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3 3 DON ’ ’
DON T BE A SLAVE TO STRESST BE A SLAVE TO STRESS

"Remember that stress doesn’t come from what’s going on in your life. It comes emember that stress doesn’t come from what’s going on in your life. It comes
"R
from your though
—Andrew Bernstein
from your thoughts about what’s going on in your life." ts about what’s going on in your life." —Andrew Bernstein

School can be a stressful experience along with being fun and exciting. You may feel stressed

about writing exams, project deadlines, friendships, etc. Stress is a natural feeling designed
to help you cope in challenging situations. In small amounts it can be good because it

pushes you to work hard and do your best, such as during exams. But if you’re feeling
very stressed or feel that you cannot manage stress, it can lead to mental health problems

such as depression and anxiety. It can also affect your academic performance. People
experience stress in different ways and for different reasons. The reaction is based on your

perception of an event or situation. If you view a situation negatively, you will likely feel
distressed—overwhelmed, oppressed, or out of control. The other form of stress results

from a positive view of an event or situation, which is why it is also called ‘good stress’.

Story Corner

Once upon a time in a famous

American university, a professor of

psychology walked around on stage
while teaching stress management

principles to an auditorium filled
with students. As she raised a

glass of water, everyone expected
they’d be asked the typical ‘Is

the glass half empty or half full?’
question. Instead, to the surprise

of everyone, the professor asked
with a smile on her face, “How

heavy is this glass of water that

I’m holding?”
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