Student life seems great right? That is until you’re neck deep in assignments and due dates for things you haven’t even heard of whilst also trying to balance having a social life. Sometimes the stress might feel unbeatable and you’re not sure what to do to overcome it.
*This is a collaborative post. Image Source.
*This is a collaborative post. Go Outside
It might sound simple, but often the best way to relieve stress and keep yourself grounded is to get some fresh air. Being stuck in the same space and continually breathing the same air is a surefire way to build up stress. It has been proven that spending time outdoors can lower stress, blood pressure, and heart rate. You should also find it increases your mood and improves mental health. Stress can often accumulate when your task seems difficult or impossible. Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need for a fresh new outlook on your work.
Plan Your Days
Taking the time to plan out your day is a highly effective strategy to reduce your stress levels. Writing a to-do list or even a work timetable will allow you to focus on what needs to get done each day rather than letting new and mostly irrelevant tasks eat up your time (we’re looking at you font checkers!)
Set Realistic Goals
Linking to point number 2, it’s no use attempting the impossible. As a lot of stress also comes from time pressures, managing your expectations and spending your time productively instead of stressing is essential. For example, if you have three 1,000-word assignments to do in a week it isn’t likely that you’ll achieve top marks in every single one. However, it is far more likely that you can achieve a solid median grade in every single one. Starting your work with these sensible expectations in mind will lead to better outcomes and less stress (both while completing the work and upon receiving your grades).
Play Some Sports
While studying, you can often experience tunnel vision on the tasks you need to complete. Playing a sport for 20-30 minutes each day can make you feel calmer and alleviate your focus from the tasks that are causing you stress. While you may feel like playing a quick game of football may take too much time away from your studies, it may actually better the quality of your work. Team sports have been proven to have more of a boost for mental health than individual sports. So whilst going to the gym or for a run is definitely healthy, playing a team sport will definitely benefit you more.
Talk to Your Flatmates
Want to use tip number 1 but it’s dark or raining? Talking to your flatmates or other friends at your student accommodation in Hackney Wick can be a great way to get out from behind your desk and sometimes even bounce ideas off of another person.
Optimise Your Study Space
Clutter on your desk can lead to distraction and as a side product, can increase your stress levels throughout the day. While you may feel like you need to have a messy desk because “you know where everything is and it saves time”, taking 5 minutes at the end of each working session to ensure everything is put away properly can drastically improve your working life and attitude.
Cook Something New
If you’re feeling stuck with a certain piece of work, or just lacking creativity, sometimes the best place to start making changes is with your cooking. While it might be easier to just order food in while you’re stressing over assignments, the reality is, cooking might just be the key to unlock more creativity. From the mindless task of cutting vegetables, your brain can relax and often will provide you with a sense of calm and you’ll sometimes even find yourself solving work problems.
Unplug and Reset
This one is short but sweet. Turn off your phone/mute those notifications! You’ll be surprised at how much stress the persistent buzz of a tweet or text provides.
Learn Relaxation Techniques
Yoga, Meditation, and Aromatherapy have all been used for hundreds of years as ways to reduce stress. Whilst we can’t claim to be experts on the topics, there are plenty of guides out there that can teach you ways to utilise these techniques to reduce your everyday stresses.
Keep Time For Your Hobbies
Last, but certainly not least is hobbies. Don’t let work make you forget who you are! Find the time to keep your hobbies active during study so that you won’t resent doing work from keeping you from the things you enjoy. Keep your head up and focused on that end goal, studying is stressful for everyone but hopefully, these tips can help you beat that feeling! Remember, sorting out big tasks lets the little ones fall into place around them.
*Disclaimer – This is a collaborative post. This post has been pre-written.
