TIPS & TRICK TO COPE WITH STRESS IN COLLEGE

Most people experience stress, it is common in life and it comes in different ways, such as dealing with many tasks or facing problems in university. Almost every university student experiences stress from various levels during their time in college. Mostly, college stress happens when students feel they have many responsibilities and pressures and many of them don’t have good time management skills. When students are experiencing stress, most of their activities are interrupted, such as missing lunch, an insufficient amount of sleep, and even not enough time for me-time.

Since some of you might feel under the pump, here is how to manage and cope with stress in college:

• Get enough sleep

Having enough sleep is a rare thing for college students. Most students spend most of their night studying or even staying in front of their gadgets for too long. This habit will lead students to insomnia, sleep deprivation, serious sickness, or even a stressful mind in the morning. By getting enough sleep, your body will focus on replenishing its needs and produce other benefits such as improving your mood, repairing your muscles, boosting your immunity, and promoting memory consolidation.

• Focus on eating well 

Some students want to eat as fast as they can, so some of them eat junk food and instant noodles. Eating unhealthy food regularly may lead to obesity and other illnesses. Try to eat nutritious meals to help your body digest food easily and if you want to, you can search for a list of healthy foods to reduce the amount of stress in your body.

• Exercise regularly

Knowing how to work out and exercise can reduce fatigue, improve your mental health, and release endorphins which are natural painkillers to refresh your body. You can do various types of exercise like going to the gym, attending sports classes, playing a sport with your friends, or even working out in your room. Sitting and seeing your laptop for hours will decrease your mood, and stress your mind. So, make sure to be active by exercising at least 10 minutes every day or one full day in a week.

• Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol

Finding a stress outlet to get rid of stress is a good thing, but make sure to keep yourself out of smoking and drinking alcohol. Maybe as a university student, you might think that you are old enough to drink alcohol and smoke, but consuming those substances will increase your stress level and generate other problems like anxiety and hangovers.

• Manage priorities and stay organized

Set your goals and expectations by managing your workload and start doing your priorities to keep track of your progress. You can use any technique such as the Eisenhower Matrix to decide which one is the main priority. Also, managing priorities could help you with better time management which will help you to stay organized and schedule your day effectively. Having too much workload without any organized plan will create more burdens and eventually, you will become more stressed.

• Don’t procrastinate

Procrastinating may be entertaining and good for a short period of time, but it will not solve the problem and you will receive maybe even more stress as you stack more assignments when you are procrastinating. It is better to do your assignment first and then continue to do your hobbies rather than procrastinate and do your assignment in the middle of the night.

• Focus on self-care

Self-care is important to everyone, including students. Having a stressful day might be challenging for you, since it may cause tension in your body and destroy your mood. Having a break from a hectic day may calm your mind and release the stress from your body. You can try some relaxation techniques such as having a bath, meditating, getting a massage, or even taking a short nap.

• Get support and help from others

Stress might be hard to handle, so reach out for help. Spending time with your family might be the right thing to refresh your mind and give you happiness. Having friends to visit you may also help you to cure your loneliness and reduce the amount of stress you’re having right now. Lastly, you can also go to a professional to determine your weakness and give you advice.

College life might be hard for everyone, since you may encounter several problems regarding your university life plus your personal life. Almost all students get stressed but knowing the tricks to cope with stress, especially in college can be a solution for you to do better in the future.

References:

Broderick, T. (2021, October 22). The student’s guide to managing stress in college. BestColleges.Com. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/balancing-stress/

Hall, J., PhD. (2021, August 24). 12 tips to manage stress for college students. TimelyMD. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://timely.md/blog/stress-management-tips-for-college-students/

Scott, J. A. (2010, March 17). College life: 10 ways to reduce stress. EverydayHealth.Com. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/college-health/college-life-10-ways-to-reduce-stress.aspx

UNC-Chapel Hill Learning Center. (2021, July 15). College stress. Learning Center. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/managing-college-stress/