Do not feel stressed, you will succeed. 

Dreams, goals, and targets; we all have some life tasks that we always want to complete. Most of us anticipate about what is going to happen or what will be the benefits of completing or achieving such goals. These are simply known as “life goals”. Life goals may bring us joy sometimes and it is a wonderful feeling. However, in the journey of achieving these goals can bring about stress. For instance, if we fail on some occasions or is afraid to face a challenge it can negatively affect us. My aim is to provide the reader some personal advice on how to manage himself when facing tough times like the situation we are facing now. So, if you are a university student, this will be valuable to you. I am not sharing a daily plan or routine, but some simple steps on how to work daily without getting stressed. Because you must work constantly if you want to achieve your goal.

Let’s start with simple steps. Why are simple steps important? Simple steps are one of the key strategies you can use while chasing a goal. Completing your task or achieving your goal is like a river made of single drops of water. For example, you cannot study a complete course unit in a single day. There may be super talented people of this caliber, but most of us are not. We must go through our notes and external sources very carefully, taking considerable time if we want to complete our studies well without missing the key points. Also, completing your tasks in little steps will help you to keep your mentality stable without getting too stressed. At the very beginning, it can be extremely boring to start with little steps and move on, but it is worth it. Keep in mind that “little by little, a little becomes a lot”. Therefore, move step by step. Do not try to run on the staircase if not you will fall. We must move step by step without rushing ourselves.

Discipline is the most important thing you should have as a person, especially as a university student or an adult. The word “discipline” has so many definitions. According to the Collins dictionary, “the practice of making people obey rules or standards of behaviour and punishing them when they do not,” is known as discipline. What I believe as discipline is “if you have a plan to achieve something and you also work for it constantly, that is discipline.” I do believe people who are working hard to achieve a goal have discipline. Without it, they cannot achieve their goals. Watching case studies of imminent people like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and even Sri Lankans like Chamath Palihapitiya on YouTube are very helpful. So do not forget that motivation will push you forward, but the discipline you have will make you grow. There is a difference between them.

Learning something new every day is another imperative. Most of us have access to the internet at present. We can search for anything we want and read, look at images, watch videos, and listen to podcasts and online radio through the internet. All these sources can be used to gain more knowledge daily. The knowledge we add every day will eventually be useful in the long run. It may be for an exam, an interview, a presentation or just a normal day-to-day occasion. It is critical to remember that you should seek more knowledge not only to pass exams, but also to make yourself more valuable, to be a better person, and to apply what you have learned to make the society a better place.

Next let’s have a look at why talking with others is important. Communication is a basic human need since a person is born. Humans by nature fulfil almost most every need through communication. Learning is also a process that happens through communication. From teaching and giving lectures to students self-studying, all these scenarios are based on communication. However, there is another side to what communication can do to individuals. It can be helpful for releasing stress, healing someone mentally, refreshing our minds and starting work efficiently. This is an aspect that most of us forget while we are doing our studies. That’s why I am going to remind you all the importance of talking with others. Talk with your parents, siblings, cousins, or even friends every day about what you have done each day. Discuss your future. You can keep your secrets, but at least try to talk about something that makes you happy to release your stress and refresh your mind. You will feel a change in your mind.

How important is religion and faith? Let us try to divulge into this. Each person has their own religion or faith. So, I am going to briefly explain how a religion or faith can be useful to change your life. Student life at most times will be very busy and stressful. Most of us have distanced ourselves from our religious faith since the end of our school life. Religion and spirituality can help us change our attitudes, thinking patterns, or develop our empathy towards other people. These simple steps will eventually help us one day to be that successful person we always wanted to be. Even in day-to-day life, religious or spiritual practices can heal someone’s mentality, help to release stress, be a nice person, and work once again. For example, as a Christian I will pray prior to starting any work, when I feel stressed, and even if I am happy at the moment. You can also feel better by trying these things. Going to a temple, church, mosque, or kovil according to your beliefs and even participating in religious festivals can heal our minds. We live in a country of different faiths and cultures, so we can share our good thoughts with each other, which will be useful for developing our characters.

As I have said at the very beginning “do not feel stressed, you will succeed”. Hope these simple steps will be helpful for you to change your monotonous lifestyle.

Rtr. Yohan Romesh