In addition to controlling your stress, you can also take steps to minimize the stress you experience. First, you can avoid over-committing yourself. In college, I overcommitted myself by taking an internship during the semester that required 20 hours a week and lacked sufficient flexibility. Whenever school became more demanding, I felt quite stressed out, since I still needed to complete work obligations during a period of academic intensity. If I had had a flexible job that had allowed me to work fewer hours when I was busy with school, I would not have been as stressed out. Next, you can select a company or profession more aligned with the type of lifestyle you want to lead. For example, if you do not want to deal with large amounts of stress, you may not want to work in an emergency room; if you do not want to work long hours, you should not become a junior investment banker.

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