Preparing for a test is a stressful time to many people and it makes no difference with TOEIC. If you feel pulled in too many directions, it’s time to prioritize.If you are in crisis, the quickest way to approach balance is to reduce unnecessary obligations, so that is where we will start.
An unnecessary obligation is a stressor you neither want nor need. If you neither want nor need it, why not eliminate or replace it?
Step 1: Identify Unnecessary Obligations
I have found it helpful to give priority to moral obligations and positive growth. So the quickest way to figure out what stresses I can eliminate is to figure out which ones are neither of the above. Here are 3 characteristics of positive growth stress:
- Positive growth stress is the result of growth/change in an area where you want or need it.
- Positive growth requires a light at the end of the tunnel.
- Positive growth means you must be able to reach the light without permanently damaging yourself or others.
Think about the major sources of stress in your life. Ask yourself whether each of these meets the three criteria of positive growth or is a moral obligation. The grid below may be helpful — You can print this grid or make your own.
| Stressor
(List your source of stress in this column.) |
Is the source of stress causing you to grow or change in a desirable way?
(yes or no) |
Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
(yes or no) |
Can you reach the light without causing permanent damage to yourself or others?
(yes or no) |
Moral Obligation? (yes or no) |
Step 2: Identify Remediation Options
Take any stressor that did not pass all three positive growth tests and is not a moral obligation (and therefore can potentially be eliminated or replaced) and insert it into the grid below. The remediation-option columns provide space to record straightforward options, such as outright elimination of the stressor, and more involved ones, such as an alternative job, budgeting of monthly bills, or counseling for troubled relationships
