with it every day. Keep in mind that although the tips listed above are helpful to some of us, there is no “one size fits all” way to cope with stress. Take some time to figure out what makes you “feel good” and start with that as one of your ways to deal with stress. As Christopher Robin once said, “you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” You are capable of amazing things!