Beating School Stress With Positive Thinking

BY Chris Stauffer

Let's face it, school is stressful. There is just no way to study and prepare and do all the things you need to do, and not feel it sometimes. Students of every age, all the way from little kids in kindergarten to middle-aged folks getting Masters Degrees suffer from some stress.

We can't eliminate school stress, but we can do a lot to minimize its impact on us. After all, even if we get stressed-out, we still need to do our best and get our work done. The key to dealing with school stress is to understand what causes it.

What Stresses You Out

Deadlines are a major school stressor. Everything is due at a certain time, and this causes us to worry whether we'll get it done. You've got a test tomorrow, and wondering whether you're prepared for it keeps you from preparing for it!

Most of us are natural procrastinators. Leaving everything until the last minute puts tons of pressure on us. Bad time management and procrastination make that deadline seem deadly! Bad time management is a symptom of a bigger problem - disorganization. If you are 100% organized in everything you do, your school life will be a breeze. But, how many of us can say that we are?

Finally, a major stressor for students is the simple fear that we won't make it. With deadlines, tests, things to do, our own messy disorganization, and a whole wide array of expectations on us from teachers, we simply worry whether we'll pass or not.

Look On The Bright Side

You can't get completely organized and do everything the day it's assigned. But, you can eliminate your fear of not making the grade. This is the number one stressor that hinders top school performance, and it can be overcome very simply.

The reason you're afraid of not passing is because it's what you're telling yourself everyday. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. This means that if you are chanting to yourself over and over, "I'll fail," then you WILL fail. There's no doubt about it. These self-defeating attitudes can be crippling for people.

What if, instead of saying "I'll fail. I'll fail," you started telling yourself everyday, "I'll pass with flying colors!"?

This is called a "positive affirmation" and it is a tool used by psychiatrists to treat major emotional disorders. However, anybody can do it. It clears the mind of negative thoughts and instills positive ones instead. It's your key to success in beating school stress.

Simply identify your negative thoughts. What are you telling yourself everyday that is tearing you down? Now, turn them in a positive direction. Choose a few key phrases, and repeat them to yourself at various times throughout the day. Whenever you feel that negative, self-defeating thought creeping up on you, fight back with your positive affirmation.

It sounds too easy to work, but it works wonders. Your self-defeating attitude can defeat you, so replace it with a positive one instead.