The MBA preparation journey is undoubtedly challenging, filled with various obstacles that test your resolve. Amidst these struggles, staying dedicated and giving your best effort is crucial. However, one of the most significant and difficult challenges is managing stress and mental health. The stress of preparation, combined with time management pressures and the fear of failure, can lead to anxiety, sleepless nights, headaches, and more.
It’s essential to recognize that maintaining good mental health doesn’t just impact your well-being, it directly influences your academic and career success. Moreover, managing stress and prioritizing mental health are vital steps in your preparation process. A healthy mind fosters a healthy body, which in turn, enables you to put forth your best efforts and achieve success.
Stress and Mental Health Issues Causes
Although there are various causes to stress and mental health issues, but here are some:
Pressure due to Mock Scores
Every aspirant feels the pressure to complete their syllabus beforehand. So that they can practice mocks. Keep practicing lots of questions which will automatically help you ace MBA mocks.
Also, don’t stress yourself by saying considering the low mock scores. Instead, use them as guides for your exam preparation.
Time Management
As all the MBA entrances are timed with sectional time limits, thus, the students feel the stress to complete answering maximum questions with accuracy. Moreover, managing MBA entrance preparation along with work or study becomes hard to manage too!
Social and Peer Pressure
The tendency to compare ourselves with others is a common but harmful habit. This constant need to outpace peers can lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety. Even when we’re performing well, we often feel satisfied only if we surpass someone else, turning success into a competition. This mindset does nothing but foster stress and contribute to mental health issues.
Personal Life Challenges
MBA entrances demand full commitment of a candidate towards itself. This could create distances between the student and their personal relations. Owing to this they can be left with very limited people to talk to.
Lack of Sleep
Sleep provides rest to our mind. Moreover, rigorous MBA preparation schedules could cause late nights and early mornings. Further, this could lead to lack of sleep and could cause the improper working of the body and the brain that will again lead to stress and mental health issues.
Overthinking
The fear and worry about what will happen if we don’t get the desired college leads to thinking, thinking and thinking. So much overthinking further leads to stress and mental health problems. Hence, to avoid this try practicing meditation techniques or just write down your thoughts. This will help you relax.
Stress and Mental Health Issues if Not Treated Can Lead to?
We have seen some of the reasons for the stress. Now we will learn about some disorders that can be caused by stress.
Burnout
A state of total physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion is called burnout. Moreover, you could find it challenging to participate in things you typically find meaningful if you are burnt out.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive and constant worry that gets in the way of everyday tasks. Moreover, physical symptoms like restlessness, feeling tense or quickly exhausted, difficulty focusing, tense muscles, or trouble sleeping may be present along with this continuous stress and tension.
Depression
Depression refers to the state of mind in which a person feels a loss of interest in activities. Moreover, excessive overthinking could cause depression. Further, it has negative effects on how we feel, think and act.
Physical Health Problems
Taking a lot of stress could also cause some physical health issues. Some of them are high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive problems, headache, and weakened immune system.
Cognitive Impairment
Cognitive impairment refers to the person’s inability to think, learn, remember and make decisions. Further, it leads to memory loss, concentration problems.
Decreased academic performance
Stress drains our memory completely. Further, it reduces our concentration as well. Owing to all this could result in missing deadlines, lack of focus, decreasing grades and decreased work quality.
Lowered Quality of Life
Increased level of stress makes a person lose interest in activities that he once enjoyed a lot. Further, this could reduce the body’s energy levels and sense of satisfaction with life.
Respiratory Problems
Stress causes some respiratory problems as well such as asthma, shortness of breath or hyperventilation.
What Can We Do to Manage Stress and Mental Health Issues During MBA Preparation?
Develop Strategized Schedule and routine
The very first thing one could do is to make a proper and strategized schedule. Moreover, make a schedule according to your preferences and availability. Further, set goals as per your compatibility which you could achieve easily and do not create any burden on you.
In fact, make a proper routine of all the things you do in a day. Be it dinner, breakfast or lunch, have proper time for all these things. As, having a healthy routine and following it religiously solves half of the problem.
Prioritize Self Care
It is agreeable that career is important but not more than your health. Take care of your health. Prioritize yourself. Do activities that make you happy from within. Like our body needs food to gain energy, in the same way our soul needs to recharge itself. Thus, eat on time, make sure you drink enough water and don’t eat much junk food.
Meditation
Meditation is one of the most effective ways to relax and calm the mind. It helps clear mental clutter and banish negative thoughts, allowing you to increase concentration and maintain focus on your goals. In fact, regular meditation not only enhances mental clarity but also fosters a sense of inner peace, making it easier to stay on track during challenging times.
Stress Relief Techniques
Incorporating stress relief techniques into your daily routine is crucial for maintaining mental balance. Simple activities like listening to music, taking walks in nature, watching comedy shows, or playing indoor games with family can significantly reduce stress. These techniques provide a much-needed break from the rigors of daily life, helping you recharge and return to your tasks with renewed energy.
Stay Motivated
Staying motivated is key to achieving your goals, and there are plenty of resources available to help you keep your spirits high. Podcasts and motivational talks, such as Josh Talks and TED Talks, are readily accessible on platforms like YouTube. These can provide valuable insights and inspiration, helping you stay focused and driven throughout your journey.
Yoga
Yoga is the best way to manage stress and mental health. Try to do yoga for at least 30 minutes daily. There are so many yoga poses that help in reducing stress. Some of the yoga poses are Sukhasana, Uttanasana, Balasana, Garudasana, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, Trikonasana, Marjaryasana, Savasana etc.
Create a Social network
Some students tend to isolate themselves and are introverted. You should change this nature of yours. Go outside. Socialize with people of different age groups. You will definitely get to learn something new. Moreover, discussing your issues and hearing other MBA aspirant’s stories will definitely help you stay calm and positive during your journey.
Do what will make you happy
Yes, you should study and prepare well for the MBA entrances. But, in this tightly packed schedule, make sure you’re also taking out some time to do such an activity that actually makes you happy. For some it can be playing football, for some it can be riding a bike or watching shows. Thus, keep rewarding yourself after completing your study tasks.
Conclusion
Embrace your MBA preparation journey with full commitment. Put your best foot forward in the entrance exams such as CAT/GMAT, etc. Practice as much as possible and never underestimate the importance of mental health.
Managing stress and mental health using the above strategies is crucial. In fact, a sound mind leads to a healthy body, empowering you to perform at your best. Remember, your mental health is the foundation of your success—nurture it, and everything else will follow.
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