Everyone experiences stress from time to time. Learning how you as an individual can manage different pressures is a normal, and indeed useful, thing to explore whilst in college.
- Acknowledge your stress and anxieties. It’s normal to feel negativity this time in the semester. However, there is value in recognising these emotions and gaining control over them. Instead of “just be positive!”, how about: I know there’s a lot that could go wrong. What could go right? Instead of saying to yourself “just be happy!”, how about trying: It’s probably pretty hard to stay positive right now. I’ll make sense of it all later.
- Get enough sleep and water. Try your best to get the most sleep that you can. A good night’s sleep improves concentration and memory, aids creativity and decision-making and boosts the immune system. Oh, speaking of immune systems, remember to stay hydrated!
- Step out into nature. Research shows that engagement with nature is strongly linked to mental wellbeing and happiness. Why not catch a breath of the fresh morning air? Regular exercise in natural setting has also been shown to improve mood and self-esteem.
- Understand your own study style. It’s easy to lose all sense of time in the midst of the hustle. Planning a schedule ahead may be helpful for some. For students who prefer an open, flexible timeline, that works too! Know what works best for you, and take whatever route you need to get to your end zone.
- Don’t fall into the trap of comparison. On that note, everyone has a preferred style of studying, and no one is better than the other. Comparing yourself with others is unlikely to benefit you or your peer. You do you!
- Try not to stress about stress. Make stress your friend – new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Watch How to make stress your friend, a TED talk by a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University.
