Tips On How To Manage Stress While At University - Part Two

Tips On How To Manage Stress While At University - Part Two

With students juggling their busy lives including fast-paced courses, heavy workloads, vigorous scheduling and deadlines piling up, it is not surprising that 37% of university students in England reported experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics. The majority of students appear to be experiencing academic burnout, so here are a few tips to help you cope.

Find Someone To Talk To

Talking can be therapeutic and can provide some stress relief, even if it’s just a mere conversation about what you think is causing you stress. This can be a conversation with a friend, partner, University staff or even your parent. You are not alone! Although it might feel daunting at first to open up, most of us have likely struggled with similar issues. So, speak to someone. A problem shared is a problem halved. 

Identify Your Triggers And Try To Manage Them

Knowing your triggers and avoiding them where possible requires a bit of practice, which only comes from repeated patterns of observation and attention. Nobody will know you like you know yourself, therefore knowing what triggers you into stress is a good step toward being able to manage it. These can be things like social media, crowds, alcohol, lack of sleep, etc. Try to avoid situations that might cause you stress and in turn, you will feel more peaceful. Exercise a little more love for yourself.

Surround Yourself With The Right People

The friends we have and the people we spend our time with will heavily influence our day-to-day lives. People who bring negative energy into your life, don’t encourage you or listen to your ideas will likely also make you feel more stressed. It is therefore important to choose the right company. Nothing will give you a burst of energy quite like some quality time with the people who matter the most. 

Set Realistic Expectations

Setting goals for yourself is a good thing, but it’s also important that you are setting yourself realistic expectations and tasks that you can achieve. Creating goals for yourself that aren’t realistic and therefore are too hard to complete will cause you more stress in the long run. Although it may seem like the rewards are higher the more you work or achieve, this will likely take a toll on your mental health. Pushing yourself too hard, especially if you do not have the resources or the environment to achieve your goals, will cause you unnecessary stress and disappointment. The key point is to assess the resources available, and set realistic expectations based on those resources. This will help in avoiding stress overall. 

Identify Stress Outlets

Make an honest assessment of yourself and figure out what outlets help you ease the stress you already experience. This can be things like laughing, taking deep breaths or getting into hobbies like music, dancing, or reading a book. Getting to know the activities that help calm your mind will ensure that you have more control over your mind and body when you have poor mental health or experience stress.

If you feel your high stress and anxiety levels are causing distress or making it difficult to function in your daily life, it is important to seek help. Many universities offer resources that can help. You can also talk to a parent, another trusted adult, or a qualified doctor.

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