With finals and AP tests on the horizon, it’s no secret that April is a pretty stress-inducing month. However, this is why it also makes sense that it’s stress-awareness month. Testing is, well, stressful, and the pressure placed on you by grades doesn’t make it any easier.
“It’s important to raise awareness so that more people can help each other and become stress-free,” said Amador wellness specialist Cindy Tovar.
Some strategies are easier than others. For example, simply laughing can help reduce stress. If a low-energy, low-commitment stress reliever is what you need, try a funny TV show or movie. Moving around also helps. If you play a sport, go to the gym, or even simply take your dog for a walk, your brain is releasing endorphins, a hormone that helps to reduce pain, stress, and overall increase your well-being.
Simply being around people can help improve focus as well.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of students working together to study. They’ll do study sessions or go to the library and all that and I think that’s great,” said Tovar. “It’s a good way to destress, by surrounding yourself with your people, and by studying together, you
hold yourself accountable together.”
With these people, you can laugh, study, and feel a sense of accomplishment by keeping each other on task and motivated. In this setting, not all stress is bad. By creating a motivated mindset, you’re able to take that anxious stress and turn it into eustress, or
good stress. Eustress helps motivate you to complete tasks and stay on target.
No matter how prepared you might be, testing can be difficult to not feel nervous for. Tovar recommends engaging in self-care and relaxing-to-you activities.
“I believe in maybe grabbing a cup of tea, going to the gym to get all of the jittery, stress-filled feelings out, maybe taking your own self care days before you get started and psych yourself out,” shared Tovar.Learning how to deal with stress can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. Amador’s counseling department and Wellness Center are always available to students seeking help.
