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| Student Stress |
For many, college can be the happiest time of their life, although it is said that they often don't realise that until they are finished college! One of the reasons why college life doesn't always feel that great at the time are the many stresses inherent in college life. There are exams to be studied for, assignment deadlines to be made, new friends to be made and old friends to keep in touch with. Living away from home for the first time can also be stressful in the early years. Yet, while all that is true, with the right stress management, college life can easily live up to its image as the happiest time of life. The following are some tips aimed at cutting down on stress.
Time management
This is one of the foremost ways to reduce the stress of student life. College is often the first time living away from home for many people. Students find they can stay up late and nobody gives out to them if they don't go to class. For many the thrill of this newfound independence disappears soon after they start trying to juggle their class timetables with socialising, fitness and general life. Time is an asset once it is harnessed correctly, and the first step to harnessing time is noting priorities for example, going to the gym or having movie nights with friends. The next step is to write down a loose timetable of each day and slot in each activity to its own time frame.
Sleep
Apart from adequate nutrition, sleep is one of the most important factors in building a resilience to stress. Without enough sleep, little stresses grow to become big stresses and the tired student finds them overwhelming. While some people need less sleep than others, a good amount to aim for is seven hours a night. Stresses and worries that loomed large in the previous day can often seem like nothing after a good nights’ sleep. It helps to refocus the brain and a new day can often bring with it a new perspective.
Get moving
When students have mountains of essays to complete and exams to study for, they can often find themselves hunched over their desk for hours on end. Sitting for long periods of time can create physical stress on the body. It can also create mental stress as students can feel engulfed by their work. Taking the time out for something as simple as going for a twenty minute walk can do wonders for mental and physical stress. College is a great time to try new sports. Along with good time management, focusing on mastering a new sport can help take up mind space that would otherwise be used to stress about other things. Exercising can also create happy hormones that help to fight stress.
Talk to someone
When stress is overwhelming, it can be helpful to talk about it. When people talk about stresses they often discover new ways around the thing that is stressing them out. Whether it is with a friend, a relative or a college counsellor, just the act of talking can diminish the stress. Most colleges will have a counselling service on hand for students for when they need to talk.
Be aware of limits
When a big exam is looming or a deadline is suddenly remembered, it is easy for students to fall into the trap of pushing themselves to their limit and past it. It is well known that many students catch colds around the time of big exams for this very reason. By getting to know and accept their limits, students can avoid unnecessary stresses like colds and learn how best to overcome obstacles.
Eat well
Poor food choices can make people sluggish and sap their energy. Food is fuel and college students need plenty of fuel. A healthy balanced diet will increase energy and overall health. Sometimes people can mistake physical stress for mental stress but by following a healthy diet these physical stresses can be erased.
Socialise
It can be all too easy to get engrossed in studying and forget to live. It is important to socialise every now and then because brains need downtime. Students can meet up with friends or join a college society where they can make new friends. Sometimes all it takes is new surroundings, like trying out that new coffee shop near college or going to see a movie.
When students are feeling totally stressed, it is the little things like eating well, getting good sleep, exercise and socialising that get forgotten as the object that is causing the stress takes up their whole focus. By following and remembering these tips when feeling most stressed, students will see that stressing out can be overcome and that there are many healthy ways to achieve their goals.
