Spectrum of Stress
- ejorigin
- Oct 12, 2023
- 7 min read
Written by: Joshua Ong (23-U4), Lim Sher Min (23-E1), Loo Hao Zhe (23-U2), Marissa Tan (23-O1), Ng Le Kang (23-I2), Sophie Ho (23-E3), Tan Yi Ling (Chen Yiling) (23-A2), Teong Chee Kai (23-O4)
Designed by: Bernita Rayen (23-I1)
Introduction
As academic stress mounts to unprecedented levels among us Eunoians, especially as our final exams approach, many of us are starting to feel the overwhelming weight of our overloaded schedules and the challenge of addressing unmet learning needs. Most of us feel as if we are being submerged beneath the weight of high academic expectations, intensified by our fast-paced lifestyles. In this article, we will be delving into two different types of stress, and exploring how we can better manage and cope with stress.
Positive stress
Positive stress, also known as eustress, empowers people to work harder in order to reach their goals. Eustress often comes at times when people are reminded of upcoming deadlines, in the middle of a slump, or perhaps when they come to the realisation that exams are coming up and they have done approximately 0% of their revision. Eustress is still stress, and it has similar effects such as getting your heart rate up and making you feel encouraged to do better. However, what sets eustress apart from what is typically seen as being stressed is that eustress gives you energy, and perhaps even excitement. You want to work on things, and you want to improve. This type of stress is healthy, and has positive effects. Therefore, being able to make use of stressful situations and channelling feelings into eustress rather than distress, can help people optimise their work.
Negative stress
Negative stress, also known as distress, wields the potential to cause many detrimental impacts to both our physical and mental well-being. Distress is often a result of the buildup of excessive pressure emanated by an overwhelming workload, unrealistic expectations, and uncertainties, all of which are often observed in the hectic life of a JC student. Dealt poorly with, chronic stress could cascade to burnout and even depression. These problems would lead to counterproductivity, and could spiral to deleterious effects. For students, it is even more important to learn to manage distress, as the demanding JC life is the perfect breeding ground for stress. We face new social environments and responsibilities, on top of the exponential increase in the amount of school work. The lines between studies and relaxation blur, making finding the balance between them challenging. If not managed well, school stress could translate to distress which would inundate us with negativity and cripple our abilities to function optimally. Simply put, school tests us on how we deal with stress. Only when we find the right balance, and can deal with the distress we face in our lives, can we cultivate emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and effective problem-solving skills, allowing us to strive towards excellence.
For those who find themselves caught in the grip of this academic stress, consider that as long as we approach it the right way, stress won’t rule our life -- it can even be good for us. Here are ways to deal with stress, reduce its harm and even use stress to our advantage.
Focus on the positive
One of the ways to convert negative stress to eustress would be to focus on positive people, those who have a positive impact on your well-being. This doesn’t mean you need to hang out with people who don’t get as stressed as you, but instead find someone who is going through similar emotions as you, one who could act as a buddy, one whom you are able to rely on for encouragement, and help each other to become more productive in the assignment.
It goes without saying that friends are extremely important when it comes to stress coping. When you have just the right friends who are able to understand your feelings, and are willing to comfort you when you encounter stress, as well as support you through thick-and-thin, you will find yourself being able to cope with stress a lot better. There is always someone there to support you and this gives you more room to breathe, especially during this suffocating period when everyone is preparing for their examinations.
Lastly, stay away from toxic relationships. No one wants to hear people constantly blasting unnecessary and hurtful comments in their ears. These negative comments will exponentially increase your stress levels. Also, do keep a lookout for yourself - do not become the toxic friend, even if you are feeling so stressed and need a way to release your stress. Try and go for a run, or do something that you like when things get too suffocating.
Modify your goals
Another way to convert negative stress to eustress would be to modify your goals. Make your goals a healthy challenge you are happy to be working toward. Negative stress often arises when we have to force ourselves to pursue a goal, simultaneously causing feelings of worry or dread. On the other hand, eustress arises when you feel excited during the process of pursuing a goal. A little anxiety is normal, but it should not dominate your situation. These positive emotions fuel your motivation to keep pursuing your goals, acting as a positive form of stress that enables happiness and progress.
