So, for many students, January was exam time and incredibly stressful. I was doing what I do best to decrease my stress levels: going to the library, and over-eating, naturally. However, for many people it is actually February and March that mark ‘deadline time’, and alongside this comes incredible stress and pressure to do well. Speaking from personal experience, and my own research, here are a few tips I’ve compiled to hopefully take away some of the stress …
- Breathing
It is important to not panic when you get stressed out, and sometimes it is important to not overthink everything, and instead: BREATHE. Take a deep breath, think about something else, and allow yourself to take a minute to calm down. You will feel much better for simply taking a second to rethink everything! A lot of people turn to meditation and yoga and cite it as a great way to relax and unwind after a stressful day: so perhaps if you find deep breathing particularly helpful, it might be a good idea to do a trial class of yoga or meditation to see if that is equally beneficial. Plus, it is a great way to stay in shape!
- Talk to someone about it!
From personal experience, stress is reduced greatly by talking to someone about your problems and everything that’s going on. Confiding in your housemates or flatmates is always good, because it’s likely that they’re in the same boat as you or have been before, and can help to reassure you that you will get everything sorted! Personally, I always find talking to a parent helps, because they can give an outside perspective and break down problems: instead of trying to tackle all of them at once. Don’t forget also that by bottling up everything, you are creating more stress and secrets: so by talking to someone you can let go of anything you have bottled up and will immediately feel better about everything.
- Make lists!
A lot of people find that by making lists/marking calendars/colour coding what needs to be done is helpful. This is because it breaks down everything that you need to do and makes things a bit more bearable: you can then cross off the items that have been successfully completed, and map out and plan what else needs to be done and by when. It may seem like a pretty obvious idea, but by writing down everything and having it in front of you; you can clearly see what things are high priorities, and what can be left for a while! Also, I personally find it particularly satisfying when you can look back at a list you have made, and tick everything off as completed… oh, the little things in life, eh?
- Keep healthy and keep hydrated
It’s really easy to forget to eat/drink properly when you’re stressed, and the amount of people guzzling Relentless in Eddy B back in exam time in January was a prime example of how students resort to energy drinks and junk food as a source of motivation when they have deadlines/exams. It is important to try and keep your mind AND body happy and healthy when you’re stressed, so that you don’t feel faint or ill. It is crucial to drink as much water as you can throughout the day, and eat three fairly healthy meals to keep you going, so that you feel refreshed and ready to blitz your work. Or, you might end up like this…
- Have a source of motivation throughout
When you have a lot to do and are feeling sad and a bit depressed that you can’t just chill out with your housemates or go on a spontaneous night out, it is often good to have something that you can look forward to in mind to get you through your current lack of social life. For some people, it is useful to imagine your hard work paying off and adding up towards getting that 2:1 you’ve been hoping for, and for others, it is the next night out that you can go to and get thoroughly sloshed without feeling guilty. Either way, have something in mind that can keep you focused and remind you of why you are at University and going through all these exams and deadlines, because then when you’re done you can just relax and enjoy.
Well, those are my top five tips on how to keep as stress-free as possible when you have a lot on your plate! To all those reading who have a lot of deadlines and exams looming, good luck and don’t panic! Distract yourself from the stress and focus on your work and on the future and you’ll do great!
Ella Duffy
Image Source:
1) http://static.oprah.com/images/201111/omag/201111-omag-feeling-good-2-600×411.jpg
2) http://www.studyat.uwa.edu.au/__data/assets/image/0011/1983206/MS-Image-Parent-and-Student.JPG
3) Original Image
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5) Original Image