17.6.07

life is not about stress.

the world is no longer how it used to be. everything is moving so fast. humans are facing so much pressure, striving for excellence. the human race no longer enjoys a slow, relaxed life in the city. even panadol™ has come up with a painkiller, namely Panadol ActivFast to suit the face-paced world.

much of the cause of all these pressures are due to the kiasu syndrome that has crept into the minds of us. being the thick-skin people, we always want to be better than our neighbours, not wanting to be left behind... these result in the big S word, stress.

stress. not something uncommon neither an alien to us. with the push of the people around us to achieve more, we suffer from stress. students nowadays face so much stress til they start getting white hair, sometimes pimples and even dandruff (in jasmine's case). some even suffer from emotional breakdown etc.

we should overcome stress and not let it overcome us. like samuel says, consumeth the crap, but don't let it consume you. stress can lead to alot of other symptoms or disorders like depression, mental disorder, suicidal thoughts and many more. it can also lead to drug addiction and alcohol if the person is not educated well on the dangers of cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.

there are many ways to overcome stress. a time-table will help us. it helps us to divide our time properly and help us to focus on what we are to achieve. having a timetable will help you lead a more systematic life and take one thing at a time.

a good studying habit is vital for us. many people tend to burn midnight oil before exams (wasting the earth's resources.sigh), but that should not be the way. a good night's rest is very important to us as we are in the growing stage. we should study on a regular basis with breaks in between long study hours. do not wait for the last minute.

exercise can reduce stress, according to world-renowned psychologists' reports. therefore, we should inject a zest of sports into our daily life to help us relax. eating habits also affects us. as the saying goes, we are what we eat. we should avoid foods that are junk.

once in a while, we should seek time-out for hobbies, leisure, entertainment and the like. if we keep studying without a break, our mind will not be able to intake everything. other than that, if we cannot take the stress of life any longer, we should seek help from more experience people, namely teachers and counsellors.

we should not look towards drugs to overcome stress. instead, we should use healthy habits to live a stress-free life. say no to stress, say no for a better future.


guided writing. english paper 1 may 2007.