If you spend a lot of time in cyberspace anyway, do a search for the phrase stress
management. There’s a ton of stress advice on the Net, including material specifically for
students.There’s another thing that happens when students don’t make exercise an integral part of their test
preparation. Like any organism in nature, you operate best if all your “energy systems” are in
balance. Studying uses a lot of energy, but it’s all mental. When you take a study break, do
something active instead of raiding the fridge or vegging out in front of the TV. Take a 5- to 10-
minute activity break for every 50 or 60 minutes that you study. The physical exertion gets your body
into the act, which helps to keep your mind and body in sync. Then, when you finish studying for the
night and hit the sack, you won’t lie there, tense and unable to sleep because your head is overtired
and your body wants to pump iron or run a marathon.
One warning about exercise, however: It’s not a good idea to exercise vigorously right before you go
to bed. This could easily cause sleep-onset problems. For the same reason, it’s also not a good idea
to study right up to bedtime. Make time for a “buffer period” before you go to bed: For 30 to 60
minutes, just take a hot shower, meditate, or simply veg out.
NUTRITION AND STRESS: THE DOS AND DON’TS
Do eat:Don’t eat:Fruits and vegetables (raw is best, or just lightly steamed or nuked)
Low-fat protein such as fish, skinless poultry, beans, and legumes (like lentils)
Whole grains such as brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and pastas (no bleached flour)Refined sugar; sweet, high-fat snacks (Simple carbohydrates like sugar make stress
worse, and fatty foods lower your immunity.)
Salty foods (They can deplete potassium, which you need for nerve functions.)