How to avoid getting STRESSED in IB

Year 12 and 13 can be a stressful time for many of us, especially with the sudden increase in workload that comes with doing the IB, so here are a few tips on how to not get stressed:

• Start your work early: You've probably heard this many times before, but believe it or not, this is the number 1 rule on how to not get stressed while doing the IB. Depending on your subject combination, deadlines can sometimes be set very close together and before you know it, you'll find yourself under a pile of work that you don't have enough time to finish. Therefore, start doing your work (whether it's an IA, or preparing for a presentation, or just doing annotations for English) as soon as it's assigned to make sure you have a head start on at least one piece of homework. So when you're assigned work for other subjects that may be due around the same time, you wouldn't have to cramp everything into a short period of time and try to get everything done all at once.
• Don't compare your workload with your friends': This may sound strange, but everyone in the IB has had at least one conversation where they're comparing the amount of deadlines they have with their friends. This is actually really counterproductive as it turns workload into a sort of competition that isn't really good for morale. It often encourages people with to either start thinking and complaining about how unfair it is that they have so much more to do than their peers, or start procrastinating because they believe they are in a much better position than their friends. Focus on your own workload, not what your friends have to do.
• Ask for help: A common problem with students first entering the IB program is that they are unfamiliar with the structure of the course and what is expected in coursework. Not knowing what you're doing or whether you're doing it right could lead to unnecessary stress on top of the pressure you're already under when you're trying to complete your coursework. A simple solution to this is to ask your teachers for help. Although most of the time teachers can't directly help you with your IAs, they can often point you in the right direction or give you tips as to how to get on the right track. 
• Get enough sleep: IB students often underestimate the importance of sleep. Students are always pulling all-nighters or staying up till past midnight just to get work done or revise for tests. Although there's not that much you could do in terms of sleep when you have an IA due the next morning and you're only starting at 10pm, it's good to just get enough sleep in general if you're anticipating that you'll be pulling an all-nighter in the future. (Though if you're following tip #1, the number of all-nighters you pull should be minimal.) For example, if you know that it is inevitable that you'll be staying up late on Tuesday, don't try to also stay up on Monday. Start your assignment and then get to bed early. Sleep is also especially important with tests and exams. If it's already 11pm the night before a test and you're going nowhere with studying, don't try to stay up all night and cram, go to sleep.