Mindfully Studying

Stress free studying is unimaginable and unhelpful. I love a healthy dose of stress which keeps me alert and helps me prioritize what I think is important to me. It is when we are flooded (amygdala capture) that we form beliefs that stress is bad for us.

The balance of stress and emotional regulation is necessary for all students. Apart from physical education, where stress is required to break down our muscles so we can rebuild and be stronger, nobody teaches us in school how we can coexist and benefit (thrive) from stress!

For students in Singapore dealing with stress, please approach your school counsellor or any available helpline. Resources available here.

Mental Health Helpline Singapore

Mental Health Chatbot Links

Belle (mental health web chat)

Belle (Facebook Messenger chat)

Samaritans of Singapore Suicide Prevention and Crisis Helpline:

phone 1-767

email pat@sos.org.sg

5 Ways to Relief Stress While Studying

1. Posture break. Listening to music always helps but long hours of studying usually means a break and change of posture is required. Use posture breaks to practice breathing in and out in a way you are observant of how the body reacts to you observing the inhalation and exhalation.

2. Micro-exercises while studying. Tap your feet and dance to the beat while sitting in front of your laptop. Insert motion and emotion into your studying to beat the exam preparation blues.

3. Colour or paint your notes. Make note taking a creative process and use your imagination to help bring life to the notes you take, however boring the science or math equation maybe.

4. Use your breathing as an anchor to focus your thoughts back to a point you are trying to understand or memorise. In observing the breath, the mind stills like in the Matrix. We begin to slow down our perception of time because our brain starts to narrow its focus. Use this space to be in ultra productive mode.

5. Acquire superhuman powers of flow while studying. Begin your study by fully being present to breathing. Take 3 deep breaths and imagine yourself being this ultra-focused superhuman before you start. And each time you are distracted by an irrelevant or unhelpful thought, use that thought as a trigger to breathe yet again.

More methods to cope with stress and anxiety.