Top 10 Stress Management Techniques for Students

Have you ever felt so stressed that you wanted to scream, cry, or run away somewhere? You are not alone my friend. A student has to deal with academic pressure, financial pressure, social pressure, and personal pressure as well. Being a student can be hectic at times as they have to balance between their academic and emotional state. Expectations, challenges, and uncertainties are the common states that a student faces every day. However, stress is not always bad, it’s in your hands how you deal with it, whether being washed away with it or taking it as a challenging stair to shine.

In this blog, I will show you different aspects of stress management techniques and share the top 10 techniques that will assist you in helping with your stress strategically.

Stress is a friend or foe?

Stress is a common experience that any student faces every day of their life. Whether it is due to their academic work, social maintenance, family, or personal issues it affects their mental and physical health. However, it depends on how you view the situation and decide to cope with it. Research has shown that stress can work as a potential helper or be harmful depending on your mindset. A stress mindset can influence how we respond to and deal with any difficult situation. A positive mindset assists you in adopting more adaptive strategies whereas a negative stress mindset fosters more negative thoughts that create anxiety, anger, and shame. 

Here are some tips on how to cultivate a positive stress mindset:

• Reframe stress as a challenge. Many of us view stress as a sign of failure, or weakness and miss the chance to shine. As Roger Crawford said, “Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.” Challenges are things that make your life interesting. Accept challenges, and face them so that at the end you can proudly say, Yes, I did it. Focus on the positive aspects of the stressful situation, the skills you can develop, and the wonderful outcome you can receive. 
• Embrace uncertainty and expand your comfort zone. Instead of fearing the unknown or being unpredictable, accept it as excitement. Unless it’s something illegal, do not fear to forward your step towards the future. Think of it as a new door to explore your true potential. Be fierce, open to change, and adapt to new circumstances.
• Seek support from your friends, family, or well-wishers. Isolating yourself, and hiding your stress is the worst thing that you might do to yourself. Seek advice from people who can support, thrive, cope, and cooperate. If the chance comes, never miss the opportunity to support others facing stress and create a sense of mutual trust and connection.

How to make stress your ally

Stress is a common phenomenon in our daily lives but being stressed about your stress is not ideal to move with. As we go in life we have to face challenges from time to time that will ultimately make us feel stressed. However, long-term stress will hinder your inner positivity and make your physical and mental health vulnerable. But what if I tell you that stress can be your best friend? Stress can be a great motivation that can fuel your determination to a new height. 

10 Magical Stress Management Techniques as a Student

Stress can be complicated to manage for students at times. Long-term stress can turn into anxiety, and generate fear, depression, headache, insomnia, fatigue, and more. Therefore, it interferes with your creativity, learning, memory, and overall productivity. However, In the 21st century, there are so many alternative facilities for self-paced learning (online learning) that many students find interesting and others do not. So, now the students have options to check which one is suitable for them and act relatively to find out which one is more relaxing for them. Previously, online teaching was boring however many teachers made it interactive at the online level to teach better.

What did Barack Obama say about stress? “The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.” You must figure out ways to manage your stress and keep it under control.

In this section, I will share with you some tips on how to master that.

Plan & Procrastinate Less

Planning will help you stay organized and on track. If you have a bunch of deadlines coming at once, set SMART goals and maintain a clear set of priorities. Start your day by planning what you will complete that day, break down your tasks into manageable steps, and distribute sensible time for every task. You can use tools such as calendars, planners, apps, or reminders to help you keep track of your deadlines, appointments, and assignments.

Manage Time Wisely

Time management is an essential skill that every student should conquer in their life. Learning to manage your time fruitfully will reduce your stress like magic. Allocate proper sustainable time for your study, assignments, exams, and other activities such as entertainment, meeting friends, and more. You can also use techniques such as the Pomodoro method, the Eisenhower matrix, or the Pareto principle to help you focus, prioritize, and optimize your time. Learn to manage your time and stop rushing, crashing, and missing out on important things.

Study Smart

You might hear this popular saying, work smarter, not harder. You will feel confident, calm, and masterful when you study smart. You can start focusing on crucial topics that you must cover first. Apply any popular strategies such as recall, spaced repetition, elaboration, retrieval practice, or self-testing that fit your niche. Do not read just for the sake of the exam, to avail yourself of the longer benefits be creative not a copy machine. You can also use resources such as textbooks, notes, lectures, videos, podcasts, or online courses to help you understand, review, and reinforce your concepts. Studying smart can help you to avoid confusion, frustration, and forgetting.

