5 Tips for Managing Stress During the Semester
A certain amount of stress is normal — and even useful — at university. Stress pushes you to stay on track with your studies and try your best. However, too much stress is damaging to your physical and mental health. It’s important to manage your stress in healthy ways to see long-term benefits. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Exercise Daily
When you’re stressed, exercise may be the last thing you want to do — but you’ll always find you feel better after a workout. If you currently don’t exercise regularly, start small with just ten minutes a day. You’ll find that even this removes the tension from your muscles, improves your mood, and makes you feel energized. The great thing about university is you have many options for exercise, including sports teams, fitness classes, and access to a gym, meaning you can find an activity you enjoy.
2. Sleep Enough
One of the biggest reasons university students are stressed is because they don’t sleep enough. You may find that your activities keep you busy all day, leaving only the evenings for homework. However, staying up late to study when you have an early class the next day will lead you to become sleep deprived, which will make it difficult for you to cope with stress. Plus, the sleep deprivation will cause your academics to suffer, leading to even more stress.
The solution is to stick to a routine bedtime, at least on weekdays. You’ll find this gives you more energy to tackle stressful situations. In addition, you’ll be able to retain more information from your classes and recover faster from exercise.
3. Prioritize Important Activities
To find the time to sleep, you need to decide on your priorities. Your academics obviously come first, but a part-time job and extracurriculars are also important. Only if you have both time and energy should you accept social invitations. It may be difficult to say no to friends, but it will be necessary at times to avoid burnout. Remember, it’s even fine to turn down an invitation if you have nothing to do but you feel like having a night in to relax by yourself.
4. Eat a Healthy Diet
When you’re stressed, you may turn to comfort foods — which are not always healthy. Whereas it’s fine to have an occasional treat, the majority of your diet needs to be healthy to provide you with energy and make you feel physically well. Eating too much processed and fried foods or things high in fat and sugar will only add to your stress, as they reduce your cognitive function, cause you to gain weight, and lead to other health issues. Try to incorporate more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your diet and drink water (rather than sugary beverages) when you’re thirsty.
5. Practise Mindfulness
Mindfulness has been proven to reduce stress. All mindfulness means is being present in the moment and aware of your surroundings, thoughts, and sensations. Take a few minutes each day to practise mindfulness in whatever way works best for you — that could be meditation, journaling, breathing exercises, or something else.
Another crucial way to manage stress is to make time every day for activities you enjoy, both with other people and on your own. Where you live will make a big difference. The Revalie offers Carleton University off-campus housing with more than 60,000 square feet of retail, entertainment, and fitness amenities. In addition, you’ll have a modern suite, fully furnished in a minimalist style and equipped with cutting edge tech. Apply now to lock in the best rates of the year.