At any time being a student at university has its challenges, assignment deadlines, worrying about exams, juggling part-time jobs, and thinking about what you will do in the future. It can leave you feeling really overwhelmed and not knowing how you’re going to manage everything!
So we’ve put together 10 essential tips on how to cope and manage stress in your lives
Eat a healthy and varied diet
A balanced diet helps us feel emotionally stable
Eating fresh ingredients and lots of fruit and vegetables is really important. Juices filled with vitamin C, like oranges and grapefruits are great for your immune system and are proven to reduce stress. When you’re busy and tired it can be tempting just to grab another pizza, but cooking from scratch can be therapeutic as well as being healthier for you.
Exercise
When you’re stressed moving around might be the last thing you feel like doing. But as little as 20 minutes a day of physical activity can greatly reduce stress levels. Join a sports club that practices regularly, this way you’ll also be hanging out with other people and that should help reduce your stress too.
Get enough sleep
Sleep is one of the best medicines and some people find that small 20 minute naps can help increase productivity. We typically need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for the best health benefits and of course, we know it can be tempting to be up till 4am studying or chatting to friends, but losing out on that much-needed rest can definitely increase stress levels.
Meditation
Meditation and yoga help reduce stress and increase our ability to focus
It might sound simple, but sitting quietly for 10 minutes a day can really help with stress. If you’ve never tried meditation before, it’s really worth a go! Sometimes it’s best when you first wake up in the morning, helping you to start off your day with your head feeling clear.
Sign off social media
In the world we live in now, everyone spends so much time scrolling through social media, texting, phone calls, and ‘being connected’, of course, sociability is fun, but too much of it and too much time spent looking at screens can be bad news. So learn when you need to unplug from the rest of the world and spend some time on yourself.
Take breaks regularly
Short breaks between working can help you switch off. But longer breaks are really important too. How about taking the weekend off to relax? Make some time for fun and for yourself even if this means you have to schedule time away from work. You’ll come back to your work feeling fresh.
Don’t give up your passions
Your schedule might be filled with lectures and study groups, but try to find at least a couple of hours each week to follow that hobby or activity that you really enjoy. Keeping in touch with something familiar and enjoyable will give you a much-needed time of relief.
Get emotional support
Adjusting to college is tough, and venting your frustrations to a trusted friend can go a long way to fighting stress. Choose a friend or family member who won’t be judgemental or try to give lots of advice. Or seek the help of a professional counselor.
Listen to music
Listening to music can help calm you down.
Listening to music can help calm you down and put you in a better frame of mind. If you’re feeling stressed try putting on some calming music while you work, it could really help.
Laugh!
Laugher is the best medicine
They say that laugher is the best medicine, and it’s really true! Laughing increases your oxygen and blood flow automatically reducing stress. Not taking life too seriously can help everyone live a better and easier life and it’ll be much more fun too.
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