Stress and college studies go hand in hand. Endless assignments, short deadlines, constantly increasing workload – how can one be calm and relaxed, right? Nevertheless, no one is going to deal with your problems but yourself. We’ve assembled several stress-management techniques aimed at helping you cope with your life even when all hell seems to have broken loose. So, take a deep breath and get down to business of restoring your inner balance.
Break the Sweat
The advantages of physical exercise are undeniable. However, it won’t hurt to remind that going for a jog or hitting the gym is really awesome. First, the flush of endorphins that comes after the workout is really priceless. Second, flexing your muscles instead of straining your brain is a great change of activity. That’s going to give you the precious mental regeneration.
If you’re not a fan of intense workouts, try doing yoga. The health benefits are numerous: you tone your body, improve balance, practice control and learn to calm your mind in a productive way. Yoga breathing techniques help fight depression and anxiety.
Generally, all kinds of physical activities may do miracles. Pick the one that’s best for you and work it out!
Human Touch
When things get overwhelming, people will often find it comforting to isolate themselves, watching the favorite TV show indifferently. Although this may help you forget about the worries, the initial problem is unlikely to go away. Getting social and talking about the problem is sure to be of a great help.
The research has shown that sharing helps alleviate negative emotions. Opening up to a good listener will bring the feeling of being loved and understood. That is definitely going to make you feel a bit better. In addition to this positive impact, you may find better ways to cope with the situation, exchanging experience with other people.
If you don’t feel like voicing the problem, talk to others just for the sake of it. This will help you get distracted and give your stressed mind an opportunity to have a rest.
Unleash Your Creativity
Transforming the stress into something tangible and creative is a great therapy. Fortunately, there’s plenty of opportunities to do so. You may take up a painting class, participate in an amateur performance or write. It can be anything: a short story, where the main character goes through the situation, similar to yours, a poem, or a blog post, describing your state at the moment.
The benefits of expressive writing are numerous: you voice your concerns and analyze them from a different angle, as the perception changes when the thoughts are put into writing. Plus, that’s a way of improving writing skills in general!
The Art of Saying “No”
You may be perfectly happy: attending lots of fun and interesting classes, working out in the gym, spending time with SO, going out with friends, maintaining connection with your family… until something cracks. To avoid this, one has to understand a very basic principle: sometimes, you’ve got to say “no”. Making time just for yourself, when you don’t have to think about anything, will prevent lots of stressful situations from happening.
So, when you’ll be considering another suggestion to go to the exhibition after an intense study session – think twice. Maybe, what you really need is just a peaceful night with a movie and cozy hugs. Anyway, you’re the one to choose.
Show Up
A great percentage of college stress comes from studying problems. But what if you attended all the classes, started and submitted all the projects on time? How easy the studies would be, right?
But we don’t live in a perfect world. Circumstances often will stand in the way of you becoming a perfect student. So, it’s a good idea to influence the final result by not skipping classes, when you can. Although it might seem to be a boring option, you’ll certainly appreciate having chosen it in the end.
Sleep
Lack of sleep leads to negative consequences. You find it more difficult to concentrate, the attention span gets shorter and the mood gets lower. Although all-nighters are sometimes inevitable, you should try to stay away from them.
Choose the sleeping option as often as possible. Being drowsy makes you less efficient. Thus, you’re more likely to fail daily tasks just for the reason of not being concentrated and focused enough. Plus, getting enough sleep is good for the general state of your organism.
Little Pleasures
Instead of spending time worrying, reward yourself for your little victories. Make a delicious healthy dinner, talk to an old friend or go see the movie. You could also go get a massage — the research has shown, it helps reduce the levels of stress and increase your well-being.
Stress is a normal constituent of a human life. We cannot change this. What we can do, though, is alter the way we handle it. Hopefully, our tips will not just help you manage the stress effectively but also will add some fun to your life. It might be nerve-racking, but remember: it’s wonderful!
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