Stress Management

[reninkidney]

How do seasoned competitors manage the stress that is associated with SciOly? I have a tendency to overstress a lot before an invitational, so does anybody have any tips/tricks to stop it?

[imaditi]

How do seasoned competitors manage the stress that is associated with SciOly? I have a tendency to overstress a lot before an invitational, so does anybody have any tips/tricks to stop it?

Personally, if I feel stressed. I like to take a deep breath (I know this seems cliche) and just listen to some calming music for a bit. I find that studying/ building something when I'm overall stressed just makes me way more stressed and I'd rather not. Just talking a couple moments to chill makes me feel a whole lot better.

[reninkidney]

How do seasoned competitors manage the stress that is associated with SciOly? I have a tendency to overstress a lot before an invitational, so does anybody have any tips/tricks to stop it?

I would say: people (such as friends, teammates, or family)!

I would say, just take a break, and text a best friend. I love texting my bff, and she helps me relieve a lot of stress! Maybe you have a romantic partner - you can also text/call them! Go play a video game with a family member, or even just jump on with some online friends. Call up one of your teammates and ask how their night is going. Jump on the Scioly.org Discord and join the discussion about whatever is being talked about at the moment! People are here to support you, and they're usually pretty fun to talk to!

P.S. Most of this also applies to pets!

[reninkidney]

I get that tournaments can be stressful, and stress is still something I work with today and try to stop. Things I try to do is relax, not think about it, and believe in myself. Listening to music is also a good idea, as others have said before. Or whatever works best for you. Whatever you would normally do when you're stressed about something else, do that. Just keep in mind the main focus is to not worry too much about it.

[Booknerd]

It may seem anti-productive, but to destress I take moments to distract myself from studying, rather than studying. In the end outcome, all that matters is that I have fun and enjoy what I do, so there isn’t too big of a reason to stress so much. If taking a break to read a book or go on a walk or watch some tv is what I need to keep myself sane and happy, that’s what I’ll do. I try to avoid worrying about how well I do or if I’ll medal or not, because that stuff really doesn’t matter. It’s about having fun and learning something new. So I just wouldn’t worry about a competition. My advice would be to just enjoy yourself and then it helps to make scioly seem more like a fun activity you enjoy doing rather than a stressful chore.

[sneepity]

I don't really have a huge method,but I just talk to my friends! Being wholesome making a lot of things better.

[space-egg]

I typically talk to my friends, especially ones who do Science Olympiad or a similar activity. I find that they understand what it's like and how stressful it is at times, and give me advice or provide a distraction.