Keeping up with IB deadlines, projects and homework can drain you out of energy sometimes. That’s why it’s important to constantly practice self-care. Read on to find out our top 4 tips for looking after yourself in stressful times!

Schedule Study and Free Time

Balancing study and free time day by day is the secret to IB success! Start by creating a personalized study plan, based on your specific needs, IB subjects and learning style. This will help you to establish good habits of studying. Remember, the most important thing is sticking to your plan!

While IB exams are important, they shouldn’t take up your whole life! Don’t forget to incorporate time for rest and self-care into your schedule. Read a book, watch your favourite TV show or an insightful documentary, meet up with friends, meditate, try a new hobby or join a sports club. Free time is easy to find if you know how to look for it. Just taking a 20-minute break for a relaxing bath or having a walk with your dog can be classed as free time. An effective time management for both your study and leisure time will bring only benefits!

Prioritize Getting Good Slee

Keeping up with the IB deadlines, extracurricular activities and hanging out with friends can be challenging sometimes. With so many competing priorities, sacrificing sleep may feel like the only way to get everything done. However, the quality of sleep can have serious implications on your school performance, as well as on your physical and mental health.

Alternatively, prioritizing a regular sleep schedule can make these unique years healthier, less stressful and more successful long-term. Even if it might sound boring to go to sleep and wake up around the same time every day, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule it’s one of the fundamental keys of good health.

Spend Quality Time with Family, Friends and Pets

When you are feeling anxious about the amount of schoolwork you have to do for the IB program, you might have the tendency to isolate yourself. Adding more things to your schedule can seem overwhelming, but the right kind of plans are actually really helpful! Having a family lunch with your parents, going to the cinema with your siblings, meeting your friends in a Café or going hiking with them will recharge your batteries.

Quality time with our dear ones it’s all about bonding and sharing experiences together. This will help you reconnect with things separate from the IB. Moreover, if you have pets that need regular exercise, like dogs, you can go for walks with them and benefit from some extra time outside. Studies have shown that time spent with pets can increase people’s levels of oxytocin, a hormone that reduces anxiety and lowers blood pressure, by 300 percent.

 Know When to Reach Out for Help

It is completely normal to feel sometimes anxious in the IB. In a healthy portion, fear can be beneficial for a short phase – since it promotes focus and concentration to tackle a pressing issue at hand. Unfortunately, if such emotions become habitual for you, they can have a negative impact on your mental and physical health. That’s why it’s really important to be able to recognise when it’s time to seek additional help.

If you’re struggling, please remember that there is always support available! Asking for help allows us to surround ourselves with people who can make us feel good and facilitate further development. At TEMPERA IB Learning Lab, our experts are more than happy to assist you. We are looking forward to offering you a clear understanding of anxiety and its origin and to supporting you towards IB success!

Remember, TEMPERA is here for you throughout your IB journey. Let’s work together to make sure your experience is stress free in the IB.