447 thoughts on “How to Study without Stress… Yes!”

1. Yes very true, all our problems are self-created in the sense that it is our reaction to life, to society – to the way things work at the moment, that make life hard and a struggle, not the things themselves perse.

2. This blog blows the lid on what it really means to prepare for an exam or assignment or any project really. We tend to think that we have to put everything else on hold and only focus on the project or goal at hand but actually what I have realised is that the other times when I am not in front of the books or computer e.g. sleep and mealtimes, exercise etc are just as important as the working time and if they are missing seriously affect the outcome or the outplay of the day when I have to deliver.

   1. Yes that is my experience too, the fact is that we are living in a body that needs water, nourishment, care and nurturing and when we ignore this for a couple of days or even hours afterwards we have to come back and feel the affect this has had on us. There is no way around it so it is much wiser and much more enjoyable to care deeply for our bodies all the time.

3. And when you explore you discover that there is beauty inside yourself, that it is amazing to just be yourself and bring this to the world, and so, ‘ With that I feel I do not need the recognition and approval anymore, and that all I truly want is love – from myself, for myself and from others. Love for who I am, not what I do or the great marks or exam results I could get.’

4. Great to explore what is driving you to have excellent exam results, and to see if recognition is still present, then you can nominate this and choose differently, ‘I realised I still had quite an investment in getting excellent university exam results.’ A great subject to explore.

5. Inspiring Lieke, it takes the honesty you achieved to reduce the false ways in which we have taken on to live. Under the stress is our essence where we are all-equipped to deal with the reality at hand. To get there is self-responsibility in being honest about what is not working for us.

6. The teachings of Universal Medicine are so simple, yet we can make them so complicated. I love here how you took the principles of these teachings, to observe what is going on, read what is going on, respond to the situation (and not react), and then let go of what needs to be let go, and then move on. This is a great example of how to do it. Thank you.

7. Thank you Joseph, I think we should be giving many people an A+ simply for the amazing person they are, the love they express and the commitment they have for instance!
   I think stress is indeed just as much a stimulant as coffee is, many people say they are more productive when they are a little stressed but I think this is because many people are already very tired or even exhausted so that is when the stress is seen as helpful but when we would be vital at the start this would not be the case.

8. I know the feeling Robyn of wanting to burst out in tears after an exam as it is really a horrible feeling to abandon ourselves just for a couple of numbers on a paper at the end of it saying we did well or not. It is very beautiful to read how you turned this around for yourself. To hold this at an exam can be challenging, because so many people are choosing stress that we can feel uncomfortable being so comfortable with it all.

9. Brilliant Lieke – everything you share here translates perfectly to many other spheres of life also. For instance, I am planning my upcoming wedding and can see I have let it be a matter of high drama too. Why? Well it certainly creates a lot of distraction and complication, all because of the incredible emphasis we put on our ‘big day’. But what you have shared has helped me see that getting stressed is just a choice and a way to numb myself. It doesn’t have to be like this. To truly pass the test of life is to say ‘no thanks’ to stress and strife.

   1. Beautiful Joseph, gorgeous that you are planning your wedding 🙂 There is a lot of things that can come up in planning a wedding and I know from experience but it is an art to just live each day with a fullness just as much as the wedding day. Many people live for their wedding but actually the love lived each day is what will guarantee the quality of the wedding in the end!

10. Making the education system about people first, taking care of themselves and honouring themselves would make a huge needed change to this system.

11. This would be great to share with other student in the lead up to their exams.

12. Amazing sharing Leike, we are so caught up in recognition that it is very insidious how it weaves through so much of our lives and why we do what we do!

13. Lieke, this has been a very welcomed blog for me as I have just returned to study and I am finding that I have gone into overdrive. Your reflection has supported me to look at where that is coming from. We carry many old patterns in the way we live that are not true and it is very easy to let these dictate how we live in different instances. Awareness of our energy and energetic presence brings more honesty into our life and supports us to step out of the beliefs, ideals and pictures that drive us. Thank you.

14. The body’s communication is always from truth but we can undermine this truth by over-riding its messages and thinking the ‘head’ knows best. Your honesty and openness to going deeper and exposing the attention seeking spirit uncovered some illusions that held no truth. What a beautiful confirmation of the choice you made to enquiry more deeply Leike.

15. It’s interesting that often in difficult or stressful moments the first thing we drop is our daily rhythm and the stuff that supports us, which essentially leaves us baseless and not so able to cope with what is in front of us. I know for me when life is tough, it’s the little things like making sure my washing is done and not skipping corners with eating etc that help keep me steady.

16. Beautiful to read how you realised that you didn’t need the approval of another, and getting stressed was not necessary, when we don’t put expectations on ourself we don’t feel exhausted either.

17. Lieke this is a great support and very inspiring for anyone studying, to know we have a choice even in these stressful times makes life more simple and joyful.

18. One of the things I love about Universal Medicine is that it can inspire you to look beyond what is being presented, look at what you may be bringing to a situation, it reminds you of the bigger picture (that we are love first and foremost and here to serve humanity), and from there everything can fall into perspective, simplicity, joy, harmony and order. This blog, that I love that you have written, is a stunning example of how it can work.

19. Agree Jenny, it is massive and Lieke should be travelling around the world, visiting universities teaching this. It is a game changer.

    1. Absolutely Sarah, it would not be the whole answer to eliminating exam/university stress, but would go a long way towards supporting people to do their best, but not end up so exhausted and strung out. Making our systems about people first is key to the change being more supportive for all.

       1. Yes making it about people first is key Jenny. It is now about the results and what we produce so to speak instead of it yes being about what we are learning but also how we are feeling in this whole process. It is important to teach that we have to do it in a way that takes care of ourselves at the same time.

       2. Absolutely, we are seeing the shocking result of living without respect for ourselves in everything we do, which seems particularly evident within our education systems throughout the world. Making our systems about people allows us to re-establish true self-care, above and beyond passing any exam or meeting any deadline.

       3. Yes, I notice too that it is much more present in the education system. I observed that at workplaces there is often more connection and understanding than is at the university. Which is of course not at all workplaces but the purpose of workplaces is often something that helps making it about people and it is more humane. Yet as you say systems are easily to become only about results and not about how people have come to that result, and the last one is actually one very important result we should be looking at. How is that person feeling after the exam etc.

20. If I get stressed about something is actually tends to slow me down – my thinking becomes less clear or if I do speed up it’s in a disharmonious way that is not sustainable and leaves me feeling racy and unsettled and drained – it certainly doesn’t lead to quality learning! Bringing more focus to what I’m doing, and importantly the way in which I’m approaching it, really helps me to be truly connected with what I’m doing or learning.

    1. Yes, I have found that too Fiona. I can’t think as clearly anymore when I am stressed and everything feels wrong and weird. Yet I know stress is often celebrated as the thing that makes people perform better! I am not so sure about that though! 🙂

21. Amazing Lieke. It is so interesting to observe how our search for love through approval, recognition and acceptance plays out through our lives in many different and subtle ways, leaving our bodies feeling less than great. What is so inspiring about what you have shared is the willingness to be honest about how you are feeling and what you were accepting in that moment, allowing you to go deeper to expose what was not you, what was not serving and supporting you to be yourself. As such you simply let it go; as a result bringing more of you to life was naturally present. A great lesson for us all. Through self-honest we come to know the truth of who we are and how we can truly live, and as you have shown us this is what true alchemy is about.

    1. Yes true Carola, very interesting and I am more and more becoming aware that love has nothing to do with recognition or acceptance. Love just holds you, but it does not hold you more loving for doing something great or hold you less when you are doing something that is less than loving. This something I am learning to feel more and more in life which makes it simpler to just be myself and appreciate that.

22. This is such a timely read for me. I have been going through a patch of extreme busy-ness right now, and while I know I am handling it far better than I used to, your sharing presents me with a few questions – am I getting off on being ‘busy’, juggling things so to speak? Has ‘doing’ taken over ‘being? – Because I know how I have been eating probably more than my body needs and in my honesty something actually feels amiss.

23. Yes I agree Fiona. To be not so caught up in stress it is vital to be aware of the energy that comes with most studies, especially university ones, which is very much geared on having to do very well, and looks at us as ‘not knowing’ and having to gain all knowledge – not acknowledging we are amazing at the start. I found being aware of this energy that comes with study is key to not get absorbed in it and super stressed and be dragged down with negative thoughts of ‘being a failure’ or ‘not being able to do it’ (which happened to me not long ago) So yes, it is all about how we approach our studies and not pursue about changing the study itself.

24. We tend to talk about these stressful exams as if the are an anomaly out of keeping with our everyday life. But is that true? Or are these just an intense dose of a stress roller coaster we are actually always on in truth? Going to work, talking with our partner, relative or friend, are we not always a little bit stressed then? If this is the case then we are all in great need of stopping and examining the way we are being just as you have done so beautifully here Lieke.

    1. Great point Joseph, I think we see many parts of our life as little exams, even speaking with a friend or colleague can feel that way. As long as we are not fully settled in ourselves everything in life feels like a test of some sort to be accepted until we accept ourselves as we are.

25. It is truly beautiful and extraordinarily rare to come to a place in life let alone study where you realize that you do not need to push yourself for recognition and acceptance knowing and connecting to there being a beauty within that both you and world deserve to experience…. and instead move through life with that as your equal motivation and inspiration.

26. What a refreshing insight about studying and stress Lieke. Your wonderful description is so inspiring it made it easier for me to also chose to let go of stress before an examen. Thank you for not holding back and sharing what you have discover so far.

27. After reading this I feel that Lieke van Haastrecht should be running 101 classes in self care at university as a required subject… imagine the difference to people lifes when they graduated with such an enhanced awareness of self-care and all it brings

    1. I absolutely agree with you, this is a subject worth being part of any university/school curriculum.

    2. And how amazing it will be for anyone who is her patient… this really is inspiring

28. I left school before my exams started, I found even the concept of them overwhelming. I think that it is great you are getting into the details of why and what is supporting you or supporting you in this time. Stress is just as damaging as food or drinks, its great that you are recognizing this and putting some thing into place.

29. I am going to use this as inspiration for my exams, I am so much better than I used to be but there is more…!

30. Whenever I have given too much to something whether that is for an exam, to a relationship or work I got exhausted. This has clearly shown me that it is only when I am living and honouring myself that I feel energised and full of vitality and then I am in a place to deal with whatever is in front of me with clarity and love.

    1. Absolutely Caroline, there is a way of living from which we can know how much we need to do, no more and no less. Either one is otherwise in one way or the other exhausting.

31. I love how you stopped and questioned the stress factor that you were in and then realised how very much you could bring it back to yourself and thus had the power to change it. This is true psychology to me. And how very cool to have this revelation: “I became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done… to study in this case.”

32. Exams can be such a stressful time, as you describe – for students and often parents alike, if they get caught up in the angst of it all. I love how you comment that you ” became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done… to study in this case.” Staying in the present, focussing on what needs to be done, one thing at a tme, can certainly reduce the stress levels.

33. ‘I became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done…’ this I can relate to, although I am not studying but often relate to going into stress especially with deadlines for work etc. It is so true Lieke what you’ve shared. Also when we choose to be all stressed out, we get less done and the quality is not so great. So, choosing stress really is a way I am avoiding getting the work that needs to be done with quality. When I feel stress coming on, I can stop and reconnect back to myself and let it go. It’s amazing, how much easier it is to work fast, efficient and with quality when we connect to ourselves and the energy that is here to support us instead of choosing an energy that works against our natural flow and abilities.

34. It is crazy how studying seems to go hand in hand with disregard. I know when I was studying and living in student accommodation sleep was not always easy to get as there was always parties and noise going on, often the fire alarm would go off in the middle of the night because of food getting burnt when drunk students decided to cook something in the middle of the night, it happened so often in the end I just used to wear earplugs and sleep through the fire alarm.

    1. Wow that sounds quite extreme but I can totally relate – had some of those experiences too! What stands out for me is that the student life is so full of disregard and strange things like you shared but that this is actually the time where we are setting the foundation for the rest of our lives. So in what energy are we doing this…

35. I find I get stressed when I have some attachment to outcome.

    1. and I agree with you, it is not the way I choose to live!

36. When we choose stress we are putting our bodies into total disregard and yet stress is considered normal- some even say that some stress helps us do better with things in our lives. As you have shown, Lieke, truly caring for our bodies without stress make the whole exam process so much more loving and we can feel revitalised instead of drained at the end of the process.

    1. So true Anne, I do not agree that stress makes us do things better, when I am stressed I feel totally fractured and have to work double as hard to get something done and stay focussed than when I am without stress. I think it is about claiming that we are worth a life without stress and setting the standard for life much higher by doing this. Because I think in the exhausted state many people are living in at the moment indeed stress is the thing that makes people able to do something better or faster but if we would deeply care about and for ourselves so we are not exhausted, we would be more productive without than with stress.

37. These are needs at exam time I am sure most relate to but this blog blows it all out of the water in a very common sense, honest way. Yes of course there is a greater intention about serving others in why we get qualifications and we all know the best exam results do not necessarily make the wisest and most compassionate practitioners. But just on the level Lieke has shared of not getting stressed at exam time, this blog is worthy of getting in the year 10 science, social studies and humanities curricula at high school!

    1. Yes Simon absolutely, why not teach that there is a way of doing exams without stress to the students of the University we are teaching on?

