Stress??

dedicated to those who are under stress right now...for whatever reason..be it exams, financial problems, or etc...
just an essay I wrote for an assignment,,ayat agak skema and more medical student-oriented..teehe..
just hoping it'll help those who are in the situation of stress to loosen up a bit... and see stress in a different perspective... boleee nggakk?? ;p

Health Psychology and Human Diversity Reflective Essay: ‘Stress’
Stress. A word that is at most times associated with negative conditions and feelings. The feeling of stress or being tensed is perhaps one of the things in life that seemed to be unavoidable most of the times, and it may be caused by so many different things. Panic, fear, or financial problems are just few of the many other things that can cause stress. It brings about a spectrum of effects, and health issue is one of them, that we, as future doctors may be most concerned of. I am glad through the module of Health Psychology and Human Diversity, students are brought to visit this topic and are allowed to discuss on the issues that revolve around it.

Furthermore, as a medical student, I personally think that the topic of stress is something that is really easy to relate to, giving rooms for myself to reflect back on some issues. Being an international medical student, living in a country thousands of miles away from home, and being in the minority group in a foreign country, can be some possible stress-causing sources for me. And let’s add to that the challenge of coping with academic studies and the coming examinations. If these are not managed correctly, it can bring about some stress responses which may not only affect myself, but also the people around me.

However, I believe that it is important to change the perspective of looking at stress itself. Stress does not necessarily mean something negative, and in fact sometimes, we can deal with it in a positive way. Take the stress of exams for example. Instead of worrying about the exams and having nervous breakdowns as the date of examination gets closer, the more pragmatic way of dealing with it is preparing myself in advance by having proper notes and having academic discussions with peers. In this way, the stress itself will help boost my academic performance, giving a positive result. The stress would somehow encourage me to be more prepared for the exams as it draws closer.

Thinking back from previous years, I remember of a time when I had trouble dealing with the stress of examination. As the exam date drew closer, I grew more tensed each day. I felt my heart racing every time anyone mentions the exams, I felt tired easily, and I lost focus most of the time. It was perhaps due to the lack of self-confidence, and my own mistake of keeping the worries all to myself. I couldn’t find a way of releasing the stress and didn’t take up sports, either. At the time, it seemed like I couldn’t find a way out of the situation.

However, at last, with the support of friends and family, I finally managed to find my way through. Talking things out to other people had definitely made a huge difference afterwards, as I felt that I found support and strength from those people who care. It is also helpful to get involved in activities that may help to forget the stress, for example doing physical exercise or even, retail therapy!

I am also well aware that there are more sources of stress that awaits me in this path of becoming a doctor. Even doctors too may face stress and be under pressure, but it is important to know how to deal with it. In my opinion, if a doctor is able to handle his stress in the most appropriate way, then it will be easier for his patients to follow his advice on matters concerning the same topic of stress. This is because doctors are like role models and are looked up to by patients.

Also, as a future doctor, it is also important to acknowledge the influence of stress in causing health problems or exacerbating disease in patients. I believe that I will be encountering patients with all sorts of disease for example migraine, hypertension, ulcers and others, with stress as the major cause. Looking at it the other way round, some patients may even feel stressed caused by the diseases that they have, and this is also one of the points that I need to be aware of and keep in mind as a future doctor.

In a nutshell, stress is a common problem, which may be encountered by any one and at any time. The sessions in this module had somehow helped me realize the importance of understanding stress, knowing its sources and managing it well, as I’ve come to see that these will all help us deal with stress in a better way. By acknowledging stress and its many influences, it may even help us to become better doctors in the future.

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Just remember, if you feel stressed or feels like anything close to breaking down, talk to someone...And the best to tal to is, none other than our Creator Himself. He KNOWS what we're going through, and He's ALWAYS there to listen to us. So, turn to Allah because He CARES. He is Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim...

And do check out the meaning of Surah Al-Insyirah :) InsyaAllah dapat menenangkan hati...