Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed? You’re not alone. Most people, including students, feel anxious and stressed at various times. It’s unavoidable. But learning how to manage periods of high anxiety is vital for students to study effectively, enjoy life and succeed. The academic grind can easily cause stress with lectures, exams and looming deadlines. Add to that social challenges like trying to fit in and navigating new relationships. Worrying about what comes next – like jobs, money and your life after graduation – adds more pressure. However, there are tried and trusted stress management techniques for students that can help.
How to understand your stress triggers
How to reduce stress in college? Figuring out what stresses you is key if you want to handle stress well. By identifying your specific stressors, you can start to see the patterns and situations that ramp up your anxiety.
- Take charge: when you’re aware of what gets you stressed, you can come up with coping strategies for student stress.
- Tailored solutions: understanding your personal stressors means you can customise your stress management techniques to suit your needs.
- Stronger resilience: by tackling your stressors head-on, you build resilience and pick up skills to deal with future stress more effectively.
Establish a routine
Unpredictability and last-minute tasks while managing academic pressure are bound to overwhelm students. Having a routine allows you to know what you’re doing and when; it helps you be more productive, and means you’re more likely to avoid procrastination and last-minute study sessions. But always factor fun into your routine. Take short breaks, meet friends on campus and enjoy a hobby.
Practice time management
Mastering your time management skills is key to cutting down on stress.
- Use a planner or digital calendar: a good old-fashioned planner can help you lay out your tasks and deadlines visually. Jot down important dates, appointments and your daily to-do lists. Apps like Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook can ping you with reminders and help you organise tasks with alerts.
- Daily lists: start each day by writing down what you need to get done. “To-do” lists are far from a new hack, but they work!
- Weekly planning: take a look at your goals for the week and tweak your daily to-do lists to match your long-term projects and deadlines.
- Time blocking: designate certain times for different activities.
Stay physically active
Exercise, exercise, exercise. It doesn’t have to be anything intense; a gentle 30-minute daily walk is enough to provide benefit and help de-stress. Staying active through activities like jogging, yoga or playing team sports is a fantastic way to tackle stress. Regular workouts also improve your focus by getting more blood flowing to your brain, enhance your sleep quality and help you relax, especially activities like yoga and stretching. On top of that, team sports are a great way to connect with others, which can help fight off feelings of loneliness.
Develop healthy eating habits
What we eat influences our mood, energy, sleep and how well we think and focus. Sticking to a balanced diet helps keep blood sugar steady, boosts brain function, and lessens the physical and emotional toll of stress. Load up on lots of water, fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats and steer clear of too much caffeine, sugar, and processed snacks.
Prioritise sleep
Sleep. It’s one of the most important mental health tips for students. Why? When you don’t get a good night’s rest, it can ramp up your stress levels and impact different parts of your life. Lack of sleep makes your body’s stress response go into overdrive, which can lead to feeling more anxious and irritable.
Make sleep a priority:
- Commit to a regular sleep schedule and stick to it.
- Set up a sleeping environment in which you can sleep peacefully and comfortably.
- Ensure the room is dark enough and the temperature is right.
- Seven to nine hours of solid sleep each night is the golden rule.
- Avoid excessive screen time and, where possible, remove all devices from your sleeping space.
- Avoid caffeine late in the day ast it will interfere with your sleep.
Learn relaxation techniques
Do not discount relaxation techniques for students to manage stress:
- Deep breathing - just a few minutes of this each day can help, especially when you're feeling stressed or winding down for the night.
- Meditation - spend about 10 to15 minutes each morning or evening practicing mindfulness or following guided sessions. It’s hard when you first start but with regular practice, it becomes routine.
- Visualisation - picture a calm scene to help ease your mind, and you can use it whenever you're feeling overwhelmed.
- Mindfulness practices allow you to focus on the present moment to avoid stressing over past or future events.
Disconnect from digital devices
Being glued to screens all the time can wear you out mentally, increase anxiety, and even hurt your productivity. To find a better balance, create tech-free zones; put your phone away when you’re eating, with friends, or about to go to bed. Use your device’s features to monitor your screen time and take regular breaks. Endless scrolling is not the answer to stress.
Seek social support
Your friends and family can help keep your stress at bay. Their guidance, emotional support and help will get you through tough times. Joining student support groups can be a game-changer. Shared experiences can create a sense of community and ensure you don’t feel alone in your concerns. These groups can also provide resources and set you on the right path.
Consider professional help
Sometimes stress becomes so overwhelming that help from a professional, like a counsellor or therapist, is required. They will look at your stressors and create solutions specifically for you. Often counselling services on campus are free. Local clinics and even community support groups have professionals on standby to help students overcome anxiety and stress.
The right balance
Balancing academic demands, social challenges and a new stage of life can certainly be tough. Studying away from home and your familiar environment can also be hard. The good news is you have the power to take control of your wellness. Pinpoint your triggers and understand your stressors. Employ time management, get enough sleep and ensure a balanced diet. Relaxation techniques and unplugging from devices can help you stay calm and focused. And remember, you're not alone – lean on friends, family, or professional counsellors for support. Their guidance and understanding will make a huge difference.
About The IIE’s Varsity College
The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) of which Varsity College is a brand, is South Africa’s largest registered and accredited private provider of higher education. At Varsity College we understand that no two students are the same or learn the same. That’s why we make sure a student’s education is shaped around them; how they like to learn, what they are passionate about, what makes them tick, and what makes them thrive. Our Education by Design approach allows students to grow into their best, and creates a space where they can live, learn and play – their way.