38. Isn’t it interesting how this need for recognition can show up, you think you have it nailed and then one small incidence occurs and there it is again still hiding somewhere underneath. Appreciating oneself really is the key here, when we drop the ball on appreciating ourselves and feeling our innate beauty, all we are left with is the need to be recognized from the outside. We bereft ourselves of our own preciousness, by disconnecting from it.

    1. It is true once we stop appreciating and valuing ourselves we are desperate for it to come from someone or something outside of us. The more we look the worse it get’s. It actually happened to me today and I could catch myself and understand that no matter how much the outside would confirm me, I would only feel settled when I would start appreciating myself again.

39. I learn from this blog a lot and I trust everyone does. What stood out really was: that we can use stress or overwhelm in order to not do what we need to do. I have felt that very often in my study and have used that a lot a lot. So it is very good to admit that stress is actually something we take on, and never beneficial or efficient.

    1. Yes there are so many ways we can avoid just doing something and even though we might think we rebel against the system by not studying actually we ourselves are the ones that have to deal with that.
       Then on your amazing last sentence… it is true, stress is often said to be ‘ok’ because it makes us more productive, one day without stress and one day with and I know which one is more productive – the one without stress because I then feel more clear in my head and body and am much more productive than when the stress is running through my body!

40. This is such an invaluable sharing. I really wonder what the true purpose of exam is. I recently had to teach an intensive 2-week course to a group of university students to prepare them for a specific exam – where they had to do 200 multiple choice questions within 2 hours and many students find it impossible to even read all the questions. Why the need for this time pressure, and inevitable stress? Does it have any relevance to the depth of understanding of the subject they study? No wonder most of them come out exhausted. What are we trying to produce out of this system? Lifeless robots with a short fuse who have no real understanding or skills whatsoever that they can apply to real life and self-destruct at an encounter with a slightest system failure, but capable of recalling and processing data quickly? I mean, what for?

    1. Great questions Fumiyo I don’t think that time pressure does add to the understanding of an subject, possibly it forces people to recall a lot of information quickly but really having an in depth understanding of the topic is more worked against in this way I suppose. I see around me many students being exhausted at the end of the exams and getting by on sugary energy drinks, cookies etc during the exams. I always wonder is this how we want our students to pass an exam?

41. So helpful Lieke thank you. Having an approach to study like this is invaluable, and there are many other situations I can apply the same principles too..

42. Being stressed is very stressful and when we stress about one thing it can affect everything else. As you have discovered Lieke, stressing about exams does not make you a better dentist. Who wants to visit a dentist who brings all the stress of their exam results with them?

43. Yes I am finding too with my study at the moment that it is so easy to get hooked into wanting to do more and more and more, just get a higher grade, show you can do it, show you are worth something because you are putting all your time in it and so on. I could feel this energy literally ‘grab me’ to study more and ignore other important things. Noticing this has been huge and as you say knowing we are already enough and that it is simply about learning what we need to serve in our profession of choice is the medicine that arrests this ‘grabbing energy’.

    1. I find it fascinating how engulfed we can become about our grades at the time, flash forward a few years and nobody really cares what you got! Sure they may open some doors but if somebody is going to base everything on a certain exam and not consider everything else you bring then perhaps that person is not worth working for, at least not in my books anyway! We are already more than enough and no mark or amount of knowledge can ever confirm how amazing we are.

44. When we seek recognition for what we do it not only opens the door to comparison and judgment but ultimately does not build us or others in any way but rather tears down any potential of any of us ever being more.

45. I also agree with comments above – that you should write a study guide on how to survive exams and not lose your amazingness.

46. I love what you present here Lieke, for me you are questioning what success really is. Truthfully, I reckon the ultimate form of success is to live a joyful, loving and purposeful life, it’s a feeling that is totally self-sustaining and comes from deep within, but it’s so easy to get caught into success being the best, or doing well at something, or getting acknowledgement and recognition.

47. It’s beautiful how the more true love we build within ourself or we could say connect with that the more obvious it becomes when we are seeking recognition from others as it stands out more as not fitting or being natural to us. Thanks for you honesty and sharing here Lieke.

48. So many of us accept stress as normal, that to take a stand and say No this actually is not acceptable is a wonderful occasion, a celebration of true living.

49. Lieke I can relate to your blog very well, I started studying in the last 6 months and noticed the stress I felt when exams came around – it’s an old pattern that stems from school and the fear of not passing the exam. I have been learning to release the tension as well and this has supported me to get through the exam with more confidence and ease.

50. We are SO used to stress that we are unconsciously factoring it in to everything we do … it really changes everything when we recognise what actually IS happening in our bodies and start to let go.

51. I love how you have exposed the big distraction of busyness- its rife in our lives and doesnt help us get done what w need to get done.

52. A great point that you make Lieke in that there’s no point in getting stressed – it’s much easier just to sit down and do the study that we know we need to do. I know for me it’s usually about time constraints but again worrying about these doesn’t solve anything or get the work done – only doing the work does.

    1. Yes it is but it is also understandable why we resist it at times because the material can be quite intense to read. I found recently that I love studying in the early morning which gives me more space in the afternoon to do other things.

53. When we get busy the temptation is to abandon those ‘extra’ things we do that feel great, so we can pack more in. However, on the contrary we should strengthen this self care to support a greater level of expression as ultimately all we want to do is express more of ourselves so we better make sure we are being ourselves first.

54. Lieke this is excellent what you have shared about studying without stress. I was reflecting on your story and feel this is excellent guide to all students to be aware off and embrace. Then I realized that this is a great way to be with everything we do in our lives. If we truly care and look after ourselves, we are able to respond to all things that present with out stress or being drained. Thank you Lieke.

55. Thank you Lieke I love how you expose that stress is a distraction from whatever activity we are undertaking, in your case exams, where we are looking for recognition from someone else/others. If we approach it as an activity that is a necessary part of e.g. becoming a dentist then we are free to support ourselves in this and still live life and afterwards get on with the next activity without feeling drained.
    I have recently recognised a pattern in me at work that judges colleagues who blatantly trumpet their successes in a bid for recognition but that I am looking for recognition/validation in a less overt way and manipulating my manager/colleagues to praise me. For me this awareness has felt very uncomfortable but it has also allowed me to address the stress that I am putting myself under which is detracting from my ability to support my clients.

56. Brilliant awareness and realisations Lieke. Great for me to read as I am just about to start a course and will be studying for the first time in a good 20 years. There’s a little anxiousness about whether I can do it, but what you have exposed and shared I really relate to. It’s helped me to see the only thing that matters is that I honour myself every step of the way and not to put myself in 2nd or even 3rd place in order to push through to get the recognition from doing well.

57. A brilliant piece, Lieke, offering an alternative way to approach the stress of exams by simply understanding that the stress is a mere distraction for us from the work that needs to be done. Great to read that when you realised this, you were able to drop the stress pattern and just get on with the matter in hand. It’s a sad fact that attitudes to studying and to sitting exams are contagious, infecting each successive generation with the same set of beliefs – the worrying, the over-working, cramming and ‘not-good-enough-ing’. Your blog exposes exactly what’s going on and why – and in so doing provides real power back to any student over the choices available to them when it comes to the stress of studying.

    1. Thank you Cathy and well said. It is contagious and being passed on from generation to generation that stress is ok and natural when studying. But it is not and it is important to know it is not and live this truth so there are different reflections in the world where other can be inspired by.

58. Great point, the enormous cost to our health systems worldwide that are caused by stress, anxiety and tension. The state of being hard wired to react, fight or flight without an off switch would be familiar to many today and it is slowly and steadily eroding our wellbeing and joie de vivre.

59. Yesterday having taken a walk in the sun my skin was buzzing and calling my attention to it. This feeling on my skin distracted me from feeling more from the inside.Talking at breakfast someone shared she had felt the same. I used to lie out in the sun a lot when I was young and not only was this a time to check out but also a time to obviously amplify my feelings for the outside rather than become more familiar with what was happening on a deeper level.

60. Re-reading your words today Lieke, what stood out was how the choice to go into stress is addictive. It made me consider exhilaration and buzz that stress can bring, and how for me, this actually serves like any drug, to mask and numb my feelings. So what I get today is that this way of being doesn’t actually have so much to do with the exam or thing I am going through or thinking, but more relates to the energy I don’t want to be feeling. Thank you.

61. Brilliant blog Lieke, what truly served me was how you trust your own strength and care to be the leading impulse and by that you have decreased stress by and with studying! To me this is incredible powerful. What stood out for me is that we need to accept the systems we have created in order to allow to feel how we can make it work now. I know I have been fighting against school systems myself, finding it hard and awful, but what I actually never truly want to feel and admit that I have been part of allowing that. So now for me to feel what it is and how I can be loving with myself and all people whilst studying and being part of it but not by going harsh but by being my loving self.

    1. This is great Danna. Studying in this way takes the ‘for self’ factor out of the focus and takes the purpose of study to a whole new level. I found this also super supportive when I went to uni and was studying also. The greater purpose gave me a sense that it was not just about me and getting through, it was actually also about bringing all my love to all I do so that ultimately my learned skills can be of great service for humanity

    2. I can relate to that Danna, not accepting the way university works at the moment. As much as I do not always agree with the methods used at uni it is the way it is and I love to study my choosen subject. Not accepting the system I would have to rebel and was ultimately fighting myself in studying what I love.

       1. Exactly , this is what I had become to realize. I am better off loving everything that comes my way, as by this choice I am loving myself equally all of the time. The times of rebelism are stopped. I am becoming more wise, as I feel that this study is brought to me in the way I need to learn from it and so my acceptance of what comes my way is increasing, and I must say it makes it feel less hard.

62. Dear Lieke, I recognize many of the above, especially this one: “And… could it be that it was a distraction from living a simple and joyful life whilst studying?” I have allowed my studies to get me down simply by delaying what I needed to do to another moment, until the moment came that I was almost too late and so I could go into ‘the stress motion’ again. Truly interesting how I had find my way to make such an easy thing so complex and almost impossible. It is the harsh consequences; how I feel after my periods of exams now, that make me realize that it is just not it – it does not feel good at all how I have behaved around my study and it feels very irresponsible too. So now, I allow myself to feel and allow spaciousness – by connecting to myself and feel when things need to be done and actually do them. Thank you Lieke, you made it all clear for me now. I just have to keep it very light and simple and start to build discipline and do what I need to do – everyday. No more delay.

63. This is such a powerful and wise message for all who are studying, in fact it applies to anyone who experiences stressful situations; that is all of us!
    A very beautiful read for two of my grandchildren who are about to commence Year 12,
    I will certainly be passing it on, thank you Lieke.

64. I find it amazing how when we make more caring, loving and nurturing choices, that consider our whole well-being, how many of the stresses and toils and troubles of life are simply not there.

    1. Yes I find that too Meg. In the past I would have struggles with things that are simply not there anymore now. I sometimes look back and appreciate it as is amazing to consider how I felt there was no way out, now I have no struggle with it anymore. It is a true blessing that nurturing and caring for ourselves changes our whole life.

       1. Wow – amazing you can look back and truly appreciate how far you’ve come. It’s amazing to feel you have freed yourself from the struggle of old behavioural patterns.

65. I love how you go deeper underneath here Lieke to see that the stress can only be there from attachment. The conclusions that this whole game is simply a distraction feels so powerful to read, and is a beautiful insight from your ever ongoing study – Love.

    1. That is amazingly put Joseph: “the stress can only be there from attachment”. Very true, it is when we put expectations on outcomes, how things should be that we create stress in our bodies. Instead of just simply doing what there is to do and enjoying every moment on its own – with no attachment. Brilliant.

66. This is extraordinary Liecke. Your blog should be made available to all students in universities and schools in order for them to see and feel that what they are lead to believe and accept is a normal part of learning – that study and exams = stress – is truly not a necessity at all.

    1. Yes I agree deborahmckay, this lie needs to be exposed in full. If nobody would study with stress the intensity of exams would be much less as well. Then it will just be about learning some things you need to know instead of the whole almost ‘life or death’ scenery it is made out of it.

67. “The stress associated with studying always felt like something that came over me, now I know how to make the choices and how to study without stress, yes!” Awesome statement Lieke never mind all the qualifications in the world we can come out of education with, you just co- created a miracle!

68. “Another thing that I realised was that I am wanting to study to become a dentist to serve humanity; to bring my care, attention, love and eye for detail to the people I am going to treat in my profession (and enjoy this process.)” Beautiful claiming here Lieke of your awareness of your part in service to humanity and in this you are never alone. Stress affects us in many different ways thank you for sharing your inspiring account of how you turned this around for yourself.

69. The routine and rhythm you have established for yourself has proven to be quite beneficial and effective in staying connected and reducing anxiety

70. The thing about stress is it is insidious, and deeply layered, and we can become so accustomed to that heightened level of fight/flight nervous system that we don’t know how conditioned we are.

    1. Yes conditioned is the right word to describe when stress comes up around exams, it is like I just go into it without a seeming choice. Yet I have found feeling my body and making a choice to change my posture helps reducing the stress levels in my body.

71. “I became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done… to study in this case” This is a great line I definitely there was a time in my life where I let stress be a distraction from moving forward in my life with anything. Understanding purpose and connection has made a huge difference to this pattern for me.

    1. Great point you are highlighting here NicoleSjardin, stressing and going into anxiousness is a great distraction away from what needs to be done.

    2. Yes nicolesjardin, I find too that I let myself easily distracted, just to not be responsible and do what I feel to do. Purpose is for me one of the things that helps me too, as well as that I know doing things that are needed and have purpose make me feel amazing and full of joy and vitality.

