There is no denying that college can be a stressful and worrying time for a lot of students. For many people, this will be the first time that they are completely independent. Not only do they have exams and academic pressures to worry about, but a lot of students also have financial stresses, as well as experiencing homesickness. It is not difficult to see why a lot of students are anxious and feel run down a lot of the time. This is why it is important to be proactive and look for different ways to reduce the stress and anxiety that you may be experiencing. Below, we are going to provide you with plenty of different suggestions, which we hope will help you.
Study sensibly
There is only one place to begin, and this is with studying sensibly. We know that college is filled with a lot of academic pressure. There are going to be exams, as well as regular assignments and tests. You can feel like you never know enough! However, you’re not going to be of any use to anyone if you burn out. You need to have some downtime. It is not sensible to spend every free minute studying, even if it seems like the more you study, the better. Instead, you need to find a way of studying that works for you. Creating a weekly schedule is a good place to start. Assign periods for studying throughout your week. You can then create a schedule for each study session. Focus on the areas that you’re struggling with the most, and make sure you do not go over the allotted time for each subject. You have probably heard the saying that it is not about working harder, but working smarter. This can most definitely be applied to your college work!
Find ways of calming down
If you feel yourself getting worked up, you need to figure out what can bring you back down to a normal level of calmness. We can’t tell you what approach to use, as everyone is different. However, we can make some suggestions based on what works for a lot of people! For example, there are a lot of people that practice yoga or meditation when they start to feel themselves getting overly stressed. Another option is to try different breathing exercises. Slowing down your breathing helps to create a sense of calmness. It is a simple activity but one that is very effective. Another option is to listen to the sounds of the ocean. There are a lot of videos on YouTube containing relaxing music and nature sounds, so give these a try and see if they work for you. ASMR has also become popular in recent years. People who find ASMR soothing often listen to it to help them get to sleep. If you have trouble drifting off at night because you’re too busy worrying about a multitude of different things, give it a try and see if it works for you.
Make sure you get enough sleep
While we’re on the subject of sleep, it is imperative to make sure that you get enough of it if you are to keep your stress and anxiety levels as low as possible while you are at college. Of course, this can be a lot easier said than done! It becomes a bit of a vicious cycle. However, there are a lot of things that you can do to try and promote healthier sleep patterns. We have just spoken about some of the different techniques you can use to calm down. You should also try and adopt a regular sleep pattern. This means going to bed at around the same time every evening and waking up at the same time in the morning. We know that this is difficult at college, especially if you’re partying a lot. Nevertheless, try to stick to this as much as possible and you should notice a difference. It is also a good idea to make sure you don’t eat a heavy meal within a few hours before you go to sleep. Also, while exercising is great, try not to exercise close to your sleep time, as this can keep you awake. We recommend turning your tech off an hour before bed as well. Why not read a good book instead?
Watch your diet
We know that a lot of students end up on a very unhealthy diet, especially those that are cooking for themselves for the first time! However, the food you eat can have a massive impact on the way that you feel. If you are eating junk all of the time, this is not going to help with your stress and anxiety levels. This is why it is important to eat a balanced diet. With the sheer options available in supermarkets today, it is easier to eat healthy than it ever has been. There is nothing stopping you from having a takeout now and again, but if you find yourself eating more fast food than vegetables, it’s time to make some changes!
Make time to exercise
A lot of students can find themselves exercising less at college. They are thrown into a new world, in a new location, and so they don’t really know where to start when it comes to working out! Plus, it can go to the bottom of your list of priorities. After all, you have got enough to worry about, from assignments to making new friends. However, it is important to find some time to exercise. This could be as simple as walking back to campus rather than taking the bus. A bit of exercise every day is not only important for your physical health, but your mental health as well. This is because exercise releases endorphins, which are those feel-good chemicals. This can be imperative in terms of reducing your stress levels and helping you to feel like you can tackle the rest of your week!
Don’t avoid things
If you are struggling at college with a specific assignment or subject (or even the entire course in general!), it can be easy to bury your head in the sand and avoid the situation. When you do this, though, you are only making things worse for yourself overall. The best thing to do is to speak with your professor and express your concerns. This is going to make you feel better at a number of levels. Firstly, you will feel relieved for having offloaded your concerns and worries about your progress. Secondly, your professor will be able to offer some great advice to help you get back on track. You will find that way more people are struggling than they make out, so you are definitely not alone!
Find resources on campus
Aside from the suggestions that have been mentioned, if you are finding it difficult to cope at college, you are going to find a lot of helpful resources on campus. You will find that the vast majority of colleges today have put together different programs, booklets, and help sessions to assist those suffering from anxiety. You can speak with a counsellor one-on-one. You can read books on self-care and managing anxiety. There are lots of different options available to you depending on the college that you attend. You should be able to find more information about this online, and everything is going to be confidential so you do not need to worry about anyone finding out that you’re seeking help, although there’s nothing to be ashamed about anyway!
Shut off from time-to-time
Don’t be afraid to have a day where you completely shut off from college and everything that is associated with it. Take a day to focus on you instead and what makes you happy. We can get so wrapped up in college that we forget to look after number one.
Figure out what walks for you
A final tip is to remember that everyone is different. What one person finds relaxing may be another person’s idea of hell! A lot of people find it relaxing to smoke, for instance. Some students purchase items such as those available from the Atomic Blaze Online Head Shop to help them relax. If this works for you, it is important to do so safely and in moderation. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t force yourself to participate just because your friends are.
So there you have it: some of the different ways that you can deal with stress and anxiety effectively while you are in college. We hope that you have been able to find something that works for you. We know that not all of the suggestions are going to be suitable for everyone. After all, we are all different, and we all have various ways of relaxing and de-stressing. However, you’re not going to know if something works for you until you try, so be open-minded and explore the different possibilities until you find something that works for you.
