Not that anyone needs to be reminded, but final exams are next week.<\/p>\n
So study hard, get plenty of sleep, eat well, try to stay calm. Oh, and don\u2019t injure yourself.<\/p>\n
No, seriously, don\u2019t physically injure yourself.<\/p>\n
Studies show that, when stress levels are high, you\u2019re more likely to hurt yourself. It may be tripping over a curb. Maybe you tumble down a couple of stairs. Could be you\u2019re tossing a Frisbee with some buds and you twist your ankle or knee.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are more injuries during midterms and finals,\u201d says Gary Wilkerson, professor in Graduate Athletic Training in the Department of Health and Human Performance who has studied the phenomenon.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re stressing because of an upcoming test or you think you bombed the last one, the chemistry and physiology of your brain actually changes, making you more prone to clumsiness and the resulting injuries, he says.<\/p>\n
It works like this:<\/p>\n
The part of the brain where emotions develop \u2014 the amygdala \u2014 and the part that controls decision-making \u2014 the anterior cingulate cortex \u2014 don\u2019t communicate properly under stress.<\/p>\n
Under normal circumstances, the amygdala and the cortex are bosom buddies, intimately intertwining emotion and decision-making. But under stress \u201cthe signaling can get messed up,\u201d Wilkerson says.<\/p>\n
Since decision-making is primarily influenced by sight, such fuzzy or slow brain signals can negatively affect your vision. That\u2019s especially true with peripheral vision, which keys on motion and is key to recognizing possible dangers around you.<\/p>\n
Stress leads to \u201cslower reaction time because your peripheral vision decreases and you get tunnel vision,\u201d Wilkerson says. \u201cYour visual field actually narrows when you\u2019re under stress.\u201d<\/p>\n
So as you cross the street, you may be oblivious to that car barreling down on you from the side. And if you do see it, you may not be able to move fast enough to get out of the way.<\/p>\n
But hey, don\u2019t stress about stressing. There are steps you can take to fight back, Wilkerson says. Get good sleep, for one. And not just flopping face-first into your bed for a couple of hours. You need several hours of sleep uninterrupted by any distractions, say light or noises around you.<\/p>\n
\u201cSleep quality is extremely important, the volume and the quality,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
And make sure you eat decent food.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more your blood sugar is fluctuating, the more effect that has on your brain\u2019s processing,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd, if you eat crappy stuff, you get (acid) reflux and you don\u2019t sleep as well. These things are interacting with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you want to tame your stress in the long term \u2014 finals or not \u2014 try such activities as yoga, tai chi or meditation, he says.<\/p>\n
Tests run on people both before and after six weeks of these practices show measurable and positive differences in the way the brain functions. Calm descends and stress reduces.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re focusing on the moment and not being stressed out about what\u2019s happened recently, not being anxious about what\u2019s going to happen next,\u201d Wilkerson says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Final exams are here, so study hard, get plenty of sleep, eat well, try to stay calm. Oh, and don\u2019t injure yourself.<\/p>\n