72. “there is so much more to me, that there is a beauty inside me and that I deserve to be myself and bring that beauty to the world.” I so feel that beauty and it is absolute. Bringing this to the world in what ever you do is the greatest gift to humanity.

    1. Absolutely elainearthey. It is the greatest gift to bring all of you to the world in all you do.

       1. I love Lieke how you have been able to see the bigger picture in all this. You have taken studying away from self gain and what you personal get out of it (recognition indentification) and have instead brought a deep level of love, honour and inspiration to what is true and hence become a true service to humanity.

73. This is super inspiring Lieke as it is not everyday you hear someone talk about study in the context of being for humanity and not just for themselves. I feel this is where the greatness in what you will end up doing in your work will come from. Amazing!

    1. Thank you Joshua, it feels very joyful to study in this way because it is not only for myself but for everyone. With feeling how great this will be for my future patients helps to study now in a practical way, knowing what I am doing it for so also knowing what is needed and what not.

       1. This is very inspiring Lieke. It is beautiful how you are setting a momentum in your study now that will truly honour you and your patients in future work and business. It is a totally different approach to study

       2. Studying for everyone, because you know it will help other people in the future – what a truly amazing way to learn.

74. Reading this again today I feel the Power and Love herein and a great appreciation for Universal Medicine. The amazing modality that is Esoteric Breast Massage is supporting so many of us to uncover and feel what it is to be the true woman that the world has all but forgotten exists.

75. Thank you Lieke, for presenting that when there is no investment in University – there can be no unloving ‘accepted’ behaviour. Honestly these questions were brilliant, as I have been feeling some stress to do with my upcoming exams (today). It is also very interesting to feel how easy it is to fall into the anxiousness and stress that the whole cohort is exuding (and whole of university is fuelling). These systems are very unloving (which I can react to), but it is true that they are required for work, and there is a way to still be loving with ourselves in this process (this is what I am learning).

76. Thanks to Serge Benhayon, I too, like yourself Lieke have found another way to study without any stress whatsoever.
    Who would have guessed that with no formal education I am currently in my 50’s and this is my 4th diploma this year. I have 7 diplomas.
    The course is the equivalent of first year at University so yes lots of research and focus needed but not really stressy in anyway. Why?
    I choose to study when I feel to and not try and do more than is asked or needed. My self worth is not depending on the result at the end and that helps.
    Living a simple and practical life as presented by Serge Benhayon is the foundation that allows me to study a one year course in 2 months.
    I am living proof that anything is possible when it comes to studying as long as it is not for me to gain self recognition or think I am something I am not. I am studying so that I can reach even more people in my work. Nothing more.

77. Leike, Thank you for sharing that there is another way to study which is fun and honouring of your body, this is very supportive for all.

78. I agree Samantha, there are so may ideals and beliefs around education and what we need to do in order to get ahead in life but never do we consider the consequences on our health and wellbeing in the long term.

    1. Beautiful point Francisco, I agree there is so much emphasis on studying to get a job and earn a living but the way and quality we study in is often ignored. Yet studying most of the time lays the foundation for our later working life, which is then the foundation for our finances. It is kind of important to also establish a loving way of living with yourself at the same time in this studying and building period of our life.

79. The title of this blog is so powerful as it captures the point that we can study and not be stressed which in todays society seems so far from the truth. Lieke your commitment to your self care is phenomenal and the foundation you have set to not be swayed by the constant pull and strain of study has been expressed so beautifully. A must read for any person studying, young or old.

80. A really different take on how not to become wrung out in pursuit of recognition from the acquisition of qualifications. ‘No big deal, not to get excited, frustrated or stressed about, but just a part of the program that I have to do.’ Viewed like this, it completely takes the sting out of exams and exposes the identification it’s easy to get into with the stress that is associated with the process, itself merely a distraction from doing the studying required. And of course, an absolute commitment to looking after the self, the body and its wellbeing is vital to maintaining perspective throughout the process.

81. The beliefs we take on early in our lives have a powerful influence on how we are in our lives until that magic moment when something happens that causes us to question ‘is there another way’. We always have the opportunity to choose our quality but sometimes we have to uncover the old belief or ideal that drives us. Thank you for sharing the changes that have occurred because you took the moment needed to challenge something that didn’t feel right.

82. Lieke, it’s beautiful to feel your commitment to living what you know to be true surrounded by the possible distractions, diversions and generally accepted self-disregard of university life.

83. Great insight that anxiety and stress don’t just overtake us but that there is always a reason why they come up in the first place; you make it very clear that we can take command again by examining and then changing our behaviours and attitudes, thank you.

84. You must be quite an inspiration to your fellow students Lieke. Like you I was totally overwhelmed by stress when I did my exams. Actually I was stressed during the whole four years of my study and most of my life. Through adjusting the way I eat and getting in touch with my body much has changed but before we can really let go we need to examine what is going on inside us that makes us so eager to succeed. We can either choose to be victims or look deeper and see what is causing this stress.

85. Thank you Lieke, so much of what you have shared could apply to when we get stressed in any area of our lives.

86. It is fascinating how we can lose ourselves with exams or study when that pressure comes in of needing to perform or meet outcomes instead of coming at it like you have shared with just doing what’s needed and trusting what you know.

87. What you share is so true Lieke. When writing exams there is almost an expectation that you should be stressed, that the two go hand in hand, and that if you are not stressed there is a problem. I love how you share that being stressed is not imposed on us, but rather a choice we make.

88. This is an awesome discovery Lieke. It inspires me to ask myself, why should there be any difference with how I am with one thing over another? Does not each and everything we do require our same commitment to being present with that thing as we would to another? Is it then that no matter what the task, we bring us to it and what emerges is a flow that is in harmony with our purpose.

89. A great sharing Lieke for everyone and how to study without stress, it is for all of us, as in we may not be students any more, but there are times in our life when we start a new course which has an exam at the end. Thank you for sharing all your wisdom on this subject.

90. It seems the origin of stress comes from the many beliefs around study and exams. Any form of competition, comparison or image will kick start a response in the body that is unloving and or disregarding in order to achieve these beliefs or have them affect the way we live during this time.

91. “I became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done… to study in this case.”
    When I had an exam a couple of months ago and felt very stressed on that morning, a friend of mine asked: ‘why do you take the test?’. And when I said: ‘to get accredited for the esoteric modality of Chakra-Puncture’, I could feel all the stress leave my body in one breath. So simple. And studying today for my coming exam I found it difficult to express to a friend how easy it is going today. Just like there was something inside, that still wanted to hang on to that studying has to be a struggle (for then it is worth more/I am worth more when you/I pass).

92. Elodie it’s an excellent idea. Or at least speak with new students in Orientation Week if you have one at your University or join a mentoring program. It would offer students a tangible alternative to doing the same old stress syndrome.

93. Very wise Lieke. This is such an informational blog of how to study in a good way. You should write a little study guide for all the newly registered students and of course also for the “old timers”.

94. Well said Ariana, great point it brings it back to the fact we are not victim to stress, we choose it!

95. The stressed university student is no different to any other mean of identification or role we adopt. It is also the ‘get out of jail’ card in case a pass is not achieved so that one can say ‘I tried really hard look at me, I wore myself out’.

96. My school and university years were fraught with the need to get an A+. I wasn’t happy unless I got an A. A B+ means I may as well have failed and even an A- wasn’t good enough. It was a huge pressure I placed on myself and looking back I can see what a lack of self worth I had. I did get straight A’s so I didn’t have to deal with this then. But I did have the ongoing pressure to be perfect that I carried on and have only recently exposed in myself.

97. Beautifully put Jaime. I think some people want the countdown from NASA. There is a lot of identification that can come with the “I’m so busy, I’ve got exams” space. If one was to simply study with consistency through term time, and demonstrate what they have learned (which is what exams are for), there wouldn’t be much to fuss about or to be noticed for.

98. There can be a joy in studying and learning when you are consistent. Consistency takes away the need for stress. Unless as you mention Lieke, there is an attachment to the stress or if it is serving you in a way.

99. This is beautiful Lieke. When I was at university I noticed many people go a bit crazy during exam time and pull all nighters fuelling themselves on coffee and sugar so that they could stay awake and cram. I never really understood why you would do that. It was a roller coaster rise and highlighted the lack of consistency. I didn’t see the point of being at university and not doing the work each week. I was considered a bit of a nerd and I attended lectures, took notes, processed the information and did what was required each week. When exam time came I had to refresh my knowledge but not cram it all in there in one go. It’s a strange way to learn and I question how much learning really happens.

    1. That is beautiful nikkimckee, I intend to do that too every semester but with the big work load I sometimes struggle a bit with that. It is inspiring to read and I feel it has a lot to do with a loving commitment towards myself. To take care that I do not have to go study everything in exam time and can spread it so I am more supported.

100. I agree Alex, this pattern can play out in all areas of our life, and it can be very subtle and seemingly not there.

101. Absolutely Arianne, and going on from Joshua’s point below, the long term effects of how we feel about ourselves and how we are in the world is far more important than any exam or study that is only around for a short time, and we can repeat them if necessary. Such a great healing in that!

102. I agree Brendan, it takes a huge amount of pressure off our relationships. We don’t have to be anything, we can just be ourselves.

103. thanks alexander1207! great point. we often think that when we need to do something we will be okay after it is done. Accepting that I am full and me before I do something, I generally do it with a lot more fun and joy because I am accepted as I am first.

104. great sharing dannaElmalah, thank you! Ive found this also, when I start things straight away and take time to be self caring, not doing things at the last minute I feel much less stressed.

105. Wow cjames2012, thanks for sharing, Living in that state of stress would be so exhausting! It can be like that for teenagers at school too, always needing to have a protective guard because the fear of getting hurt is so great. The environment at school is about defending yourself, and that could be physically or intellectually. And thanks for sharing, embracing gentleness is the only way to heal the nervous stress that goes on.

106. I can so relate lindellparlour. Very true what you shared.

107. Haha, yes without perfection, we do not want to get stressed again about being perfect 😉

108. Yes indeed Annie, I find the part of having regard for our bodies super important as with doing so much with your mind in studying, but also in work, it is easy to forget your body and that it needs care too. Like drinking water when thirsty or having a little break when we feel like we are loosing the feeling of ourselves a bit.

109. Yes absolutely Arianne, what I learned at Universal Medicine is gold and supported me to have tools to know who I am first and how to stay present with this in whatever circumstances.

110. At the end of the day Lieke, your exams are only short term but the quality of how we go about doing them is what has long term impacts on us. The patterns of getting stressed, not fully loving oneself or not fully committing to what is before us are the patterns we eventually take to our workplace when we do eventually graduate. It could be the quality of how we choose to live the rest of our lives! So I say what you are doing and how you are now studying is absolutely amazing and inspirational for us all.

     1. It feels like the more we truly know ourselves and know our bodies, the more true confidence we have in the face of all the forces at university or work or life in general that stress us out. There is a way our body naturally asks us to live with it all and there is a lot of wisdom that comes from simply honouring it!

     2. Definitely Joshua, I found too that with knowing my body and myself I have a great marker to know what is truth. With that it is much easier to stay with myself and not go into stress. Without perfection of course.

     3. Thanks Joshua, great Point.

111. These are such great points Danna about being present with yourself when you are studying. This supports me also very much, I like to feel my bottom on my chair or the breath going in through my nose into my lungs. This keeps me from ‘disappearing’ into my study books completely.

112. It was great how you looked deeper at what was behind the stress, I feel recognition and approval runs deep in the unconscious for us all.
     I realised recently that everything I did and all the false roles I played in life, were so I was liked and not rejected, thank you Lieke.

113. A great sharing Lieke not only how to approach exams but any challenging situation. Thank you for the timely reminder of how to study and not go into old patterns of stress – I have to study soon for an exam at work so I am feeling inspired by your sharing.

114. I agree Danna. It is quite crazy – even when we are on top of things we then create issues. The biggest reason might be jealousy – if we look as if we still have issues then people will be less jealous of us. It sounds silly but I am amazed how much this fear of being targeted runs our behaviour.

     Our friends and family members are great to point it out when we engage in unnecessary complications.

115. I have also noticed that if I have an investment in being noticed for doing a good job, then the likelihood of me actually doing the best I can at that moment is vastly reduced. The stress of the situation gets to me and I under perform. And I use the word perform very purpose-fully here, as that is exactly what I am doing: performing, or playing a role for others to commend.
     The times when I simply do my thing, do my work as is needed and necessary, I nail it. It turns out it doesn’t matter who noticed me, because it just felt great for me.

     1. And Suzanne, when I do my thing, my work as necessary without the need to be recognised for it, I will feel the appreciation for myself so much more and often this is also reflected back to me by the appreciation from other people I work or live with.

        1. Great points Suzanne and nvanhaastrecht. I know as soon as I have an investment in anything, my expression changes, and like you nvanhaastrecht when I do not have investment I can feel so much more appreciation for myself.

116. Dear Lieke wow I can recognise so much in myself what You are expressing here and would love to return also to studying without stress if any further studies will come to me in the future. For now I practice with all the day to day things and life as a study by itself and of course at work with all the new tasks and changes, programs etc. Thank You Dear with love Nadine

117. It is amazing how stress has become normalised. I see it in my workplace everyday and in fact if you are not stressed – your obviously not working hard!! It is wonderful how you have discovered a way for yourself Lieke that honours you and does not impact upon your body.

