Simple Tips for Avoiding and Dealing with Stress

School can be incredibly stressful, whether you’re dealing with exams, assessments, homework, or science projects you are always under emotional and intellectual pressure. Excessive stress can often lead to mental health issues, along with physical distress.

The truth is that it is often very complicated to deal with stress, especially during exam periods. According to a new study published by the American Psychiatric Association, the number of students diagnosed and treated for mental health issues is gradually increasing, which clearly suggests that we’re all under much more pressure than we used to be.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of essential tips that will help you to cope with study stress. Let’s dive right in, shall we?

Eat well

Studenthood is obviously the time we don’t sleep enough and follow a diet dominated by instant ramen; it’s somewhat of a lifestyle by now. And while a lack of funds is a common issue among college students in the West, we often make food choices typically save us time, not money.

Your diet is a central factor when it comes to diminishing stress levels. Science has long told us that a balanced diet is a precursor to a balanced mind. If you’re in a period when you need to devote a lot of your time to studying — don’t overeat. Ingesting large amounts of food will cause your body to invest a lot of energy in simply going through all that food, which will make you feel foggy and weak. Moderation is your friend.

Opt for slow-release carbohydrates, don’t overdo coffee, and don’t forget to stay hydrated.

Get some sleep

High-quality sleep is one of the central components of a healthy nervous system. It allows our bodies and our brains to recover from all the physical and mental stress we put them through on a daily basis. Students often mismanage their time, which often results in staying up very late to study for the next day’s courses and exams. This always has a toll on the body, even if we don’t feel it straight away. If you cannot sleep because you`re struggling to finish another task, don’t forget that you can ask for assistance from one of the companies like WoWGrade.net which were created to provide students with so much-needed help.

If you absolutely must stay up till late, never hesitate to take a restorative nap the next day whenever you have the chance. Make sure to turn off the sound on your gadgets before you lay down, to ensure that you won’t be bothered. There is a myriad of academic studies that underline the importance of napping in decreasing your stress levels.

The Swedish Stress Research Institute has recently published a study, which suggests that occasional naps on the weekends have a beneficial effect on overall health.

Don’t forget to exercise

While stress can often demotivate us from doing anything else, especially when it comes to physical work — exercise is probably one of the things that can help us get a considerable boost of energy and optimism.

Practicing sport has been shown considerably lower the amounts of stress and anxiety, especially in the winter period. At the very least, exercise relaxes your muscles, which lets you alleviate all the tension that has built up in your body.

Similarly, movement stimulates serotonin production in our brains, which will give us a more positive outlook on life.

Just ten to fifteen minutes of light exercise a day will most definitely make a huge difference. And it’s understandable that you might not be really into the idea of going for a jog, while suffering from anxiety and mental exhaustion, but trust us — you’ll feel much better when you’re done.

Try out meditation or breathing exercises

There are many ancient practices that are exactly what you need to cope with stress. Yeah — meditation and breathing exercises. And we’re not trying to sell you some faux-faux-spiritual, religious mumbo-jumbo.

Yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises have been proven to decrease stress levels, improve emotional wellbeing, and increase the overall quality of life. While it’s best to practice with a professional, you can always check out YouTube or the internet for video courses.

There is a host of apps that can guide you throughout your meditation, and all that you need to do is relax and take the time.

Don’t be all over the place

Staying organized is another essential component of a stressless life. Because you don’t have a to-do list, you rarely feel that you’ve done everything you had to for the day. Similarly, this implies that you don’t thoroughly plan your activities, which can often result in forgetting some important stuff, which then leads to sleepless nights, doing the things you were supposed to do. Can you see the pattern here?

The truth is that memory isn’t exactly our best friend when it comes to planning our days and weeks. This is why many students use organizer apps. Whatever it is — birthdays, deadlines, calling your loved ones, taking books back to the library, and a whole host of other stuff.

Don’t distance yourself from friends

Being stressed often makes us feel overwhelmed, and that’s totally fine. We typically cancel lots of plans and meetings because we often find it hard to socialize when we’re under pressure. However, this can be really counterproductive.

Yes, you might lose a few hours out of your day, but having some fun is absolutely essential when trying to alleviate study stress. What are friends for?

Don’t forget to reward yourself

There are times in the life of any student when they’re depressed, tired, and anxious from dealing with deadlines and studying for exams. However, it’s important to reward yourself adequately for all the hard work you’ve put out. Buy something nice, like a book you’ve wanted for a long while, a gadget you’ve been saving up for, go out for a nice dinner with your friends or significant other.

The Bottom Line

While study stress is real, whether you’re in school or university, it’s important to remember that all your issues are solvable. Follow the tips we’ve listed above, and your stress level will go back down where they should be. Good luck!

Author Bio:

Emma Robertson is a passionate writer, dedicated to traveling and teaching people to lead a better life. She’s curious about a host of topics ranging from mindfulness to relationship coaching. Emma is currently an editor for Study Ton.