STRESS BUSTER

Teenager Priyal Sanghavi talks about the stress that accompanies living abroad away from home and how to deal with it.
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Squealing and crying soon after I was born, disguised the first words I ever spoke. The first words that I spoke every day during my college life were “Sumitra, get the tea.” So when I left for higher studies to London, instead of friends and family, the person I missed the most was my maid, Sumitra. Every aspect of my day reminded me of her. Every morning the nagging sounds of my mom trying to wake up were missing.
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Every morning reminded me of how I’d much rather be back at home with my family. Every morning was a new case study of stress.
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Manage Time
I had to get out of bed and wage daily snoozing battles with the alarm clock. Being late for class resulted in angry glares by the professors, not a good way to create a first impression. The next big thing is breakfast. No more piping hot food ready at the dining table, it’s up to you. Since you are already late, there is no time to prepare food.
Tip
Make a daily schedule. Try to sleep well in time so you get the required hours of sleep. This will come in handy on those days when assignments keep you up all night. For breakfast, cereal is a healthy option on days when you don’t have time to cook. Frozen foods and ready-to-eat packets work well only as a one-off option. Fruits are always a healthy choice and require the least work from your end. Besides it keeps your nutrition in check.
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Clean Up Your Act
After a long day, your messy room welcomes you “home”. No one to do your laundry, pick up the trash, clean and buy groceries. Life suddenly turns into an obstacle course hitherto unheard off especially if you have never done your own dishes or hung clothes out to dry. Mundane housework that you looked down upon occupies most of your day and if you neglect it, it piles up adding to your stress levels.
Tip
Accept that doing housework is a part of the way of life abroad. Well, at least finances leave you with little choice on that front. By piling up the dishes or clearing up the room on a weekly basis, you allow yourself to remain stressed over the nagging feeling of the unfinished task at hand. Spend extra time, get over with the chore and then go relax. There’s nothing worse than a sink full of dishes staring at you when you stumble into the kitchen to make your first cup of coffee.
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Handle roommate woes
University halls of residence ensure you are never alone. This, however means adjusting to students of other nationalities. Complaints of dirty kitchens, using other’s belongs, noise and unclean bathrooms are very common. You already have your own chores to worry about and you suddenly spot your dirty vessels your flat mate used without permission. If you choose to move in with friends, untreated problems may cause dents your relations.
Tip..
The idea of flat mates is a serious test of your adjusting skills. Ensure you demarcate your space well and respect theirs. Realise that they come from different cultures and respect that. Divide the work at home accordingly so that neither feels over burdened.
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Check your accounts
Expenses is one of the biggest headaches. Tantrum-throwing for extra pocket money usually gets you what you want. Here, your expenditure also include house costs, phone bills and transport cost apart from the shopping and partying if you manage to save up for that. No more Daddy dearest to bail you out on emergencies.
Tip..
Bring out your notepad or take Microsoft Excel Seriously. When you’re studying abroad you have to look into the inflow and outflow of money otherwise you will be broke by the third week of the month. Every month make a list of things you want to shop and what they’re worth. Then make a budget of the grocery, phone and travel expenses. Try and save on that and with the money saved you can shop.

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When you live abroad, you start your whole life from scratch. Right from setting up a home to meeting new people, it’s a brand new experience. There is no family to come home to, just friends you make. Studying abroad doesn’t just educate you, it teaches you how to live independently. The joy of cooking edible meals is equivalent to meeting your idol. These little victories are work all the stress……..

IMPROVE YOUR LANGUAGE

Dangling modifiers, could make your sentences sound slightly queer. For example: Walking to the part on a rainy day, my clothes became wet. This sentence does not make any sense because the words walking to the park on a rainy day modifies the words my clothes. Surely someone must have been walking?
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The correct use would be : When I was walking to the part on a rainy day, my clothes became wet.
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Here are a few more examples.
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Wrong…: Having arrived late for work, a written note was required(The sentense implies that the written note arrive late!)
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Correct…: Having arrived late for work, Seema required a written note
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Now let’s take a look another group of modifiers known as Squinting Modifiers. They are called so because a vaguely placed modifier that appears to modify either the word before it or the word after it - is akin to someone who is squinting!
Here are a few examples…..
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Wrong…: Students who pay attention to their studies most of the time get higher grades.
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Correct…: Most of the time, students who pay attention to their studies get higher grades OR Students who pay attention to their studies get higher grades most of the time.

SPIRITED KIDS NEED CARE

An all too familiar sight at a mall or a supermarket are kids who seem to be fitted with springs. They jump and dash around from one place to another, kicking up a fuss. Some even decide to throw temper tantrums, bang in the middle of a crowd, even as helpless, embarrassed parents look on.
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Parents of such “hyper active” kids who are often subject to unsolicited advice from pitiful onlookers, on how to be a better parent, will be relieved to know that they aren’t bad parents. ‘Spirited’ children is a term used to describe difficult children who need to be handled with more care than others. “A spirited child has high needs and demands,” explains psychologist Dr. Varkha Chulani. “They get overwhelmed by their feelings and often have meltdowns when they can’t handle or understand what is happening to them. In fact, their ability to express themselves loudly is often a sign that they are more in touch with their emotions than other kids. In spite of being extremely moody, spirited children are high artistic, intelligent, intensely logical, compassionate and goal-oriented,” she adds.
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Since some children are genetically and psychologically different from others, their challenging behaviour is often interpreted as willful disobedience.
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Sugatha Memon, a teacher and counsellor says, “People often think that spirited children are “bad kids”. They resort to destructiveness and ill manners, because they can’t differentiate between right and wrong easily. It is difficult for them to learn to be tactful and polite as they are very straightforward with their feelings. For instance if your child is hitting somebody on the playground, he/she needs to be taken aside and given a warning with an explanation as to why such behaviour will not tolerated by anyone.”
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The key to tackle such children is to understand certain patterns in their behaviour feels Dr Varkha Chulani. “Some children may reject food even when they are hungry because they get used to a pattern of always rejecting food just to throw a tantrum. This behaviour is common and can be triggered by various factors. Parents need to be constantly on the look out for potential triggers,” adds Dr. Chulani.
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Getting these children interested in hobbies also helps them keep calm and occupied, feels advertising personality Prahlad Kakkar. “Its normal for most children to be spirited, joyous and active. However if the child is overtly spirited all the time, then he/she could have a hyperactive disorder. They just need a lot of care, love and attention. Find out what interests them. Physical activity and yoga has tremendous benefits on hyperactive kids,” he said.
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