     1. You bring in an important aspect: normalisee. That is what I see all around me in workplaces I go to. Stress is part of daily life. It is normal to work under a lot of pressures. It is accepted, even a sign of working hard, therefore performing well. Instead of realizing that we find ways that honours our bodies we get the job done in a more gentle way. What a different atmosphere the workplace will have!

        1. Agree Caroline, we tend to place emphasis on getting the job done rather than placing focus on our quality and how our body feels.

     2. Yes so true Marcia, stress has become so normalised. It is great to see through this illusion that we need stress to get something done. I am learning each day more that if I live a loving routine and a rhythm that honours my body, I am able to do so much more than when I am on the edge, feeling stressed and anxious.

     3. I once lost a cleaning job because I was not going fast enough. And I mean fast enough in the way I moved my body. I’m very time effieicent, but it was hard for the person I was working for to see that when I was moving graciously and without stress in my body.

118. Lieke I used to study to get recognition, to prove to myself and others that behind the shy girl was someone with a brain. It is indeed very stressful to spend your days thinking about what others think of you. Your attitude is the right one, so you will offer service to humanity in your full presence and with a joyful body.

119. This is wonderful to hear from a young woman entering a profession of medicine who no doubt for many years to come will be in a position of responsibility. Extending that responsibility beyond just that of future clients or examinations etc, to your own state, will no doubt be contributive to an ability to serve with gusto.

120. Lieke it is so awesome that you have let go of the need for recognition through study for it clearly makes such a difference. I know my previous experiences at university were fuelled by recognition and then the drinking and partying so as to not feel what was really going on. I’m now doing a PhD and connecting to it’s purpose to serve humanity has made a monumental difference to how I am with whole process, and everything that is needed feels effortless, and I am now not a full-time student but a part-time one who works 4 days a week, is a single Mum, and works on a handful of other projects on a voluntary basis, and yet I feel more at ease with study and life than ever before.

121. Goodness Lieke what a difference to how you can study and approach exams and what a lot of pressure we put on ourselves and all for recognition from outside. Slightly crazy. So to change that as you have done and come out of an exam refreshed and full of life is an example for us all as there will be other area’s of life where this type of behaviour can be observed, doing a good job at work or being a good child and so on all for that outside recognition. So much in this blog thank you.

122. Well said Lieke. I give you top marks in your choice to examine the underlying cause of the stress and then choose to sit subsequent dentistry exams free of stress. As a qualified dentist you will treat many patients who come for a dental examination who find it very stressful. Your gentle presence will be a blessing.

123. thank you Lieke, my exam days are well past, however as exam season approaches it is great to have your experience as I support others who are revising.

124. I love how you call getting stressed just a distraction as that is really what it is, It is totally unnecessary although I still fall in to that trap now and again. This is a great blog to confirm to me what a waste getting stressed is and to support me in keeping myself clear of this unhealthy way of being. I have felt pains in my body and head as a result of stress and also felt the drain on me too. This doesn’t really need to happen if we are careful and just allow ourselves to get on with what needs doing! Thank you Lieke.

125. A wonderful insight Lieke, into the life of a student and the stresses that students expect to come with study and exams. I could particularly relate to this: “Why was I accepting stress as normal and something to sit out.”: a question that could be asked of us all, even those not studying. It was great that you decided to not take it for granted that stress was simply part of the exam process, and that was certainly borne out by how you felt before and after your second exam. An amazing revelation that would benefit students of all subjects, including students of life.

126. Isn’t it crazy that in a time like exams all self-love, self-care and true joy are all placed to one side and we accept that we can put ourselves second so-to-speak just to push on through, only for a mark on a paper? Isn’t our true well-being first and foremost?

127. Knowing we are beautiful inside and in no way needing approval and recognition from teachers and lecturers sets us free, as you say, from stress and lets us to get on with task in hand, whatever it is. I didn’t have this understanding when I was a student, but do now, and apply it to many other life situations.

128. Love for who I am, not what I do or the great marks or exam results I could get. What a beautiful statement if only the education system supported the same concept, true education would be able to take place not just the regurgitation of facts.

129. Every student ought to read this article as it is so insightful and supportive of anyone who experiences stress in their life.

130. This is an absolutely brilliant blog, Lieke. As I was reading I was able to connect to how I have and still do use ‘stress’ to stop myself from connecting… to myself and others, as it conveniently forms a barrier between me and my heart. It was lovely to read how you put a stop to this type of barrier and inspiring to feel how by simply bringing more understanding to the situation you were able to release it.

131. I’m not studying at the moment, but I do relate the stress you felt to certain events or times at work… it’s very inspiring to read your account on this to help prepare me for the next event. Thanks Lieke.

132. Lieke, this blog is very timely for me as I am now studying and can really relate to your words here, I always felt like something that came over me, now I know how to make the choices and how to study without stress, yes! I too felt that when I do go into stress around my study, I definitely know that something does come over me when I am not with myself and my mind will take me totally away from myself where I’m not breathing my own breath and staying present. When I catch myself in my body feeling all tense and everything seems to be hard, that’s the time to stop, step away and just feel me. Then I can feel my own quality and then I remind myself, that it is only about bringing true quality to my study as it is just another part of my everyday rhythm at this time, so it deserves equal and present focus.

133. Dear Lieke, I know you are talking about stress at exam times, but what you have revealed here could support with any stressful situation we find ourselves faced with. How that by looking deeply into what is really going on for us, whatever it is, and exposing these beliefs, that we have can bring us back to ourselves, our true purpose and release the stress.

134. We all stress for exams, assessments, etc., when we invest into getting good marks (and submitting it in by the deadline!). If the current education system has another way (a part from exams) to insure that students will have good skills, understanding and knowledge on what they study, life as students would be very different.

135. The biggest assumption (lie) is that everyone including the teaching staff expect all the students to be stressed during exam period. There is no one saying there could be another way or it could be wrong. The assumption is if you are not stressing you are not studying the right way.

     1. I know Luke, it is so interesting that we do not question the being stressed as something that is needed to pass your exams. I for a long time never thought any different either. My experience is that when I study for my exams now without stress I remember so much more and it is also just a more pleasant situation for my whole body. I even enjoy learning in this way 😉

        1. Love your contribution and I agree

136. Yes Indeed Leike, and it’s so wonderful to hear the perspective of conscious presence in the world of a student. Wow it is possible, and what a paradigm shift this is, and what lucky patients will come to Leike when she is a dentist

137. Your experience of university is so different to my experience. I sense how much you know the absolute importance of walking, and resting, and eating healthy and having time for yourself. The beautiful and deep way that you know yourself and how much you are pondering on life is truly inspiring.

138. It is accepted that it’s normal for there to be a lot of stress for students when exams are on. How great that you have been able to feel how harming it is to your body and that it doesn’t have to be that way, and you have been able to master studying for exams without the stress by recognising how important it is to continue to honour and care for yourself even when exams were on.

     1. Yes Deirdre, honouring yourself and caring for yourself is the foundation for living a loving life studying or not!

139. What an amazing revelation:

     “After realising all of that it was easier to study, and without stress. I just did what needed to be done: studying, doing the exam (and being present with myself during the exam) and around that, caring for myself as I always do.”

     I loved the simplicity yet profound message “I just did what needed to be done”, when we are not connected to our body (stress, anxiety) we make things so complicated, thank you Lieke.

140. Lieke, great blog and one that I needed to read as at the moment I am studying and have been finding that every time I think about doing it, I distract myself with something else and so putting it off. It’s time to let go of the judgements around actually getting in and doing it and just do it, as it’s what is needed for accreditation so not to make it more or less important than anything else that I do and focus on my quality as I do it.

     1. I love what you say here that studying is not more or less important than anything else you do. I can relate and am learning exactly the same thing, everything is important to do: from cleaning my room, to catching up with my friends or studying.

141. Lieke, I found it is very easy to resonate with what you have said. I especially was drawn to your comment ‘How could I still feel so much stress in my body whilst I was studying – all the while knowing it was not necessary and healthy?’. This has given me plenty to ponder on in terms of how I am currently handling stress in various areas of my life. Thank you!

     1. I agree Helen, I sometimes catch myself doing something I know is not supporting me at all but still do. It feels always quite exposing to notice these things, you can not really play victim if you are aware of what you can do to let go of the struggle, in this instance the stress…

142. Great blog Lieke – it highlights that we have a predisposition toward stress – it makes us feel something and therefore is regarded as a normal part of the everyday process – not true.
     Thanks for sharing your process in revealing how this untruth can rule our lives – it has helped me and I am sure many others.

143. Awesome LIeke, I love how you have explored not only the effect that stress was having on your body but also the reasons behind it. Thanks for showing there is another way to study – or in fact get through anything that we can consider to be stressful!

144. Lieke, your blog has made me ponder on the reason I often use stress to ‘get through things’. Why? When there is another way – to remain gentle and tender with myself and feel clearly what the next step is. Now that feels amazing.

145. what I love about your blog Lieke is that you took something that many people accept as normal even though (at the very least) uncomfortable and stopped to examine it….Is it really normal? Does it need to be there? Or is there another way? What if we started to ask those questions about everything in our life? I am doing this more and more and it is amazing to find how much of what we have simply accepted, with a little love and awareness, does not need to be there.

146. Stressing out over exams or any other circumstance is of no benefit to anyone as you have illustrated in your blog and you generally perform better when you have a healthy routine and take care of yourself, thanks Lieke.

     1. Hear hear Joe, well said. I also feel how supportive it is to have this healthy routine even when I am not studying and just working.

147. I like what you say, Lieke, about how during exam time you carry on doing the things you would do in normal life for you (i.e. cooking meals for yourself, going for walks etc.). This is the key to exams for me: not giving one’s power away to the exams/to the expectations you put on yourself – or felt from your professors – to perform in the exams; but rather, carrying on with normal life – as it is this (the quality of your ‘normal life’) which holds you in the quality to best be able to prepare for and to sit your exams.

148. Great point. It seems that exams and stress go together as a natural thing. Through your blog I realized this is something we do to ourselves and the body is the one who suffers. Why get stressed, more than usual? This is indeed a great question to ask myself with whatever activity I am doing. Thanks Lieke.

149. Hi Lieke… What you have clearly demonstrated here is the development of body awareness that self care can bring. If you hadn’t taken such great care of yourself whilst you were studying you would not have been so astutely aware of the change in stress levels as the exam approached “The day before my first dentistry exam my stomach started to ache and I felt tense in my back as well as an overall feeling of stress and anxiety”…. as you would have been too familiar with these symptoms and/or too caught up in the drive to get through at all cost to even notice.

     1. and not only notice but to explore the reasons behind the stress and make the choice to be more loving….this is a miracle indeed.

150. I can relate to the reasons that may have contributed to creating stress for me, not just for studying either. The unnecessary pressure we put on ourselves and then afterwards wonder why we feel tired is an eye opener. Great to hear you have over come this way of studying and dealing with stress.

151. Lieke, I can so relate to the stress around exams – I used to stress so much about exams too and like you I can also say that there was a certain arrogance that came with almost always getting high results, yet at the same time not knowing if I was going to pass (?!) crazy but true – I would walk into the exam super stressed out and not knowing if I was going to pass or not and then when the exam result came through I was often top of class! What a silly game to play with myself – and the stomach cramps and the diarrhoea and sleeplessness that I often endured. Yes I know there was much pressure from the outside to pass, but also so much pressure I placed upon myself which was totally unnecessary. I know that I have made so much progress in general with handling stress, but I do wonder how much of that old pattern is still there if I had to go back to studying and exams again? Your blog has left me much to ponder on…

152. Haha this just made me laugh because I have done the same for so long, telling people that my exam did not go that well and that I don’t know if I can do it, getting attention and sympathy from that and then getting a very high grade….I loved getting high grades because it made me feel seen, important and I got remarks from others.

153. Looking back to when I studied, I actually was in a state of extreme anxiety to achieve a PHD. I was very driven and did not take the time out to care for myself. I am now aware of both why I needed to be like this, and how to truly study without any attachments, such as recognition, expectations, pleasing others, achieving. We can often make studying all about self, instead of looking at the bigger picture, as you have done Lieke, i.e. to serve humanity. Great blog. Needs to be shared with all students.

154. For me too janeneclemance – I returned to uni in the second half of last year after a 5 year break… another chance to master a Masters without losing the plot! next step: getting the universities to recognise that it doesn’t have to be that way!

155. A great blog to reconnect to as I return to my studies this year… yes! It IS truly possible to study without stress!

156. A great blog. Lieke. “I became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done… to study in this case.” I too am aware I can use my energy in the drama of something, rather than just getting on with whatever – in the quality I know I can bring to it – if I so choose.

157. Awesome blog Lieke, with so much insight and clarity. What your blog illustrates is that there is another ‘true’ way to study and live one’s life when attending university or college, as opposed to the ‘normal’ student lifestyle of eating tv dinners, studying into the wee hours of the morning, drinking lots of coffee and sugar to stay awake, putting the body into overwhelm. A great read for all new students, Lieke.

158. Awesome blog Lieke.

159. It is true that we have a whole load of patterns around studying running through us without consciously knowing it. Thanks for highlighting what I suspect is just a few of them!! I will enjoy observing the patterns in myself.

160. This is absolute gold. Your insight shows that we create our own stress Lieke. I feel that this is something we often do not want to admit, preferring to blame outside factors and play the victim. You have blown that illusion out of the water. Thank you so much.

