College students face many hurdles, and stress is at the top of that list. College educational requirements have become more stringent, causing a general rise in stress levels. Other stressors include money troubles, work obligations, romantic relationships, and isolation from family. Research on the topic found that college-age students face the biggest risk of developing stress than other age groups.
Short-term stress can actually motivate a student to raise academic performance, pursue a desired career, or polish an assignment. However, if you don’t find ways of managing stress, it can have adverse long-term effects on many aspects of your life.
Stress can affect your participation in class, performance on tests, social growth, and general health. Without adequate coping skills, you can have difficulties rebounding from disappointment or failure. Why would this be in an age where a student can easily get a custom thesis to alleviate academic stress? Thus, it’s vital to unwind and implement effective stress management techniques for students.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowAlthough stress levels in students are on the rise, many techniques can help students combat them. Along with our stress management guide, read on to discover the top 10 techniques you can apply to keep the worry at bay.
Top 10 Stress Management Techniques for College Students Dealing With Stressful Life Events
1. Get Proper Rest and Sleep
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Getting enough quality sleep has many benefits, including improving your mood and reducing stress. This is because sleep allows the brain to recharge, facilitates muscle repair, boosts immunity, and promotes memory consolidation. In fact, lack of sleep is one of the biggest triggers of stress.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowSleep deprivation is a common phenomenon for college students who like to pull all-nighters to prepare for exams. This habit can lead to insomnia. Techniques you can apply if you have trouble sleeping include turning down the light, exercising, avoiding caffeine, and putting away technology for some time before bed.
2. Manage Time Wisely
Good time management can save you a lot of stress. It gives you enough time to study and do other social and extracurricular activities. Self-regulation and pushing through procrastination are challenging for many college students.
Setting SMART goals is one of the most effective stress management techniques for students in high school and college. By setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely goals, you can develop a way to get things done without stress.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowThe technique breaks down tasks into smaller tasks or steps, enabling you to work progressively towards your goals without being overwhelmed. You can also create a plan to manage procrastination by having an accountability partner and using positive self-talk.
3. Exercise Regularly
Among all stress-relieving activities, exercise may be the last thing you feel like doing when stressed, but it’s very effective in reducing stress. Regular exercise enhances mental clarity, reduces fatigue, and enhances cognitive function. It also helps you sleep well, which reduces stress.
After physical activity, the brain releases endorphins that improve your mood. As little as 20 minutes of physical exercise a day can reduce stress. Work out ideas that might fit into a college student’s routine include yoga in the morning, biking or walking to class, and leisure sports.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now4. Get Organized
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University life can be overwhelming, especially when you have a schedule full of assignments, classes, social activities, and extracurricular activities. Being organized gives you peace of mind because you know where everything is, and you don’t forget deadlines and test dates,
It’s crucial to find ways to stay organized, such as using calendars and planners. Also, keep your study area and living environment organized and clean to minimize anxiety and distractions.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now5. Get Help With College Papers
Schoolwork is one of the biggest causes of stress in students. If you’re struggling to manage the stress of a growing pile of assignments and homework, you can get help from college paper writing services. By enlisting a professional writer to do your assignment, you get a professionally-written custom college paper delivered before the deadline. It’s an effective way to get the best results without stress. You can address the professional writing service CustomWritings to get a custom college essay written from scratch. Contact them for free to learn more and reach an expert who will help with your assignment.
Start Journaling
Journaling is one of the popular stress management techniques for elementary students and can also work for college students. Writing down your daily thoughts and feelings in a stress journal can be very therapeutic.
The technique promotes self-reflection, which can help you to identify stress triggers. Although you cannot avoid stress completely, journaling provides an outlet that prevents it from becoming overwhelming.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowBuild a Support Network
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Social isolation increases the risk of stress and other health problems. Strong support networks in college can help you weather stressful periods and live a joyful life. Surrounding yourself with people you trust can make you feel calm and safe.
Friends and family can help you by lifting you up, listening to your problems without judgment, encouraging you, and giving sound advice. They counteract the body’s fight-or-flight responses.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now8. Practice Mindfulness
Students are constantly busy and distracted. One of the best stress management techniques for students is mindfulness, which is a technique that helps you quiet background noise and increases awareness.
Meditation is one of the best techniques for practicing mindfulness. Incorporating the technique into your daily routine can improve focus and memory, which relieves stress.
9. Set Realistic Goals and Expectations
Most students get stressed because they consistently have too much on their plate. Some students fear missing out on the college experience, so they feel the need to go to lots of parties, participate in a sport, have many friends, and still get good grades. Others take loads of credit each semester.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowHowever, balancing your expectations is critical in managing stress. Try to manage your workload by picking class schedules, extracurricular, and social activities in a way that gives you enough time to relax. This strategy is especially helpful for nontraditional students with other responsibilities, such as family and work obligations.
10. Have Stress Outlets
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Hobbies are a great stress reliever because they are things we enjoy doing. If you’re feeling stressed, try doing something that makes you feel good. Some relaxing hobbies you could do include doing an art project, puzzles, knitting, sports, watching a movie, video games, or reading a book.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowVolunteering your time has a positive impact on those you serve as well as on your mental health. Volunteering stimulates mental activity, lowers depression, and reduces stress. You also get a chance to mingle with like-minded people in a positive environment.
These activities bring peace to your soul and pull you away from stress triggers.
Conclusion
Stress management techniques can help you to manage overall stress and prepare you for whatever happens in the future. The more you practice the techniques, the more prepared you are to handle stressful college events. Educators can incorporate stress management into their programs to teach students how to manage pressure in college and throughout their lives.
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