A Guide to Stress Awareness & Management

As students, stress has become an unfortunate constant in our lives. The trouble is that there is no simple, quick solution to resolve it completely. Fortunately, there are steps we can take both in the long and short term to make it more manageable and prevent it from disrupting our lives too much. 

1.  Recognize the signs of stress

Hustle culture is such a big part of our society that we’re often on the go 24/7 without having a chance to check in on how we’re feeling. So, in order to manage stress, the first thing is to be aware of when you’re feeling close to burnout. The following questions can help you recognize when you’re under too much pressure: 

• Did you get sick recently? 
• Have you been feeling a sense of apathy and numbness? 
• Has your motivation to achieve your goals dwindled recently? 
• Do the things you used to love not interest you as much anymore? 
• Have you noticed a disruption in your sleep routine? Are you finding it harder to get to sleep, or even to get up in the morning? 
• Are you feeling more tension in your body than usual?

From my experience, these were some of the things I noticed in the last few weeks that made me realize I was feeling burnt out from being a busy bee during the semester.  It made me realize that I needed to change something about my current habits in order to feel better. 

2. Prioritize all types of rest, including sleep

Did you know that there are seven types of rest, including sleep? If you find that you’re getting enough sleep, yet you still feel exhausted, you might want to consider the following methods to prioritize different types of rest 

• Physical: active and passive
  • Passive: sleeping, napping
  • Active: stretching, yoga, getting a massage 
• Mental: give your brain a break from the constant information overload
  • Do mindful activities like journaling or meditation that let your mind wander
• Emotional: allowing yourself to express your emotions
  • Seeking support from a friend, family member or loved one 
  • Journalling can also be a good outlet for emotional release
• Sensory rest: taking a break from the stimulation overload
  • Dimming the lights in your space 
  • Turning off electronics 
  • Sitting in silence
• Creative: taking a break from problem-solving to renew your sense of creativity (especially important for reducing writer’s block when you have final assignments to hand in)
  • Reading fiction books that you enjoy (I’m loving re-reading Harry Potter) 
  • Enjoying art in all forms (the National Art Gallery is free for students on Thursdays!) 
• Social: focus on your relationships
  • Surround yourself with positive, supportive people 
  • Setting boundaries in your relationships if they start to feel draining
    • When your friends are in need or going through a tough time, it’s important to find a balance between supporting them and prioritizing your own needs
• Spiritual: finding meaning and purpose in your life
  • Community involvement 
  • Being a part of something bigger than yourself

If you’re feeling overwhelmed just looking at this list, have no fear. There’s no pressure to do it all at once. Start with one small habit that you feel you need the most, then add in a few more from there once you feel ready. Rest doesn’t have to be all or nothing. The important thing is that you’re making time for it, no matter what that looks like for you. 

A good place to start is your nighttime routine. Practicing self-care rituals every night, like a warm shower, a few minutes of deep breathing, and journaling can help put your mind and body at ease enough so you can drift off to sleep calmly. These usually do the trick if your stress is caused by external triggers, like feeling overwhelmed with school.

However, if your stress is more persistent, it might be good to consult a doctor or a therapist to get to the root of the issue. Traumatic events, for example, can cause stress in the body which can be more difficult to resolve. A healthcare practitioner may help you find other ways to manage it. 

3. Practice activities that help you relieve stress

Exercise has been scientifically proven to relieve stress because it literally completes the fight-or-flight response. Simply put, when your body is in flight-or-flight, the go-to state when you’re experiencing stress, it is preparing for a physical fight, such as an encounter with a bear. Exercise, whether it’s high or low impact, tricks your body into thinking that the fight is over. 

Other activities that I like to do to help with stress are practicing hobbies I love, like creative writing, listening to upbeat music or a podcast, breathing techniques (such as the three physiological sighs) and spending quality time with my family and friends. However, I find that getting any physical movement I can is the number one stress-buster for me. Oddly enough, the physical sensation of moving my body makes me feel like I am shaking off the stress. 

4. Your community is everything 

When we’re feeling stressed out, it may help to know that we’re not alone in feeling this way. For example, one of my best friends and I have recently been doing weekly calls to talk about what’s been going on in our lives and our progress on our goals. Talking about our stressors with our friends, family, or other people we trust can help take some of the weight on your shoulders. I find that talking about my feelings out loud also helps put things into perspective and find applicable solutions. For example, maybe your friend is going through something similar and has recently found a coping mechanism that has helped them. It might work for you too! Better yet, maybe you can make a plan to practice some of the activities I mentioned together. Recently, I’ve been loving going to yoga with my friends, finding affordable art events in the city to go to together, and watching a new show with my parents. Spending time with loved ones, even if you’re not talking about how you’re feeling, can help take your mind off of the stress too. 

The most important thing to know about managing stress is to be kind to yourself in the process. It seems cliché, but when you’re too hard on yourself, it can make you feel somewhat powerless in doing something to feel better because you’re so overwhelmed by your thoughts. Give yourself some grace and it might make the process easier.