161. Most definitely a living miracle Lieke – you have described a very powerful transformation, elucidating us on great keys to dealing with stress, as you have been so inspired by the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. Assessing deeply within oneself what the drivers were, the need for recognition, to excel (even be ‘the best’)… I love how you’ve exposed this, and that you brought yourself back to a steadiness that was brilliantly demonstrated in how the stress didn’t build for the second exam, and how you were simply ready for ‘what was next’ in your day to follow it.
     Recalling sitting in vast halls for university exams many years ago, and the odd person actually throwing up during the exams (it wasn’t unusual…), and how I pushed myself to keep going with caffeine in particular, what you’ve presented here should be the first course anyone takes at university, or any level of study for that matter. Just what are we doing to ourselves…

162. Lieke brilliant blog. Stress is something felt by many people not only during school or study but day to day stresses of life, which are really unnecessary. I loved this point you made ” who I am, not what I do or the great marks or exam results I could get. ” Perfectly sums it up for me. Thank you.

163. Wow – Lieke this is awesome thank you – something I will definitely come back to as I begin University and have already felt the stress on my first day (showing how I wasn’t being present, but already worried about the future exams in 13 weeks! or maybe even to the end of my course!). To study without stress is definitely a miracle for you! Something for me to learn also 🙂 It is great to know it is possible!

164. This is a great blog, something that I can catch myself on sometimes when I am studying or when I am working. Thank you for sharing- now that I have lots more study coming up this blog will be really helpful. 🙂

165. To take self loving choices and listen deeply to the body signals can be quite challenging especially when you have loads of work to accomplish. Great sharing how you learned to put the focus on your body and what you need to stay harmonious in your body, Lieke, thank you.

166. Great blog Lieke. As I only involved myself in exams and stress at high school, I find it interesting to look back to see the pattern that you portrayed. After my school life I found other things to stress about. Once I found that stress-full pattern, my body looked for it as some sort of known. It was not until I met Serge Benhayon that I truly understood the relationship my body had with stress. Thanks to the Universal Medicine presentations by Serge I now understand how stress and anxiety are something we live with, but they do not own us and can therefore be dealt with.

167. As someone who had not done higher level eduction I recently found myself confused by a mass of scientific papers. I can now appreciate just how hard it is to study and not get engrossed in the topic trying to figure it out. What I enjoyed about your blog is that perhaps I have to look at what am I wanting to get out of the study – what is my investment? and re-approach it. Thank you

168. Yes Lieke. I haven’t sat exams for quite some time but found myself relating strongly to what you describe except for me, the situation is at work. I love how the simple power of your choice of energy – completely changed the result in your body. For me too, this is a miracle and an exam ‘result’ worth celebrating, with everybody. I am inspired to say ‘yes’ too, to no more stress, in every part of life.

169. I love it. “I became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done… to study in this case” – this is profound.

170. I love the way you, by choice, developed your self awareness Lieke. Not only that you then took responsibility for your self care and nurturing during “stressful” times. What a beautiful, caring, loving dentist you will be/are.

171. How to study without stress is a magic formula that needs to be shared far and wide. How to live without stress, the same, could be the magic in loving ourselves for who we are and taking that stress free loved being out into the world! Awesome writing Lieke.

172. Yes! indeed Lieke, this should be posted in your university website, such a clear experience of before, after and the ‘how to’ in between. So many can relate to this feeling of stress and the unhelpful behaviours we go into to handle that stress.

173. I agree Lieke, it was a miracle that you didn’t feel the stress in your second exam. It’s wonderful that you were able to trace the cause of the stress to your investment in the result, and that what you were truly seeking was ” Love for who I am, not what I do or the great marks or exam results I could get.”
     I wish I had had this awareness when I was studying – my marks may not have been any better but at least I wouldn’t have been stressed!

174. Lieke what a great understanding you came to around being invested in the stress of exams. I can totally relate as I am sure millions of students around the world can. What you have shared is really simple but a huge revelation for around our motivation for doing well.

175. Great observations on how to study and how stress can creep in when we are attached to outstanding results and outdoing others in the pursuit of the recognition of our worthiness rather than confirming and living our worthiness on a daily basis and without the need to do or be anything other than what we already are.

     1. It just feels so relaxing when I read your wise words Gabriele, and this is certainly the way to live: “confirming and living our worthiness on a daily basis and without the need to do or be anything other than what we already are”, lovely. Although we might of course do or study anything we chose to without the need to be anything other than ourselves.

176. So much pressure is put on students to perform at their best, from all educational institutions whether it be a university or school, not necessarily for the students but so the school or university get a higher pass rate. Add to this pressure from parents and peers, and no wonder everyone is stressed when it comes to exams.

177. “I could feel that I do not need the teacher’s approval anymore as I did when I was young and did not know any better than doing it that way.” How exposing Lieke – I feel ‘sprung’! Yes even this is a source of stress. I just wish I’d had your insight and the help of Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon while I was studying at university many years ago.

178. Lieke, this is a wonderful blog… I remember my own stress-filled times as a students some years back, and oh to have the wisdom and knowing I have now back then! We need this spread around the education and university halls. What you’re sharing here is a true and loving way in education and in learning, and as you say to study as part of what you need to do, in order to serve humanity in your chosen profession. When we look at it this way, it takes a huge amount of pressure off, and there is a lot of joy in the learning instead of the stress and struggle so much of exam study is associated with. Very inspiring Lieke, thank you.

179. Already to maintain a healthy lifestyle consistently in our daily lifes can be challenging. I tend to skip the little sweet things that I do to nourish myself… first! …and get the To-Do’s done. Maybe later, if there is still time for me, I go for a walk. You present another level of Self-Love, thanks Lieke.

180. This is amazing Lieke as I have sat plenty of exams and have always felt that stress and knots in my stomach, but when I look back I notice that in some ways I liked the exhilaration and the challenge, the recognition of doing well, as I often did. It was like a roller coaster ride and I was left exhausted at the end of it. Far healthier to stay steady and focussed.

181. My entire worth banked on me passing those university exams.

182. I work at a uni and see the stress that students put themselves through. How inspiring to know that it doesn’t need to be that way. With awareness and honesty, study and exams can be a completely different experience. Our health and wellbeing should never be compromised just for a mark, that will be quickly forgotten.

183. Thank you Lieke for this powerful blog.
     Loving oneself regardless of any results, reactions or circumstances is so huge – and so beautiful :o)

184. Thank you Lieke for the insight into a true way to be with the sometimes necessary exams that we must do. Why stress when it’s not required.

185. I guess that the drive to get great results and be the best, is to substitute for the love and beauty that you don’t feel. I too get this drive often, but there is always more to you than there is to the exam. Thanks Lieke (:

     1. Great observation Ben. I definitely used school, study and exams as a form of recognition to substitute the lack I was feeling at home. You are so right…’there is always more to you than there is to the exam’

186. I am in year 11 and every year I sit 2 sets of exams. Reading this blog has really made me realize that I am still invested in the mark that I will get back, from these exams. I worry that I haven’t done enough or ‘what will happen if I get below 50%’. I have a lot of self doubt come in that really puts me off when it comes to exam week. However I can really feel that my normal routine and lifestyle is not meant to be filled with all of this worry, stress and anxiousness. So it is actually a distraction from the playful, joyful, light, vibrant and caring life I normally live. – Gosh I can’t wait for exams, so I can change this inbuilt pattern.

187. I have found reading has given me a deeper understanding of what is behind stress. It is something that we can apply to any stress that we have, not just around exams, but any stress that we may be carrying. I’m going to apply the questions that you have raised to the stress that I hold in my life and see what it uncovers. Thank you for an awesome blog.

188. I have felt the same pains in my stomach before exams back when I was studying. When I felt it I would tell myself to not worry about the results but to do my best. Now with work when working towards deadlines I can often get into stress mode. It makes my job so much more difficult and unproductive to be in constant energy of stress. Everyone around is affected. By acknowledging this, reconnecting and slowing myself down a beautiful flow starts to appear and amazing results naturally occur. Once I go into overwhelm with stress everything falls apart. By changing the way I view work, awareness with my body while working and staying present creates stress free and amazing outcomes.

189. Lieke, this is so impressive – to not stress during exams is no small thing. Half-way through completing my degree I meet Serge Benhayon and started attending Universal Medicine workshops, it had a fundamental change on how I approached and lived university life. No longer the complete abuse to my body with lack of & poor quality sleep, coffee, tension and the guaranteed crash at the end of the exam period. Serge presented the possibility of another way of living…I started to live this and year by year uni got easier and easier for me as the workload actually got heavier and more complex.

190. It is great when we can give ourselves the permission to be ourselves and can let go of the need for recognition and acceptance, that which make us abuse our bodies just for the illusion of getting great marks. When instead, we can choose to be all of who we are and in that reflect to others all that they can be not what they need to achieve or do.

191. “I became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done… to study in this case.” Thanks this is a really great point and one that I may be doing myself as well… Thank you

192. Thank you for sharing this very truthful experience. I studied badly at school and at university level, totally unaware at the time that I was giving my focus to what I did and not who I was….I crammed the night before and usually pulled off some good results but felt like a complete fraud because I knew the next week or day even I wouldn’t be able to recall half of it!! Your well shared experiences will inspire others to change the way they live through study life.

193. Lieke what an a great way to approach study, to truly be present with yourself. Your revelation “that there is a beauty inside me and that I deserve to be myself and bring that beauty to the world. With that I feel I do not need the recognition and approval anymore, and that all I truly want is love – from myself, for myself and from others. Love for who I am, not what I do or the great marks or exam results I could get.” offers so much, whether you are a student or not.

194. Great blog Lieke! I can feel how I get stressed of needing to be the best at everything, and always be perfect and correct. This as you say in your blog is about the attention you can get by being the ‘Best’ in school. I can feel how desperate it can be to work this way and live and study with me in full love of what I do and can bring.

195. The education system as it has been for many many years rewards such disregard which is strange when you consider that in the most part, people are going into industries that serve to care for people in some way, whether it is to build bridges or dentures. I would seem obvious that the first thing they would teach is to care for oneself so that the same level of care can be expressed in their jobs.

196. Thank You Lieke. Your blog is great. it had never occurred to me that I use stress as a distraction, that I use it for attention and recognition and put up with the pain in my body as normal! Awesome.

197. Great blog exposing the real quality we do things in,not only in study but how we live a day and how our body always brings us to an awareness of what it feels like to live in the energy we choose to be in. Thanks Lieke, awesome.

198. As someone about to complete their third university qualification, I can so relate to the energy you speak of that is so tempting to go into around exams and assignments. I have often fallen victim to it and you expose some of the underlying reasons for it here which is amazing and helpful for all of us as it asks us to go deeper with ourselves and ask what our reasons might be. For me it is less about recognition and more about being attached to the chaos of it all – like I am not worth doing it gently and lovingly maybe. I will further ponder this but thank you for helping me to go deeper with this for myself.

199. ‘Love for who I am, not what I do or the great marks or exam results I could get.’
     This is a beautiful reminder that we have choices and with every choice we make comes a consequence. Lieke you chose love and this is deeply inspiring. Thank you.

200. Great Blog Lieke bringing such a light to studying and the real cause of the stomach knots and stress. Loving and appreciating your self as the true way to live affects everything in ones life and brings a consistency and getting down to what needs to be done, so simple really. Thank you for this beautiful inspiration.

201. Lieke, I wish I had had the opportunity to read a blog like yours nearly 3 decades ago when I was studying! Wouldn’t this be a great approach for more of us to adopt – bringing self-care into study – and not only when we study, but in whatever we are doing!

     1. Yes me too Angela, what a truly supportive sharing for any of us who hold tension about what we do or when whether we are preparing for exams or in everyday life! We can always ‘go deeper’ and examine what is really happening. What a great tool and what a beautiful dentist you will become Lieke!

202. Very inspiring Lieke – transforming studying with stress to studying with ease. What a huge inspiration also to your fellow students and beyond.

203. Lieke what a fantastic role model you are not just for those going through exams, but also at work and in life too for what you uncover and share is applicable to all areas of life — that the stress and tension we busy ourselves with is convenient distraction or a procrastination tool for not doing what needs to be done (study, work, exam etc.), or from feeling the truth of things such as the attachment you personally had to being recognised and seen as the marker of your worth. But that when we start to love we start to feel our power and the value in this, which surpasses anything we do or accomplish, allowing us to just get on and do what we must do!

204. Lieke, what a beautiful example you show us in the way you are preparing for the exams. You show us that it is possible to do exams without the stress and associated unhealthy living patterns you observe with your fellow students. I feel it is enormous empowering if you know the purpose of your study, that you want to serve as a dentist for humanity. In this way the study is to be honored as the way to be able to practice this medical modality in our society and that we have to do what has to be done. No big deal if you are connected with yourself and the purpose for you in this life.

205. Great post Lieke. I am a student as well, so I know all about the added stress we put on ourselves at exam times. Stress can be such a dangerous thing.

206. The process of study always raised such similar anxiety and stress within me. So much so, I have study that I want to commence, but feel an aversion to starting it due to my past patterns and behaviours around ‘how’ i went about studying. The dishonouring, the quality and way i approached it. Thank you for sharing your amazing experience, it has inspired me to feel into more deeply what those reservations are within me and know there is another way to approach study and go more deeply as to what drive I go into and strive for in the process of studying.

