Writer: Gaurika Sharma

Editor: Namitha

Imagine a glass to be your mind and the water in it to be the stress, our mind is constantly under some sort of stress and with regard to the current scenario, it is understandable. This also means that there are times when the water starts to overflow from the glass and instead of drinking some of it, we end up worrying more about the existing problems, thus adding more and more water, to the overflowing water, into the glass.

Now as chaotic as the previous sentence was to read, that much chaos is filled inside our minds. What is Stress? Stress describes a person’s physical or emotional response to the pressures of daily life. As students, stress for us is related to school, studies, assignments, parents, friends, etc. Symptoms of stress are irritability, insomnia, headaches, muscle tension, and difficulty in relaxing. When this feeling persists, it leads to mental illnesses. Chronic mental health issues are very serious. You might think that it's “just a phase", but this phase can extend into a lifetime. Being ignorant towards symptoms of any kind of mental health issue could turn out to be a lifetime of problems for you. So, this article is to raise awareness. Chronic stress is the prolonged feeling of stress, which negatively impacts your mental health as well as your everyday performance. You are in a constant state of stress and muscle tension, and your body is unable to relax on a regular basis. It has many symptoms - decreased energy, difficulty in sleeping, fatigue, feeling of helplessness, feeling of loss of control, irritability, muscle tension, upset stomach, nervousness, and anxiety, etc. If our mind already has something to worry about, it's not easy to concentrate on other tasks. Say you put aside these worries and get back to work, but you aren’t able to work with a fresh mind, this is because you have just put your worries aside, and not forgotten them. Is there a difference between anxiety and stress? People often confuse anxiety and stress, the misconception being anxiety is a type of stress, but rather it is our body's natural response to stress. It’s the feeling of fear or worries about what’s to come. Feeling anxious in some situations, like taking a test, shifting schools, etc. is normal. With respect to COVID, many people will feel anxious about the day school will reopen. This is because we have been stuck at home for so long that we aren’t used to daily socialization with people anymore. This may develop a fear in our minds about how the next day is going to go or how we are going to face so many people. Such feelings are completely normal, because they come and go, but doesn’t make your mind it’s home. But a similar kind of constant fear, which clings on to us, which hinders our daily routine, is not normal. Feeling anxious about the day school reopens is understandable, but feeling this anxiousness every day for a considerably long duration is not healthy. Such fears or worrying takes a toll on your mind. You are in constant fear, unable to absorb and enjoy anything around you. Some symptoms of anxiety are- restlessness, increased heart rate, rapid breathing, trouble concentrating, and difficulty in falling asleep. Overthinking, another cause of stress - Another very concerning problem is overthinking. Overthinking is the act of thinking about something too much or for too long. One who overthinks, start blaming themselves for things that they haven’t done and worry about the scenarios that may or may not happen in the future. This feeling is exhausting and drains one of their energy. It is an unhealthy habit as one puts themselves through excruciating tension, without even knowing the full facts. For example, you text your friend but don’t get an immediate reply. After a while, your friend sees the message but leaves you on seen. This probably won’t affect you much, but for an overthinker, it takes a toll. They start worrying why their friend isn’t replying or may start to think that it's their fault and hence, got seen-zoned. So, these long hours of wait, before the reply, is excruciating for them. They start to overthink a simple matter without even knowing the other side of the story. But the truth is, your friend's phone battery died, because of which they couldn’t reply. When the whole story is revealed, they feel at peace but this is momentary, they are not completely sure if that was really the reason and the cycle begins all over again. Combating Stress - Self-analysis is not an easy thing to do, but this way you can understand yourself better. Sometimes we are used to and also adjusted to such habits that we don’t see the problem, even if it is serious. When someone points it out to us, we probably think that they are exaggerating such a simple matter. But this gets us thinking that what if they aren’t exaggerating, but we are being ignored? Stress makes us exhausted to participate in an activity, complete a task or even have a normal conversation with someone. Even if you want to do something, you feel drained out and too tired to actually do it. Because of this, many students procrastinate, don’t participate in discussions or even reduce conversing with their friends or family. Chronic stress, anxiety, overthinking or any other mental health issue you are experiencing, the best way to help yourself is therapy. A therapist is a qualified professional who can actually help you face these problems, without judging you. The stigma around mental health still exists, but mental health awareness has increased during the pandemic. You don’t necessarily need to have a mental illness to go to therapy. Death of a loved one, chronic habits, divorce, stress, anxiety, overthinking

, etc., are also some reasons why people go to therapy. One can go to therapy to seek guidance too! Many of us develop the habit of keeping stuff bottled inside and not letting it out. This can make one suffocate on the inside and may feel overwhelmed. It is an unhealthy habit. It is imperative for everyone to have an outlet, it could be to talk to someone or write in a diary or on camera, but let it out or speak it out. Literally, speak out what's on your mind, and the next day you will feel so much better. Your mood will improve, you will feel light and fresh on the inside, but more importantly, you will feel better about yourself. We all have one life, so why not live a happy and healthy life, because after all, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.