Finding purpose and attaching meaning to your goals would provide a focus, and positively impact your motivation. For example, if my goal was to achieve 90 rank points (RP) because I aspire to study medicine overseas and become a doctor to help others, my goal would be more meaningful, and promote eustress. On the flip side, the goal of scoring 90 RP just to get a perfect mark on your A-Level certificate promotes negative stress. Having meaning and purpose when pursuing goals is a key element for happiness and a positive mind.
In conclusion, to convert negative stress to eustress, you could modify your goals to make the process more exciting, and find a deeper purpose in the goals you have set for yourself.
Body de-armouring and exercise
Besides converting distress to eustress, how else can we reduce and relieve stress? As shared by our school counsellor Ms Jasmine Ng during a Period Zero session with the J1s, we can engage in body de-armouring. Body de-armouring is a method of releasing emotions, stuck energy and tension, also known as the armour. Therefore, doing some stretches and shaking out the tension can not only reduce muscle tension and prevent discomfort and pain, but also help us to feel more calm and relaxed.
You can also engage in some exercise, such as running, playing sports such as basketball and Ultimate Frisbee, or simply watching and following workout videos on YouTube. Exercising reduces the level of cortisol, a stress hormone, and releases endorphins and serotonin, the happy hormones and mood elevators in our body. As such, it is another effective way to decrease our stress levels and improve our mood. So, when you are sitting at your study desk and find yourself feeling increasingly stressed out and vexed as time passes, do consider getting up to stretch and/or exercise, and hopefully this very act of moving about will leave you feeling less stressed and more ready to overcome the challenges in your way.
Find your quiet place
Aside from exercise or engaging in physical activity, there are times when you may feel disorientated, disarrayed, or burnt out by the hectic nature of JC life. In these moments, it is important to pause and reflect on your own state of mind. Oftentimes, we may tend to get so absorbed with completing our task at hand that we end up neglecting our own mental, emotional, and physical well-being. While the PW Oral Presentations and A Level Examinations may be coming right ahead, it is also important to understand your own personal limits and acknowledge your need for peace, rest and recuperation. Everyone has moments where they may feel the need to retreat into solitude or quiet; these needs are valid and you should respect your own need for space.
Additionally, even if you do not feel burnt out, it is still useful to find pockets of quiet spaces to study or work at throughout your day. Our minds are constantly processing sensory input from our external environments, even if we may not consciously be aware of it. Over long periods of time, this constant input can place considerable strain on your brain, thus possibly causing mental fatigue and reduced productivity and focus. If you can relate to this experience, you can consider finding quiet spaces around school, in the comforts of your own home, or perhaps in your local libraries. This thereby reduces auditory distractions, allowing you to invest more focus and energy into your studies, boosting your productivity.
Finally, a study done by neuroscientist Imke Kirste found that when individuals had two hours of silence every day, it aided in the development of new cells in the hippocampus, the region of the brain that is in charge of learning, memory, and emotions. While this research is still relatively new and in the process of further refinement, it does show that silence can potentially improve brain function and capacity, thereby enhancing and aiding your studies.
Conclusion In retrospect, stress and its solutions exist across a wide spectrum. While the contexts behind stress are inherently bound to the context of the individual, so are its solutions. Stress can exist as both the greatest motivator and one’s most inordinate adversary. To manipulate and actuate stress to eustress, one could potentially focus more on the positive and avoid toxicity, as well as adapt their own goals to better motivate themselves. However, in situations where negative stress still persists due to an accumulation of various factors, one should aim to minimise the detrimental effects of stress and strive to ameliorate the situation by putting to rest or appeasing one’s inner turmoil. While foolish to generalise said means to every individual, one could potentially try well-tested means such as moving about through engaging in body de-armouring and exercise, as well as establishing conducive environments of operation.
Ultimately, stress is but a pertinent constant in life and it is up to us to find a balance between motivation and self detriment, for the betterment of ourselves.
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