207. I can really relate to the stress and anxiousness you share about Lieke and I love the question you posed ‘..when I said at the beginning of the exam: “Oh, I am not sure I can do it”. This is such a sneaky tool I have carried around, used to keep myself and my capabilities and strengths to a less or weakened version which continues the cycle of anxiousness that comes with this. I am studying this year and I have already felt this come up for me as well as the comparison of others being somehow more capable – when in truth I will have my own qualities and supportive rhythm to bring to it. Your blog has stayed with me throughout the study process and so I deeply appreciate your sharing of it.

208. A great article I so enjoyed reading this – many a time when taking exams the pains my body go through become quite a distraction. your words “love for who I am not what I do” really resonate with me. thank you for sharing.

209. Thankyou for sharing this amazing blog! I can’t wait for this semester to come as now I don’t need to stress about exams or failing any courses. I love how in the blog and comments there is a general feeling of “if you look after your body and nurture yourself during the exam period like you would in any other day, then the work just flows out easy and you can get done all you need to get done without having to worry about the end result”.

210. Last year I needed to study again having not done so for a long time. To my dismay I discovered that I still had an investment in getting good results. I thought I had given up wanting to be recognized for what I do, but there it was, staring me in the face again. I saw in me a terrible fear of failure which came from a deeply ingrained habit of not feeling good enough and this would drive me to get good marks and then try to better myself next time. Added to that I could feel that I was letting in the consciousness of the education system, which grades students according to academic prowess and gives no credit to who one is.

     I watched myself going all out to get a good mark and when I ‘excelled’ I realized that I had done far more than was really necessary and taken it way out of proportion – all in an attempt to avoid not being good enough. I really only needed to pass and that could have been done without the stress and pressure that I put on myself.

     Studying for the second exam I watched the crescendo build in me and when I stopped and felt what it was doing to my body I realized it wasn’t worth it. I sat the exam this time without overcompensating and knowing that, even if I failed, it didn’t mean that I was a failure.

     1. Sandra, I went through the same process and I continue to go through the process as I am doing a Masters degree. I actually enjoy getting good grades, but every once in a while I find myself pushing myself to achieve this, and then I need to deal with the stress this brings.

        I totally agree – if there is only pass/fail then getting 51% is pretty good. What I find in my degree studies though is that doing well at the beginning makes it much easier later on because it matters how you pass unlike a course with a pass/fail qualification. In a pass/fail case I am Mr 54% (51% is too nerve racking). To my surprise I am finding that putting in extra effort at times is the most harmonious approach – it all depends on the circumstances and what I need to support myself at the time.

211. That’s a great thing to work on, I feel when I am getting worked up or stressed about something I am avoiding surrendering to myself, avoiding staying gentle and living each moment as it comes and what I am trying to do is control a situation that I have no control over… great learning

212. I too can relate to the stress/anxiety of studying. Of course I always had my agenda as well when studying to achieve the top marks in exams which placed so much pressure on me to perform. It is sad what we do to ourselves/our bodies instead of reconnecting to the stillness and love we are. No stress there.

213. Wow I never considered how I use the rush of stress in this way. I relate to this so much. I was also the student that got top marks – but before an exam I would always feel as if I was going to bomb out. I was playing a game with myself of highs and lows. Great article Lieke.

214. It is wonderful to see someone questioning our education system. I was confused when I was in school and I felt stressed , tired, and bored. I felt like I was not learning anything important. I realize now it was because I was overwhelmed by life. I needed some education on living, not how to get a good job. Serge Benhayon has supported me in understanding that living myself is what is important in life. If you can do that, everything else will fall into place. That is what I needed to learn in school.

     1. I can relate to what you are saying Ken. In the current education system you are only taught about subjects like maths, languages, geography etc but not how to care for yourself first and for most whilst studying these subjects. This is what is needed to be taught at school and university.

215. There are so many ways to get the recognition we need. It’s a crazy world we live in when we are told it’s better to live a life of seeking recognition instead of loving ourselves. Generations upon generations take part in this theatre called ‘life’ where everyone plays their part as expected. It’s time to rock the boat and set the foundations so future generations will have an opportunity to know the difference and live the love we are instead of the illness we create by striving to be recognised.

     1. Very well said Jinya. “It’s a crazy world we live in when we are told it’s better to live a life of seeking recognition instead of loving ourselves.”

216. Awesome blog Lieke. What an inspiration you live, you are showing us there is another way to study and deal with stress. Hurray for that! In starting a medical course recently I experienced myself how easy I go back into old patterns of – I have to get this right, have to pass my exam, have to be a ‘good’ student. All those things take away the joy of learning things about the body and most importantly take away me from myself. And like you describe in your blog: that is very tiring.
     And I so agree when you write: ‘that all I truly want is love – from myself, for myself and from others’. That is all everybody wants. And thank you for being such an inspiring example.

     1. I love what you share here Monika, that the need to have things right, to pass an exam and to be a ‘good’ student take away the joy and wonder you can have in studying the human body or any other subject at hand.
        I also learned that if I start with the wonder, joy and, very important, playfulness – studying gets so much easier!

     2. To take away from the joy of learning and the joy of oneself is not much fun, and as you have both said, very tiring. How awesome to have felt and acknowledged this for yourselves? There is a clear marker to know when you have pushed yourself too far, strived for something outside of yourself, etc. which can only help you in a true study of the subject at hand.

217. Thank you for this inspiring blog Lieke. It’s great to know that there will be health professionals out in the world like yourself, who are prepared to have that high level of care for themselves which will be reflected in how they treat their patients.

218. That is a beautiful quote indeed – and thank you Lieke.

219. Every student young or old would benefit greatly from reading this blog. I am studying at the moment as an adult student… For me when I was younger, it was like, Leike, a massive deal and I wasn’t great with the temporal side of things in the academia world. So to be in the similar situation and studying again and to not feel pressure that I put on myself and to just simply enjoy what it is that I am learning about is wonderful. To take it at my own pace and also, taking on the responsibility of knowing that it is up to me to do the studying so I feel prepared before I sit the test.

     1. That is beautiful Natalie. Your last sentence stood out for me: to take it at you own pace and taking the responsibility to do the studying and the test. That is so important, I often saw studying as doing it for someone like the teacher or professor, but what I am learning now, is that I am learning to know how to be a dentist because I want and like to be a dentist! So it is in my own advantage to study, and also my responsibility towards the people I am going to treat later in my life. In this way it is so much easier to study and not a burden.

        1. Thank you Natalie and Lieke – yes, it is all about our own pace and rhythm – a new paradigm for studying and enjoying the process in a whole new way.

     2. I can very much relate to your comment, Natalie. I too have been studying recently, and it has been completely different to my previous experiences, simply because I looked after myself during it, and made a schedule that I could keep to so there was no stress. I actually ended up enjoying it…seems simple now without the enormous pressure I used to put myself under.

220. Stress is exhausting. I can remember exam times when I got so stressed that my head was so busy being stressed that I couldn’t remember what I had taken such efforts to learn! This stress became part of the way I approached most problems so that I became more stressed about the stress than about the problem. Since attending presentations by Serge Benhayon I have learnt to notice when I am slipping into an old pattern of stress; I come back to the stillness within me and just deal with the problem.

     1. So true Mary, when I am stressed it is even hard to deal with the smallest problems and when I am with the stillness that is within me everything gets so much simpler.

221. I could feel the sense of relief and sadness for me around the comment that all we want is to be loved for who we are not what we do. I know I have not let others see who I really am in my life and also played that game of being rewarded for achievements and doing things well or better than others. Great blog Lieke.

222. Haha hope they will have clean feet then Jane!

223. Yes, what a miracle, Lieke. The approach that you outline so well in identifying what was creating your stress is something that we all can do and have our own miracles. Thank you for sharing so clearly how you went about it, it is so helpful.

224. Lieke, I love the way you show how recognising what you are dong to yourself and finding out why that is, then building a new way of approaching study and exams without the stress, (which seems to be accepted as part of the process of exam taking), over a period of time to support you next time round. Simplicity and consistency day by day, doing what needs to be done,, instead of the focus being on something in the future that grows threateningly bigger the nearer it gets. To live each day for itself, and the next and the next, and then when the exam days comes it is just like any other. It is brilliant!

     1. Beautifully expressed Joan, to live each day for itself. Love it.

225. Hi Lieke I remembered this blog and so came back for another read – I am feeling stress at the moment with the prospect of a job interview and felt supported reading this for the second time. To keep up ones supportive rhythm is essential but for me in this situation i really feel I need to throw caution to the wind and just practice remaining connected to myself instead of letting my head take over the go crazy over preparing…. there is SUCH a strong pull for me to do this however I am realising that if this is the right job for me, keeping connected will allow me to answer the questions from my heart, so they can really feel if I am right for their job. If so, brilliant, and if not, also brilliant because who wants to work in a job that’s not right for them?

     1. That is awesome Rachael, it is about connection with ourselves, indeed. I know the over-preparing also very well, it is so different from the preparing I do when I just feel what needs to be done next. My head does not always know what is going to happen, but my body does seem to know that very well.

        And I totally agree, if you can be yourself in a job interview, it is so much more clear if the job suits you or not!

     2. Rachel R – that is a lovely and simple approach to a job interview to make it about your connection – yes this blog about study certainly does translate to other areas in life that can be stressful. I love how Lieke you caught yourself on the brink of accepting the stress for another day or two and instead started to unpack your beliefs around study and through your own honesty you were left free and even came through the exam without being drained. This is a great case of putting Universal Medicine teachings into practice and applying them to your specific and current stage of life.

226. Excellent blog Lieke and one that would benefit so many stressed-out students. I love the way you made some simple choices like going for a walk to clear your head and not study in the evening – these are both things I have done when studying some courses as an older student.
     You clearly have found a stress free way to get through what is needed to become a great dentist. I know that the job title is second and that you in your natural state of who you really are is what counts. We are not our job – it is something you do and not who you are. I learnt that from Serge Benhayon and that helped me a lot in my life.

     1. I love the confirmation you bring in your comment Bina – ‘I know that the job title is second and that you in your natural state of who you really are is what counts. We are not our job – it is something you do and not who you are’.

        1. “We are not our job – it is something you do and not who you are” everyone should read this line; when we identify with our job, or study, or hobby, or as a mum, dad, woman, man etc. we make the outside world more important than ourselves, and as this blog and a lot of the comments expose here, it is about taking care of yourself first – and from that everything follows, and flows.

     2. Well said Bina. It is true that students can get easily stressed out at University and some don’t even attend their classes due to the very heavy demands of the education system. But as Lieke is presenting, there is a way to be present and to keep things simple while studying the degree one chooses. It’s true this blog will benefit many students.

227. We always have a choice (I am not always prepared to fully live that responsibility). Whatever I am doing now can either be done gently and with grace or in the rush of ‘oh my gosh, too much, can’t’. And then that choice decides the outcome: a task completed in spaciousness or a falling into the next task panicky and overwhelmed.

228. Thank you Lieke, as you have understood and mastered stress control,
     you will obviously go on to become a very good dentist!
     Dentistry being generally perceived as a high-stress area, both for Dentist
     and patient!

229. Yes, I agree the message in this blog is very transferable to other areas of our lives. I haven’t let go of that need to be “a good student” and it still permeates in my world of work. I am aware of the push and stress I choose to get everything done right or well, especially when that deadline is looming, but can feel how that impacts my body.

230. Such a lovely article, there are so many ways we can support ourselves in everyday life and especially in exam periods.

231. Thank you, Lieke, for sharing your experiences as a student and for exposing the madness of using up energy stressing and worrying when we can simply choose (developing a foundation and rhythm over time) to do what is required in every moment.

232. Beautiful Lieke and what an amazing revelation. I know how crippling exam stress is, how it takes me the student away from the subject rather than engaging me and turns into an all consuming anxiety right at the beginning of term. People really do loose themselves to it. How incredible for you to feel, become aware of and then reject that anxiety and instead settle into the task at hand and not even feel drained by it at the end. The difference in your energy and approach can be clearly felt in your post, thank you for showing us that there is a self loving, level headed way to accomplish important tasks such as exams in our lives.

233. A great sharing Lieke. ‘I became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done… to study in this case.’
     This really stood out for me too and I realised it can be applied to many daily situations where we choose to get all stressed in an attempt to avoid/distract what is there to be done. An inspirational article, thank you.

     1. I totally agree Beverley – it can be applied to all daily situations as a distraction of what it is that needs to be done. When ever I feel myself going into this I work on stopping, breathing and connecting then doing what ever it is I need to do. Such an awesome way to cut that stressed out way of approaching life. Being me and doing what ever it is that I am doing is totally a new way of being that I am loving!

     2. So true Beverly, that we often do stress ourselves out as a way of coping and distracting ourselves from what needs to be done.

234. ‘I became aware of the fact that getting all stressed about the exams is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done… to study in this case’ – so, so true. Having just re- read your blog, I am thinking of the many instances where I have chosen stress over doing what needs to be done with presence and focus.

235. Thank you Lieke for sharing another way of approaching study for all to appreciate and learn. I only wish I had the opportunity to go back and experience this compared to the exhausted state I chose to study in.

236. I loved reading this Lieke – your honesty and willingness to go deeper and feel what was behind your stress is so inspiring and that it led to you not feeling stressed at your second exam shows how powerfully healing it can be when we choose to deal with what comes up for us. What a great piece of writing to be shared with students all around the world. It offers a huge opportunity for reflection and change

237. For me the consistent self-loving choices are what support me in not going into overwhelm as they slow everything down, from this place I find it a lot easier not to stress out.

