CompassPoint Mentorship Lynbrook Branch Module #11 - Beating Stress

1. Module 11: Beating Stress
Lynbrook Branch
By: Carl Shan, Kavya Shankar, Anu Prasad,
Varun Pemmaraju

2. Introduction
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Hey everyone,
Welcome to our 11th module on beating and managing stress! We know that it’s an important part of being the successful
person you want to become. Stress is our body’s way of reacting towards the many pressures in the environment around us.
Now there are actually many types of stress, and dealing with each one may require a different mix of tactics and strategies.
The authors of this module tried to curate some of the most effective and powerful ways to deal with the different types of
stress in their own lives.
We don’t promise that all of them will achieve 100% successful results for everyone, but we do believe that they can all be a
powerful factor in helping at least partially alleviate the stressful feelings you may have.
We’ve broken down this module into 3 sections:
– How to Avoid Getting Stressed
– How to Deal With Stress
– Online Resources for Dealing with Stress
We hope you enjoy!
Everyone

3. Module 11: Beating Stress
Section 1: How to Avoid Stress
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4. Section 1: How to Avoid Stress
Anu Prasad:
• Work strategically: if you have a organized schedule and to-do list, you won’t fall behind. For example,
if you know you have an extra work shift and another paper due next week too, try to get a math
assignment out of the way the weekend before. That way, you won’t be stressed with numerous deadlines,
simultaneously.
Kavya Shankar
• The number one thing you can do to avoid stress is really plan ahead to make sure you give yourself
enough time to get things done so that you aren't stressing out at the last minute. The main technique I
use is what I call the "A-B-C Method." This involves taking a piece of paper, folding it into thirds, and
labeling each column with a letter, A through C. In Column A, you write down everything that absolutely
must get done before you get to bed that night, such as the homework that is due the next day. In
Column B, you put down some tasks you should definitely get started on if you have time, because the
deadlines are coming up soon (within about a week). Column C represents long-term planning; you put
down the bigger tasks that you want to start thinking about and working on if you particularly have a lot
of time. Then, every night, I keep working until I get tired. No matter how tired I am, I can’t go to bed
until I finish Column A. If I’m done with Column A and it’s still pretty early, I move on to Column B.
Using this technique, I am able to finish everything that needs to get done in a prioritized fashion.
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5. 5
Carl Shan
• Don't overcommit to things! Overcommitting is one of the most common causes of stress. Most people do
not really know where their abilities and expectations lie. I suggest thinking over every single opportunity
you receive, and every class you're looking to take with utmost scrutiny. I also suggest vetting the idea of
engaging in the activity with a friend who can be honest with you. Many times, others see us more clearly
than we can see ourselves.
• Remember the big picture: although I don't discourage prioritizing and bunkering down to work on what you
need to, remember the big picture. Many things that seem incredibly pressing and high-priority to you today
probably won't make a difference in 5 years. That's not to say you shouldn't give your activities your all, but
don't forget that it's but one tree in a forest. If you were to screw up one particular activity or event, all is
not lost. Life goes on, and the fact that you failed can actually be a huge advantage -- you can extract much
value and insight from your losses. Sometimes much more from them, than from your wins.
• Take breaks. Lots of people seem to thinking that 'grinding' is the most productive way to spend their
studying and working outs. Grinding involves non-stop 'working' for many hours at the library or in their room.
I think this is incredibly inefficient. Your efficiency level probably peaks after 1-2 hours, and from that point
on its a quick descent to just bad work. I call this 'pseudo-work.' It's better to take a break for 30 minutes than
to pseudo-work for 30 minutes because when you're engaging in pseudo-work you're only about 10% as
productive as before, yet it takes just as much energy to put yourself through it as normal work. So you're not
getting as much value out as you're putting in. Learn to relax, and recharge your batteries!
Section 1: How to Avoid Stress
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6. 6
Varun Pemmaraju
• #1 Rule - Learn how to say no and don't over-commit. I know I'm a giant hypocrite for saying this but
it really is true. Come to terms with the fact that at the end of day, you are only responsible for making
yourself happy and getting your work done. Anything more you can do is a benefit to those around you.
What I mean by that is don't make commitments to people that you can't keep, or can only keep at the
