Health and Wellbeing

 

I had completed the Holmes – Rahe Inventory and was quite surprised to find that I fell into category 2. What this means is that I have a 50% chance of a major health breakdown in the next 2 years. I would not consider myself of suffering from any major stress in my life that would make my score to be of that height. My score was actually 252 meaning I was closer to the third and last category of having an 80% if having a mental breakdown. This was the most surprising and slightly worrying to find out, that not only was I so hight up in the Holmes scale but that I was almost in the last category.

 

I will admit that over the past year my life’s structure has changed significantly which I will admit has caused me quite a bit of stress. Moving on and leaving from school caused me a lot of stress due to the fact I was beginning a new chapter of my life. I had so much stress especially when waiting on my exam results due to how much of a sigma they had attached to them. They would either decide if I got into a course that I really wanted to do or if I would have to take a course that I had interest in but not a passion for. When I had finally got the results I needed and wanted and got into the course I wanted the stress here was lowered. However, as the summer came to an end I knew that I would soon have to deal with starting a new university. This began stress again as I would be going to a place that would be completely different from what school was like. I had to deal with meeting all these new people, while also dealing with the pressure of having to pass every assessment to get the certificate and knowledge at the end that would allow me to become a primary teacher.

 

To combat the above big stressors I have had in my life in the last year, I always try and remember that everyone goes through this adjustment in their life. It is all about growing up and starting to take a direction for the way you want your life to go. I know that when exams are becoming nearer i begin to stress. My plan to combat this stress is to pace myself more efficiently. At school I was quite good at procrastinating and panicking myself which then left everything too late to actually gain a good mark. I tried this method a little in S6 but know for it to e fully effective and combat exam and workload stress I must be more efficient with my time. 

 

Another way I deal with stress is to go for long walks and get out and about to try and take my mind off of things. I try and do something relaxing and something that will distract me. This could be such things as meeting friends and doing something that I can talk to others and take myself away from the equation for a little while which will help reduce my stress levels.