     1. This is gorgeous Oliver, so simple but so powerful.

238. Yes Amita – a very important light!

239. Great article, Lieke. I too am currently studying at university, and although it is a work in progress, I too am learning about a whole new way to approach studying and exams. I actually find that, during term time, and in the run up to exams, the most important thing I need to focus on is not my work nor my revision, but taking care of me and my body.

     So, this means making sure I am eating healthy and nutritious meals; giving myself enough breaks and time for other things throughout the day; going to bed at a regular time, so that my body can get used to a rhythm; going for walks, or other light exercise, to keep my body active; and not over-working myself.

     When I do this – when I truly take care of myself, rather than making my study the priority – everything else follows: my essays flow out of me, without any effort; I am able to learn and revise everything I need to for my exams, with time and mental capacity to spare; oh, and I ace my exams! True story. I am looking forward to getting back to it this coming academic year.

     1. I loved reading this, Conor – your comment is the absolute proof that truly taking care of yourself is always important and makes your life easy and fun. Thank you for sharing!

     2. Wow, I can feel that would be such a relaxing way of approaching exams and study. I am studying for my A-level and re-reading this blog and your comment Conor, is very well timed.

240. Well said Alison; the build up to exams is so stressful and uneeded, as if you are present in class and pay attention to what is presented there is nothing in a test that should surprise or worry you, as you know you have prepared/studied to the best of your ability (therefore no need to stress).

     1. Good point Susie.

     2. Well said, Susie.

     3. Great point Susie – I like how you have identified that exam periods are stressful times (as we all know), but you have also said that this is unneeded – so important

241. I was re-reading this blog as I had an exam recently, and was reflecting on my experience. I did still find it stressful, and noticed some of the patterns you highlight… in particular there is a bit of a thrill (of being on edge from the anxiousness), and a visible relief afterwards, and then my body crashed for a couple of days having ‘put myself through it’. I’ve got more studies to come, and will keep re-reading this excellent blog as it provides inspiration that there is another way to do it.

     1. Great Simon. I remember that of myself too, the “okay, just for two days I’ll ignore my body and push through” and then after the adrenaline of the exam, I’m left totally feeling depleted, not able to feel my body and not able to focus on anything. This was horrible! I now will keep committing to this more loving way to study, too – as there is always so much more to unfold and learn!

        1. I have noticed the same pattern with work, I push through for a few days, start to disregard what my body is feeling and make far less loving choices only to feel my body crash afterwards. This blog is an excellent reminder for me too, and I will revisit it when I have the challenge of another deadline. Awesome, thank you.

242. This is great Lieke. How refreshing to read of a different way that you found through loving yourself. Just lovely.

     1. Totally Rebecca – very refreshing

243. Thank you deeply so for creating this blog, it’s a great help to remind me of how I can bring myself back to me when caught up in the drama of stress and nervousness.

244. Just had to re-read this one. It’s so transferable to all other areas of ‘stress’ in our lives.
     In keeping it simple along with consistent self loving choices we can support ourselves in so many ways. Thanks for this blog Lieke its excellent.

     1. I completely agree Vanessa, it is vital that we live in a way that supports us to be able to study while enjoying it.

     2. Well said Vanessa; there are indeed many ways to support ourselves that are all super simple, when – as you perfectly write – they are carried out ‘along with consistent self loving choices’.

        1. Well said Vanessa and Susie.

245. I love what you share Lieke about feeling vital and energised after your exam and ready immediately to study for the next one. What a great marker of the energy you undertook the exam in, and far healthier to not have exhausted the body with stress, not to mention how much more efficiently you can then continue on with your studies.

     1. Reading your comment Stephen, I realise what a great marker it is indeed! And that it is testimony that it is possible to study without stress AND that it is even much more efficient than studying with stress… how great is that! That blows the comment “stress makes me more efficient and productive” out of the water 🙂

246. What you have expressed Lieke I find very inspirational. You are achieving amazingness within, at such a young age, this is something to be deeply appreciated. Your commitment to love and yourself comes across very strong, thank you for sharing.

     1. Thank you Toni, you reminded me to deeply appreciate the way I choose to live with myself.

247. I’ve really enjoyed reading all the comments on this blog. I can relate it to many areas of my life where I just allow myself to get stressed and accept it as normal, especially in work related situations. Your blog Lieke reminds me that I can choose to do things differently.

248. So great that you have a daily routine of looking after yourself Lieke during exam time and studying. I know as a student this would be a time where I would stay up all night, drink lots of coffee and not eat very well. A beautiful example to show there is another way to do things.

     1. Yes I recall having no self care at all during the exam times as my attention went on simply getting the results. It was all quite self-abusive really. It is wonderful that you have so much wisdom and ways of supporting yourself during this period. How awesome would it be, if your understanding and the way you approach exams was taught to all students as a basic introduction to learning.

        1. I agree Golnaz, if this was the foundation to learning it would be totally awesome.

249. What a fabulous dentist you are training to be. Most people dread a visit to the dentist and allow stress and tension to dominate them. You will be an inspiration to all your patients.

     1. Yes absolutely, thank you Mary. I was just thinking about what you said – people visiting their dentist stressed and then most of the time encounter a stressed dentist as well… which will not be very supportive for letting go of their own (the patients) stress around their visit to the dentist. So it is imperative for all of us to learn how let go of stress and tension.

250. “getting all stressed is just a distraction from actually doing what needs to be done” So simple and so true. Thanks, Lieke.

     1. Thank you for highlighting getting stressed as a distraction for getting on and doing what needs to be done. I really relate to this very much in my life and I am seeing it clearly now and am working on it .

     2. Yes absolutely, at the moment I am seeing more of this ‘getting stressed’ and also overwhelmed behaviour with myself. Not just with studying but also with getting a job, starting new things, preparing myself for my moving home or selling things I do not need anymore. It most of the time comes up when I do not want to take responsibility for my former choices.. going into stress and overwhelm so I do not have do deal with it – when I notice this and accept my circumstances I can move on and see what steps I have to lovingly take to deal with the situation and also to support myself in not making the same choices (that got me in the uncomfortable situation) over and over again… 🙂

        1. I agree, I am becoming very aware of getting stressed as a distraction for what simply needs to be done and I am learning to catch myself when I do it, a great reminder.

     3. What a great point – “getting all stressed is just a distraction”. This puts the responsibility firmly back in our court as opposed to feeling we are up against something. Thank you for sharing that.

251. It’s great to be able to have a way to make stuydying easier and with less pressure. It’s great to have those tools.

252. The comment ‘Love for who I am, not what I do or the great results I can get’ is so true Lieke, the acceptance that I, me, myself, as I am, is all I need. Thank you.

     1. A great comment Gill, I also love that quote from the blog

     2. Yes Gill I love that comment too, great response.

     3. Yes, reading your comment I realise even more how simple it is, that all we truly want is love for who we are – not how it is in society today where we get so called ‘love’ for what we do.

     4. This is a beautiful turner upside downer! Once we dispense with identifying ourselves by results and outcomes, we are left with the sweet simplicity of being us and then getting on with what we do. Thank you, Gill and Lieke.

        1. Really good point, Matilda about being invested in the outcomes and results, usually expecting it to be so high that the pressure is out of this world, hence the stress. Absolutely removing what the outcome will be, leaves you with only one thing – to enjoy what you are learning, and be yourself while doing it, then when the exams come along you can do it to the best of your ability. What more do we need from ourselves? This has been my approach lately and from when I was a younger at school, it is the complete opposite feeling and it all feels possible.

253. True Alison, thank you for reminding us that this blog is not just exclusive to studying, but any area of our lives that we create stress.

254. Thank you Ariana, the ‘I’m not (good) enough’ is what I go into as well. I find that is mostly simply to not feel I am indeed good enough, and with that not feeling I can take full responsibility in all that I do even exams or yes job interviews as well!

255. Thanks Lieke, this is really inspiring.

256. Awesome article Lieke, I can so relate to this having spent the past year studying after a long time out of education. I found I got super stressed, feelings of I can’t do this, not knowing where to start and I can’t write – so far from the truth. Being completely overwhelmed by the system and pressures put on us – from day one they said this is going to be the toughest year ever and you can forget about everything else.

     But what I eventually came to realise was this is exactly how they want it to be, and how it has been set up from a very early age. This constant – what you do is more important that who you are – and the quality, light and presence you bring to the world. Everything is geared around recognition and attention, with rewards given in many ways for those who supposedly ‘do’ best.

     As Susie expressed, this competition and comparison is continued out into the world. Once I learn (with some awesome support) to take it in my stride and know I was way more than enough, yes there were boxes I had to tick and things I had to do to pass so I could serve, but I learnt to do this with a knowing that’s exactly what they were. And more importantly, I brought all of me to this first, then with this came the playfulness and joy and out went the stress – to the point I actually en-joyed and had some playful fun writing essays and knew it was an opportunity to truth-fully express.

257. How great it is when we let go of recognition in what we do, it opens up a whole new way to live. I love the approach you are taking to the exams Lieke, just a part of the process to be in service.

258. I agree completely Samantha, so very true.
     Thank you Leike for this beautiful reminder of what is really important in our lives.

259. A brilliant blog, Lieke! Through it I have been able to ponder on why I get stressed at work and what my investments are…. to be seen to be “keeping up” and “doing the right thing”, so I don’t get judged as a slacker or not being good enough, but even more powerful is your comment on choosing it as a thrill and excitement! I must be choosing it on purpose as a method to prevent me being me in full all of the time! Stress is a convenient excuse as to why I can’t hold my stillness at work. Thanks for sharing and posing the question how to study without stress. It can be related to how to work without stress. As soon as you have qualified I am coming to you for a dentist appointment!

260. “….that there is so much more to me, that there is a beauty inside me and that I deserve to be myself and bring that beauty to the world. With that I feel I do not need the recognition and approval anymore, and that all I truly want is love – from myself, for myself and from others. Love for who I am, not what I do or the great marks or exam results I could get.” Absolutely amazing reminder that we are not what we do or what we achieve but the love we really are. Thank you Leike!

261. The drive to do well in exams, along with the accompanying fear is contagious – if we choose to catch it. This is a great article, showing there’s a different choice that can be made when we don’t give our power away to something or someone outside of ourselves in order to get recognition and identity. And a choice that doesn’t put our body through the wringer in the process.

262. Reflecting back at my time at school and university, exam and assignments were always stressful. I didn’t like it but I didn’t have the awareness to question this back then. What you have shared Lieke needs to be heard by all young people so they know that study can be done differently.

263. Hi Christophschnelle, that makes sense as to why I feel the impact of my choices in my daily life. There is a lot of correcting to do, I feel.

264. This is a great article and one that could benefit many students as well as myself when there is any situation I am feeling stressed about. What an amazing reflection you are, Lieke. Thank you:)

265. A wonderful article – thank you Lieke. You will be sharing with your fellow students too, that there is another way

266. Yes that is true Gill, the more I read all these beautiful comments the more I realise that it applies to everything! When we do something from ‘I am not enough’ it will never be done in our own true rhythm but in everyone else’s.

267. The feeling of stress with exams that I used to get was quite awful, I think for me it was the fear of failure. Because of this and the lack of confidence in my academic ability I left school too young without many formal qualifications. Great inspiring blog Lieke. Being able to study and do exams without stress? Who knows I may just go and study something. Thanks.

268. Wow, indeed… it is so inspiring that a young adult at the beginning of their training has this much clarity, commitment and such a clear sense of purpose in relation to what they have chosen as their career. This article is for all of us, in whatever situation like this that we find ourselves in, as a strong reminder of what really matters. We might all be popping over to Belgium/Holland in a few years to get our check-ups!

269. Hi Lieke, thank you for this – I can identify so much with what you experienced. I used to put so much pressure on myself as a young kid right through uni and into my professional life to score highly on all my exams that I would have this exam stress 4 months before the exam! So effectively all year round almost! I was absolutely invested and looking to the outside for acceptance and recognition and this has obviously had consequences in my health – I have had severe acid reflux for the past 13 years. This momentum I have puts me off changing careers, trying new things as I now want to avoid the anxiousness you described. However with my work with Serge Benhayon and the Universal Medicine practitioners I am on a continuous programme of letting all that go, have now not taken an acid tablet for 3 weeks and have just been promoted at work, will be training on a new area and will have an intense exam at the end. I am so grateful for reading this blog as it has come just at the right time to remind me to approach this exam as you have said, to continue to look after myself, accept this is just something that has to be done and not become invested in the outcome. It makes perfect sense, after all the stressing I did as a teenager, I wasn’t even a straight A or first class honours degree student – I was below average in fact yet somehow failed to notice the stress did not get me the results I thought I needed! Very inspiring read, thank you again.

     1. Hi Rachael, wow thank you for your comment. It is truly amazing to read how you have been able to change your ways, awesome.
        What you say in the end is indeed fascinating, that the stress did not ‘work’ to get you the results but that you were not able to think outside the box so to speak and see that… We most of the time do not think about the stress and just see it as part of studying and doing exams without ever questioning that! Even though there is a way of studying with yourself that causes less to no stress at all.

270. Great blog and would be so helpful for students everywhere who are studying for exams – how to self-care and stay stress free over exams! I wish I had known this when I was doing exams!!

     1. Well said Eunice… I start my studies today for some exams and this is a blessing. The study and exams totally stressed me out last time and the blog is a PERFECT reminder of how unnecessary that is, how it is the investment that creates the stress, and not to lose sight of the purpose of the study (which is ultimately to be of more service).

