English
For many of you, December means cold, holidays and family. For others, this word is synonymous with something very different: stress, study or exams. On December, many people become library rats, bookworms, hungry for pizza and photocopies. They are the eternal students. To achieve their goals, they are prepared to practice the worst habits, even when they know what is desirable and healthy to be effective and to be relaxed. Cortisol (the so-called hormone of stress) alters everything, and it can even destroy a lot of neurons. If you don’t want December to become a nightmare, take notes of these tips and surely everything will be fine. Trust yourself and preserve your passion, you´re not alone on this adventure! And remember, nothing is impossible.
How many students know the recipe to avoid going crazy when they prepare for exams? And how many do the complete opposite because they say they cannot stand it? The Cortisol hormone is the culprit of so much fear and whose true function is to send glucose to the blood and to send quantities of energy to the muscles. It is assumed that its effect is positive, but faced with a situation of prolonged fear, and being the unique supplier of glucose, the hormone tries to melt everywhere, destroying tissues, muscle proteins and fatty acids. Because of that the students go totally crazy when they have got exams.
Others prefer to become guinea pigs for the many pharmaceutical companies. They take tablets to regulate their sleep, a second one for concentration and yet another to have more energy: a cocktail of pills to improve their performance. Are you sure you need so much chemistry? To study would not necessarily be harmful to your health. It is best to use natural methods like sleep, eat healthy things and drink water. Does it seem unattainable? Just scream, walk or rest a bit! That relieves the pressure during the more tense moments. Pleasure and work can be your friends.
The first symptoms of high cortisol levels are a lack of sense of humour, irritability, feelings of anger and a desire to cry. Then there are several physical signs such as headaches and neck pain, digestive problems, sleep and appetite problems…this disturbance can be higher in women since they are also exposed to the hormonal changes of the menstrual cycle.
The list of tips is very long and you should know that resting in quiet places, having pauses, disconnecting with friends and avoiding the products and foods that excite us are good practices. If you´re sick, get informed, consult a specialist or speak with other students, but do not let the exams and the teacher demoralize you. Good luck!
Maybe one of the best solutions to alleviate the anxiety is a trip. Rome is an ideal destination, as it has a lot of fine art and architectural treasures. Rent apartments in Rome: they are cheap and very comfortable.