Take breaks

Taking breaks is normal. The Pomodoro method is one of the most popular methods to keep concentration in studies. It is a way to break down your work into 25-minute intervals, called pomodoros, with short breaks in between. This helps you focus on one task at a time, avoid distractions, and reduce mental fatigue. You can take breaks by doing something you enjoy, such as listening to what you love most, reading a book, watching a show, playing a game, or chatting with a friend. You can also do something relaxing, such as meditating, breathing, stretching, or sleeping.

Healthy Diet

Your body is your main source of energy that operates you. Eating healthy foods can boost your mood, energy, and brain power. A diet may help you fight against your stress or be more reactive to your stress. You might have experienced that high-fat or sugar-containing junk food gives you temporary relief from stress. However, turning yourself to a poor dietary habit can lead you long-term stress. Students are found poor in maintaining a healthy diet due to financial issues, time to prepare meals, access to cooking facilities, and so on.

Hence, always remember to

1. Keep foods that will give you instant energy like sweet candy or nuts
2. Eat regularly and be consistent about the time
3. Carry your water bottle. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and flush out toxins.
4. Avoid junk foods, caffeine, alcohol, and sugar that can make you feel worse.
5. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats

Exercise regularly

Exercising regularly is the best way to manage your stress. Regular exercise releases endorphins that foster happiness and relaxation in your body. Exercise can also improve your blood circulation, oxygen delivery, muscle strength, and immune system.

Get Enough Sleep

Many students often sacrifice their sleep due to their hectic schedules. This tendency of dilly-dallying sleep leads them to decreased productivity, stress, disrupted daily routine, and make them feel overwhelmed. Getting sufficient sleep enhances the cognitive ability of the student and the impact of sleep on academic performance can not be overstated. Research has shown that Students who get enough sleep can have better concentration, memory, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

Prioritizing sleep should be a non-negotiable part of every student’s daily routine. Hence, try to get 8 hours of sleep and practice to have a ‘power nap’ whenever needed.

Practice Mindfulness

Students tend to be more focused on their future which causes unhealthy weary thoughts and leads to stress. Mindfulness refers to becoming more aware of your present situation. No matter what situation you are facing, try to investigate the reason behind your stress. Figure out the reason behind the stress and how you feel, and observe your reactions. Rather than reacting and ignoring them accept those feelings and work on them.

Have fun

Exchange your weary thoughts with happy moments. Engage in different fun activities as per your choice. Do not let stress crawl in your head rather find fun ways to minimize the stress. Evaluate the things that are causing stress and it is necessary! You can cut out any extra assignments for the day or start saying ‘No’ to requests that might be cutting your valuable time, and energy. Rather, provide yourself some ‘me’ time and take care of your mental health.

Seek support

Surround yourself with a group of supportive people with whom you can have healthy conversations. Practice sharing your thoughts and take feedback positively. Having healthy daily conversations will help you calm your mind and seek solutions to your worries. It can be your classmates or family members or any person with whom you enjoy talking and have trust.

Turn your stress into motivation

Don’t let your stress down you, let it motivate you. Identify the source of your stress, set a plan to overcome it, face it, and move forward. ‘Don’t take every challenge as a problem, take every problem as a challenge.’ Always remember a challenge is an opportunity to grow. Instead of saying “I can do this” say “I can do this if I try hard enough”, and for that understand your limitations and abilities. Make stress function as a force to achieve your goal faster.

Student, tend to have unrealistic and rigid beliefs such as “ I must be perfect”, “I must please everyone” or “I must control everything” which later affects their self-confidence and they think of, themselves as worthless, failures, and not good enough to fit in a certain society. To identify the source of your stress, you can ask yourself some questions, such as:

• What is causing me stress?
• How do I feel when I am stressed?
• How do I cope with stress?
• How does stress affect my life?

By answering these questions, you can gain more insight into your stress and its impact on you. Always remind yourself of your purpose, and reward yourself for your efforts. You are too good to let stress down you. 

Some amazing books that will change your view toward stress

1. Why Nobody Told Me This Before by Dr. Julie Smith
2. Burnout- The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski
3. Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It by Kelly McGonigal.
4. A Simple Guide to Getting Things Done by David Allen.

Conclusion

As you navigate the demanding world of academia, stress is an inevitable companion. However, it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming force that hinders your progress. By embracing a positive stress mindset, adopting effective coping strategies, and seeking support when needed, you can transform stress into a catalyst for growth and academic excellence. Remember, stress is not a sign of weakness but a reflection of your engagement and determination to succeed. Embrace the challenges, learn from setbacks, and celebrate your achievements. View stress as an opportunity to push your boundaries, expand your comfort zone, and discover your true potential.

Your Thoughts?

What do you think about stress and how do you view it? Do you have a positive or a negative stress mindset? How do you cope with stress and what strategies work best for you? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you!

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