expense of your own time, sleep, sanity, hunger, etc.
• Find time for the little pleasures - I think I said this in a previous module too but reserve time for
yourself and solely yourself. Be it a short run at sunset, a huge bowl of Dulce de Leche ice cream (ask
me what I'm eating right now..), pleasure reading (your CS book doesn't count), knitting, piano, whatever
floats your boat; it'll do wonders for your well-being.
• Take 5 minutes in the morning or before going to bed to review the day and think about what has to
get done tomorrow.
Section 1: How to Avoid Stress
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7. Module 11: Beating Stress
Section 2: Dealing with Stress
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8. Section 2: How To Deal With Stress
8
Anu Prasad
• Find an activity that relaxes you and make sure you set apart 30 minutes each week for it! It doesn’t
have to be something big, just anything that makes you calm and happy like reading, biking, or cooking.
Make sure that it doesn’t have to do with Facebook or the Internet, because then you’ll be glued to your
computer screen all day!
• Take pleasure in the little things: seeing a nice sunset (if you’re an outdoorsy person), getting to sleep
early (for those early risers), or a great cup of coffee (for those coffee lovers). There are a lot of amazing
things out there, just look for them and you’ll find yourself smiling!
Kavya Shankar
• Okay, let's say that you're already stressed out. When I feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that I
have to do, the first thing I do is break up everything that I have to do into smaller, more manageable
items, so that I can more easily track my progress. Next, I spend a few minutes freaking out about how
stressed I am, and then tell myself to let it go. Focus on the objective, the end result. Freaking out will
not get you anywhere. Instead, you should focus on figuring out a game plan and then powering through
it.
• Other ways I deal with ongoing stress: fitness (go for a run, go to the gym), sleep, spend time writing
down why I'm stressed and how I can address it. It seems kin of silly, but it honestly helps to force
yourself to write out why you are stressed because you can pinpoint the reason for your feelings.
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9. 9
Carl Shan
• Accept the things you can't change: there will be times in life when you make mistakes and inevitably
stress out. Understand and accept that. We all make mistakes with our working habits, schedules,
commitments and involvements; we all stress out. Learn to become more accepting of the mistakes that
you can no longer fix and move on.
• Adopt a healthier lifestyle: sleep, diet, fitness all affect various biological mechanisms of your body that
contribute to feelings of stress and worry. I learned this myself. When I lived a more unhealthy lifestyle,
frequently downing soda and coffee, I accumulated a lot of health problems that made me more fatigued
and stressed. Sleeping less than a full 8 hours a day also contributed much to my stress level. But by
switching my habits around, so that I am much more physically engaged and healthy (I quit both soda
and coffee), I higher more energy and less stress.
Section 2: How To Deal With Stress
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10. (c) CompassPoint Mentorship 10
Varun Pemmaraju
• Talk it out - Find someone who will except your b*itching (er moaning, whining for the actual module)
and let it all out over coffee. It's like emptying the Trash/Recycling Bin on your computer - all that junk
is still sitting there sucking up memory until your really get rid of it. I'll admit that this only works for
some people. Others get more worked up and get high blood pressure from talking about what they have
to get done and what's stressing them out, but then again, I'd never recommend internalizing the stress
that you have. Chances are, there's someone with similar problems who will understand and want to
help you get through your stress so that they can see the smile on your face again.
Section 2: How To Deal With Stress

11. Module 11: Beating Stress
Section 3: Online Resources
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12. Section 3: Online Resources
12
Carl Shan
Articles worth reading:
• http://www.the6healthyhabits.com/biggest-causes-of-stress-7.html
• Cal Newport's series on eliminating stress: http://calnewport.com/blog/category/features-
eliminating-stress/
• ZenHabits on de-stressing: http://zenhabits.net/20-ways-to-eliminate-stress-from-your-life/
• Harvard Med School’s Article on Stress:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/PDFs/Stress_Relief_Guide.pdf
Task Management Tools
• Wunderlist – Get Things Done (GTD) application for all devices/OS’s
• iStudiez Pro – Course Tracking / Assignment Tracking application
• Vitamin – R – The merge between GTD and productivity tracking apps. It actually helps you
work on your tasks rather than just organize them.
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13. Thank You For Reading!
Carl Shan, Kavya Shankar, Anu Prasad, Varun Pemmaraju
Contact us at: shan.carl@gmail.com, kshankar.92@gmail.com ,
anuuuuuish@gmail.com , varun.pemmaraju@gmail.com