At Healing Anchor, we are providing a space for changing your perspective and aspects on the daily issues you may struggle with.
Social Life
Stress and anxiety in daily life
For daily stress and struggles you should find a place or actively to degrade and break the bubble of your stress and anxiety as you should always be going out of your way and comfort zone. And one solution that is universal for all people with all interests is going on a walk which is usually overlooked but it will always reset the mind to be ready for whatever is next.
Self Confidence
Self confidence is valuing yourself for who and what you are even if you are not content with where you are now that is fine, you should always look back on what you have achieved and you shouldn’t be deceived by anything you see yet you should still be disciplined towards your goals in life; and always remember that little steps are better than not moving.
Academic Struggles for IB students
Everyone goes through academic struggles especially in the rigorous IB system and there are many ways to tackle the struggles. It is a highly relatable topic however people learn at different paces and ways. One thing that will always help with your procrastination in studies is by putting in 45 minutes a day to revise. This leaves you ready for any up and coming exam not only making it easier to revise but also less stress. Over my academic years I used various study techniques to enhance my revision; some include:
Pomodoro method
Now probably the most notorious and helpful study method in my opinion, the Pomodoro Technique divides work into concentrated 25-minute sprints with 5 minute breaks or 50 minutes and a ten minute break. It helps you remain on track without burning out by combating procrastination, increasing productivity, and assisting overall memorization.
Blurting
Blurting another assertive studying technique, consists of reading about a subject, put your notes away, and jotting down anything that comes to mind. This active recall technique improves confidence, identifies memory weaknesses, and fortifies memory. Blurting helps you deal with academic stress head-on, eliminate last-minute cramming, and recall material faster by transforming passive reading into active learning!
Feynman Technique
By explaining things as though you were teaching a five-year-old, the Feynman Technique simplifies learning. By simplifying ideas, you can identify knowledge gaps, close them, and improve information retention. It’s revolutionary for approaching challenging topics with greater confidence and less worry!
Sqr4
The SQ4R technique (Survey, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, and Review) is a systematic approach to learning that improves understanding and memory. Before reading, students actively engage with the information by inspecting it and formulating questions. Reflection and recitation promote comprehension, whereas revisiting assures long-term retention. This strategy is especially beneficial for difficult students because it encourages deeper learning, enhances attention, and helps break down complicated knowledge into digestible pieces.
Cornell note taking
The Cornell method increases learning by arranging notes into important points, cues, and a summary. This framework simplifies studying, improves recall, and aids in the resolution of academic challenges through better rewriting.The Cornell method increases learning by arranging notes into important points, cues, and a summary. This framework simplifies studying, improves recall, and aids in the resolution of academic challenges through better rewriting.
Chat GPT
Now while this is a resource that many of us students abuse (you really shouldn’t!); it is a good way to generate ideas when you are lost or lower the load that you have to memorize.
The following methods help your brain comprehend information at a much faster pace before exams which is much needed for the upcoming years in the IB curriculum.
Overall healthy habits and lowering procrastination can make a vast impact on not only your academic performance but life as a whole as well and try balancing studying with a hobby like exercise to have a balanced lifestyle and eliminate stress and anxiety.
Case Studies
Now before going any further, let’s really understand what is going on in our minds.
Anxiety and stress are characterized by feelings of worry, tension, or fear, especially in relation to events that are imminent or that we believe may occur in the future.
Humans naturally become anxious when they perceive a threat to their safety. We can experience it through our ideas, emotions, and bodily senses.
Most people experience anxiety occasionally. Anxiety is very frequent when dealing with unpleasant situations or changes, especially if they could significantly affect your life.
Now as a student we are always under pressure leading to severe stress and anxiety; and with the following solutions above we can reduce the anxiety levels by a margin, and no scrolling on TikTok for won’t help you fix your stress compared to doing something that you will benefit from, and most importantly something that you enjoy doing.
UCLA Case Study
For instance University of Los Angeles health did a study in 2011, 2013, and 2015 with a total of 1.2 million responses from people and it has been proven that the average person has 3.4 bad mental health days a month however within the people who exercised dropped that down by 40% lowering it to 2.0 bad mental health days a month.
According to the graph I made from UCLA’s results there is such a significant drop in bad mental health days from the people who exercise. This proves how it has so much power not only to your physical health but also mental health.
Moreover, looking deeper into the mental benefits of exercise; exercise produces endorphins which raise the heart rate. Exercise routines and physical activity through sport has been preventing distractions and illuminations; and the production from the hormone endorphins through 30–45 minutes of vigorous exercise everyday.And the principal function of endorphins is to reduce pain; for instance, long distance runners can experience euphoria from working out instead of reducing pain. Because all teenagers suffer from self-esteem as a lower depression and a rise in wellbeing will increase confidence as exercise is one of the most prescribed things. And lastly, endorphins are small proteins that are produced in the brain and released into the body to relieve pain and improve mood.
Now exercise is only one activity to help conquer any bad mental health but there are plenty more; it’s all up to your preference and what you enjoy doing.
To Attain this information I went on various calls with professionals to get valid and accurate information from Dr. Anita Auerbach and commonwealth psychology in Virginia, USA.
By Hatem Abughazaleh
Firstly, invest some time and effort in yourself such as finding a hobby, getting into healthy habits, strengthening family bonds, and most importantly valuing yourself. Also cutting out all negativity will benefit you sincerely from a spiritual aspect which not only made me a happier person but others as well.