SPM 2001

You find that many of your friends are under a lot of pressure. They spend most of their time
studying and appear to suffer from stress. Write an article for your school newsletter on how
to cope with stress. Include the following points:
 regular exercise
 hobbies
 plan a timetable
 work in groups
 balanced meals
 enough sleep
 study skills
 make a check-list
 seek advise
 games
 talk to your family
 listen to music

HOW TO COPE WITH STRESS?

Written by : Brad Pitt

It is undeniable that students nowadays live a hectic lifestyle. We have loads of

homework, exams and tuition classes to attend. As a result, most of us suffer from a major
problem called ‘stress’. However, there are certain methods we can use to cope with this and
reduce stress.
One way is to maintain our health. When we are phsically fit, our mentality and
emotions are usually in a positive state. In order to maintain our health, we should exercise
on a regular basis by doing push-ups or jogging. There are also many physical sports that
students like to play such as football and basketball. We should always allocate certain
amount of time to play such games.
Next you can start a hobby or hobbies to keep your mind off all the problems.
Hobbies such as fishing, collecting stamps, reading novels and so on. As long as what you are
doing will keep your mind off studying. Have fun for a short while. A balanced meal also
helps us maintain our health. As students who are still growing, we should consume
appropriate amount of protein and carbohydrates. Eat foods which are healthy such as
vegetables, fruits and others. Do not eat those junk food which contain preservatives such as
monosodium glutamate. These food can affect your health.
We should get enough sleep. You should have enough sleep everyday, at least 8 hours
of sleep a day. It isn’t worth it if we slave ourselves up to three in the morning if we wake up
feeling tired the next day. Another method is to plan out a time-table. This way allows us to
have enough time in our studies and other activities. We should also apply various study
skills such as making our own notes and paying close attention in school. Find out from your
teachers on the important topics you have to concentrate on. It is also advice to note down
the important points to help you study better. It also makes a difference if we make a check
list of our own. We will be able to keep track on what we have done and make sure we don’t
miss out anything important.
Having troubles studying alone and you need help? Well, create a group study. Group
study helps a lot especially for those weaker students. They can seek help from their friends
if they face difficulties in undertsanding any topic. If you have problems in your studies do
not just sit around and be quiet, go and seek for advice from the school counsellor for
instance. Play games as well. Do not play those computer games, well you can if you want to.
But, it is advisable to play a healthy game such as soccer.
Remember that your family is always there to help you in every way they can. Talk to
them. Ask for their opinions on how you should study better. You can also listen to music to
release your stress. Songs which are advisable are classical songs. These songs can help you
relax.
There is no use putting an extra burden on yourself. Relax and do not overwork.
That’s how we can overcome our stress and have a happy and meaningful life.