        1. That is beautifully said Simon, the investment indeed creates the stress not the exam itself but the pressure to do good from the world and then from yourself.

     2. Yes Eunice, I totally agree with you.

271. Love the article Lieke, what you discovered for yourself during your exam period is amazing, thank you for sharing.

     1. Thank you Rebecca.

272. This is such a refreshing read that applies to any area of life where there’s the potential for stress. How great and supportive would it be if this was part of education? Inspirational – thank you Leike.

     1. Agreed Julie – this should be added to the National Curriculum

     2. Yes it should be part of our education system! Or let’s even create a system that honours everyone equally so no stress is needed.

273. Thank you Lieke for a beautiful blog, and all you say about exams and studying and the stress one gets into and the pressure. I too always had the same and became panic struck and I was unable to manage. I now realise this is also a pattern I use in other stressful situations, and how committing to life and to myself and presence is the way forward to manage stressful situations and eliminate the anxiousness in oneself, and all then is able to be coped with.

     1. Tricia, that sounds amazing.

     2. Tricia, I loved your comment which made me much more aware how I too sometimes find myself in an old pattern of putting myself under pressure, when as you say the true way forward is committing to ourselves and creating more presence!

     3. Thank you for sharing Tricia, I find being present with my body as well a crucial ingrediënt of not getting caught up in stressful situations.

        1. Spot on Lieke, I completely agree that bringing attention to the body is a key ingredient of not getting to stressed. Absolutely.

274. Wow Lieke, this is an amazing article. As has been expressed by others, what you have written doesn’t just apply to studying – I have learned much from reading your inspiring blog. Awesome. Thank you.

     1. Thank you, Lucy.

275. Lieke, these are great insights and what you write is really valuable for me. I am doing a degree in statistics at age 54 and I still can get attracted to the recognition which creates stress and worse. Coming back to my purpose for studying which is love and to be of service feels so much better and so much more powerful.

     1. Well said Christoph we often think of studying as something when we are younger to get the qualification to be “successful” in life. Its lovely to read your comment as well and see that there are things that will always need to be studied but it’s the reason why and therefore the purpose of the study that is also so important to the quality we study in. When I think about it even going to a days conference or reading up on a topic – the question I ask is: what is the purpose of that?

     2. I love to read this Christoph, it is so great to feel why we are really studying a subject!

     3. So true Christoph when the purpose of study and its end result is to be of service to humanity the momentary appeal of recognition looses its grip and potency.

276. Hi Lieke. Thank you so much for these amazing insights. They have really supported me in identifying areas in my life where I allow stress to take over. You have beautifully reminded me that it is simply a matter of choice, that stress is not an expression of me but something that I have chosen to identify with. Thank you.

     1. That is beautiful Annemarie, ‘that stress is not an expression of me but somthing that I have chosen to identify with.’ – so true.

277. This is an awesome article that you have shared Lieke and can be related to many other areas in life, not just studying. Thanks.

     1. Thank you and yes we may think stress is only related to studying but that is not the case.

278. Thank you Lieke, it’s so amazing to hear a young person taking such care to truly nurture themselves through their study and to avoid all the stress drama that others get caught into. This can only reflect strongly in the work you are undertaking to do. Thank you for taking the time to write this during such an intense time.

     1. Thank you Rowena, it was my plesure to do so.

279. Thank you for sharing something that will help many people with their exams.

     1. Thank you Ben, and yes that is why I felt to write this blog, as so many people suffer from stress with exams and studying!

280. Hi Lieke, I liked it when you talked about how the stress feels in your body, with stomach cramps, back tension and the feeling of tiredness the day after. And then the lovely way that you chose to move your issues aside and just get on with the task at hand, and how great this then felt in your body. Gorgeous.

     1. Reading your comment Shami makes me feel and appreciate the blessing it is to make loving choices for ourselves. Thank you.

281. Awesome Lieke, thank you for sharing your learning – I know how stressed I used to get over exams, the sense of trying to achieve something, a mark on a bit of paper saying I was worth it, no mark was ever enough. Everyone else would get stressed too with the huge anxiousness building up before being let into the room, so inevitably afterwards we would all come out of the exam room kind of frazzelled, with more of a sense of relief it was over.

     1. Well said James – I could always feel after an initial elation from getting a good grade, it was followed by a feeling of emptiness/disappointment as ‘no mark was ever enough’, as you say.

        1. Jess your comment just reminded me how furious I was when I got my GCSE results and got a B (my only B!!!) in English Literature, when I was predicting an A*. Yet it made no difference to any of my future choices – it was to do with the pressure that I had allowed myself to be put under – I saw the grades as more important than me, as something that would say – ‘its ok, you’re doing amazingly’. Before meeting Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I was constantly seeking confirmation from my actions and the outside world that I was enough, that I was ok. So no comment or grade was ever enough as I was not allowing myself to see the love that I, and we all, naturally carry within.

        2. I agree, no matter what mark, 100%, whatever, I was left with a feeling of emptiness. Why do I feel like this after achieving a great result? It was a case of ‘no mark was ever enough’, and left me feeling something else is at play here and what is this really all about?

        3. Yes I know that one too James “I saw the grades as more important than me, as something that would say – ‘its ok, you’re doing amazingly'” Like we could run very unloving lives but our grades were good and so we could say ‘everything is fine’…

        4. I agree. The feeling of emptiness and flatness after receiving results even if it was an ‘A’ . This really illustrates how this searching outside of ourselves for something to fill us up will always fall flat. A poor substitute to the wealth that’s within.

        5. Exactly – “a poor substitute to the wealth that’s within”. If only schools taught this wealth in expressing what’s inside out, as well as teaching you skills to express this through – now that could be amazing.

282. Lieke – wow what a clear insight into the crazy way we all act when being assessed. Having sought some form of recognition and acceptance all my life, I can whole-hearted heartedly agree with you that when I let go of what others think and instead accept myself, the world has a totally different ease and grace.

     1. Thank you Meg, love what you say ‘when I let go of what others think and instead accept myself, the world has a totally different ease and grace’

283. Fabulous article, it made me reflect more deeply on carrying stress almost as a badge of honour to create issues and problems where none really exist. Thank you Lieke.

     1. Yes so true Stephen, the only issue is that we do not want to feel how complicated and outwardly focussed we have made our lives to be!

     2. Well said Stephen, I have never seen stress as a ‘badge of honour’, but thinking about it I can totally relate! Not just relate to doing this myself, but also many of the kids in my year use this as something to identify with, and as an excuse to not progress with choosing a career etc because exams are ‘too stressful’.

284. Such an honest appraisal of what can drive us to do something. It was so great I shared it with my son on the walk to school one morning. He was, at age 7, worrying and putting himself under pressure to perform for an assessed piece of writing that day. He read it, looked up and said “that is amazing… and it’s true”, instantly his cloud of self-doubt and anxious determination disappeared and he walked into school full of love and of course sailed through his piece but with enjoyment and not trepidation. Thank you.

     1. Thank you for sharing Jenny. It is very lovely to feel how your son could feel the truth again and enjoy doing his assessment piece.

285. Wow – amazing blog! I completely agree with everything you have expressed – I find that it’s like a kind of adrenaline kicks in before I take an exam, and that sometimes even when I think that I am not invested in the result I get a thrill and definite sense of achievement when I do well. It’s interesting to observe the way schools go about exam results as well – they are focused on making sure from a very young age the kids know that rewards will be given out to those who do well. I remember countless assemblies where they would give out chocolate and sweets to the kids that scored best in the class, and I’m sure that this kind of reward system carries into work life as well – promotions and bonuses etc.

     1. Yes it is quite a sad system isn’t it, to only gives rewards to those that do well. And very true, it doesn’t just end when you receive your diploma…

286. Hi Lieke, thank you for this inspiring article reminding us all to look after ourselves no matter what is going on. I particularly relate to your reflection on how needing someone else’s approval can cause stress as we go into the ‘doing’.

287. Hi Lieke, thank you for sharing. This blog was quite useful for when I had to study myself.

     1. Hi Rhiannon, great to hear. How did your studying go?

        1. I had tons to do so I made sure I left enough days before the exam to get as much as possible covered. However, I did have a few breaking points and there were times when I felt to cry because of how much I was absorbing from the work all in one go. I tried going for walks and doing exercise which was suggested, to make me feel more energised and prepared to do more. The problem was not actually what I was learning but how I approached it in the end. At this point I had realised that my experience at school would have been different if I had chosen to be more present. There was this sort of loneliness as well, since I had to focus on my work and I couldn’t spend much time with others. I became quite ingrossed in the work. Sometimes it was a nightmare. And sometimes I would seek reward after.

        2. Hi Rhiannon, Hi Lieke, I recently learned that when you have a realisation and from that moment are able to do things differently (like the exams), we still have to deal with our previous decisions to get stressed at exam time. There is simply a momentum, as what we put out comes back one last time for us to choose the better way – in the beginning it may be thick and fast and then the revisiting of the old becomes less and less.

        3. I completely agree Rhiannon, I too have felt overwhelmed at times with study in the past. Great point: “the problem was not actually what I was learning but how I approached it”, so true.

        4. Yes Rhiannon and Jess I agree too it is absolutely how you approach it, I find when I am being playfull with how I study, and listen to my feelings as what to study when and so forth, it becomes a lot more fun and it is easier to stay present too. I sometimes make drawings or use a lot of colours to make it more easy to study but there may be something else that helps you.

        5. Yes Christoph I found that too, that it takes some loving discipline to keep feeling the simplicity. I also found that when I go for it in full it is a lot easier to deal with the old momentum.

        6. I can relate to using colours or a different way of studying when I feel less stressed and pressured – I find that it often perpetuates the feeling of being settled, and actually means I am more level-headed in the exam and may get better results.

288. Very inspiring, I can learn from it, thank you Lieke.

289. Such a great blog, having just been through the exam period I totally relate!

     1. Hope your exams went well!

        1. They did go well thank you, it is very interesting to read in your article about stress as it is very normalised around the exam period in schools, which can be detrimental to any student’s physical and social health.

        2. Great. That is a great point you make Jess. Among the students and teachers it is so normal to be stressed for your exams ‘it is just something that comes along with doing exams’ but when you start to think about it, it is actually not normal at all to have your whole nervous system up for answering questions…

290. Inspiring blog Lieke. Thank you. Once again shown how simple life is, if we chose to connect to ourselves. Great lessons / reminders for me in the blog. Thank you Lieke.

291. Awesome blog Lieke, for all students but also for any other stress related times in our lives. Stress comes from having to perform and as you have explained so beautifully, if we are connected to the love that is inside us we no longer need to perform and what we do becomes about love!

     1. Yes, very true it is about how we are with each other and how we do the things… in the end we all want to live harmonious and loving with each other.

     2. Very true, this article applies in all aspects of life.

292. This is such a fantastic insight Leike, and wonderful that it lead to such a profound change very quickly. You have shown the power of honesty and self awareness.
     I completed my dental degree many years ago. I was stressed just about all of the time… anxious about doing well and impressing my teachers. That attitude carried over into work, and it is now that I am tackling that old pattern of putting the doing ahead of the quality of my being. My patients feel the benefits of a much more tender dentist.

     It is absolutely inspiring that you have recognised this, and made the changes now. What an amazing and beautiful dentist the world will be blessed with when you graduate.

     1. Thank you Rachel, I find that dentistry in particular is a very stress-full study as the work you do has to be perfect and all students are very perfectionistic too so there is a sort of competition as well, not very conscious but you can feel it.

        It is great to do this study in an other way, yes the work with the teeth has to be very precise and correct but also we are all human beings and we can work with each other in a way that does not stress out everyone… and this will benefit us all.

        1. This is inspirational Lieke. I too felt the stress of studying Dentistry with perfection and trying to impress other people and I ended up burning myself out. Now I am studying Dentistry again, as Rachel mentioned above, tackling these old patterns and, as you mentioned, focusing on what needs to be done.

293. Wow Lieke this is truly amazing. Thank you.

294. You make some great points here Lieke. I am going to pas this on to my son who teaches in a university. Relevant for us all tho.

     1. Great, thank you Sue.

295. Wow Lieke, thank you. You have given me a lot to ponder, as the pattern that you have written about doesn’t stop with studying, but for me certainly carried on into work. It is inspiring to hear that you were able to make changes so quickly once you had noticed what was happening.

     1. Yes what you brought up here is very true, it does not end with studying… It is a way of living, a way of dealing with situations, with deadlines and moments where you have to perform. And yes it is very simple, simply requiring consistency in not choosing stress and feeling how amazing you are whilst doing what you do.

296. Hi Lieke, what an honest and inspiring article. You hit some home truths with me as I am studying at the moment too and can feel myself getting a bit stressed and anxious when I write assignments, so thank you for helping me remember it can be done differently; and if I stop to feel why I am getting stressed and anxious… if I am completely honest with myself it can be revealed and healed. Awesome. Looking forward to working with this. Thank you.

     1. Hi Vicky, yes I am reminding myself many times that studying does not have to be stress-full and that it is so much easier and more natural to study without the stress and anxiousness. It is in the end not only about the result but also about how you got to that result!

297. Awesome blog, Lieke. I will be passing it onto my niece who is taking a one year break from studying medicine precisely because she was getting too stressed, exhausted and overwhelmed with the study. What an inspiration your article will be for all students! I also feel your questions on why you got stressed are relevant for us all. Thank you.

     1. Thank you Anne, that is awesome I am always open to having a chat if your niece would like to.

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