College is a major stressor for many students which is why knowing how to deal with college stress is crucial for optimal performance and overall mental health. According to the American College Health Association, over 40% of students feel more than average levels of stress. Between juggling an academic load, jobs, relationships, social activities, and a variety of life stressors, it’s no wonder they struggle with mental and physical health.
While a certain degree of stress can be healthy and motivational, this threshold can easily be surpassed. It can take a real toll on a student’s well-being and raise mental health concerns. According to the Mayo Clinic, excessive and long-term stress can reduce productivity, and increase sleep deprivation, depression, and anxiety. Stressful feelings can also manifest physically as sore muscles and stomach aches.
To avoid these symptoms, here are some tips to stay happy, and healthy, and reduce and relieve stress while managing the demands of college life.
1. Use a Planner
Stress is often brought on by feeling overwhelmed with tasks, which is a common occurrence when attending college, especially as first-year students. One of our biggest stress management tips? Get a planner!
If you ask recent graduates how to deal with stress in college, they’ll tell you to be more prepared and know your assignments. List each assignment and allot time to complete it so you avoid unwanted stress over your academic demands. You can stay on top of what you need to do and when you need to do it. The most effective way to do this is by using a planner on a regular basis. Some students simply rely on themselves to remember due dates then they wonder why they miss deadlines or forget important information. By writing down each task, you can organize your work and practice one of the simplest stress management techniques out there!
The best thing about planners is that you can actually plan out your schedule WEEKS ahead of time. Nearly every college class supplies a syllabus at the beginning of the semester. Take half an hour to go through each class’s syllabus. Write down all of the important due dates in your planner and every Sunday, look at what you have to accomplish that week. Look ahead two to three weeks for big projects, assignments, or tests so you are aware of them and can plan for study and work time.
2. Avoid Procrastination
It is one thing to write down assignments and due dates in a planner. However, it is an entirely different matter to actually do the work. Putting off tasks can lead to trouble very quickly and contribute to overwhelming stress while you’re in college. Have you ever decided to write a research paper at the last minute and then realized that there is no information on the topic? What about technical issues involving a computer crash or a broken-down printer? Odds are, you or someone you know has encountered one of these scenarios at some point in their academic career and likely had a stress reaction that made it worse.
Waiting to study, start an assignment, or start a huge project ultimately causes more academic stress. While binge-watching Netflix or going out with your friends may be more appealing than doing your schoolwork, if you put off your responsibilities, you’ll end up being more stressed than you ever imagined. It’s no fun to feel guilty when you’re trying to enjoy yourself!
Take the initiative to complete (or at least start) your tasks before lounging or hanging out, to avoid a potentially more stressful situation further down the road. It will greatly enhance your college experience and you’ll see that your academic performance is much better over time!
3. Take Breaks
It is very important to take breaks when doing big projects and studying for exams. However, there is a difference between watching an episode on Netflix after you’ve been studying for two hours and watching an entire season after reading one chapter of your textbook. The key is to balance breaks and work time to complete assignments without losing your mind.
Some good break activities could include going for a walk, calling a friend, watching (some) TV, grabbing a snack, or cleaning. If you have any hobbies, be sure to take some time for them between studying! Whether it be playing an instrument, woodworking, drawing, painting, reading, or writing, don’t allow your creativity to go by the wayside while you’re at school! Sneak them into your breaks and do something you really enjoy to melt off that college stress.
4. Eat Right
When we are stressed, our first instinct is to reach for comfort food such as ice cream, pizza, chips, or really anything high in carbs and sugar. However, when our diet consists primarily of these types of foods, we are depriving ourselves of the nutrients our bodies and minds need to operate at an optimal level.
The Stress Management Society cites that eating a lot of sugar or simple carbohydrates such as white bread, rice, pasta, and cereal can cause us to crash and feel tired or fatigued which can negatively affect our productivity and overall health. Additionally, Web MD indicates that those who are deficient in certain brain chemicals triggered by our food can actually become more susceptible to anxiety and depression.
By swapping out “bad” carbs and sugary food items with fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain carbohydrates, we supply our bodies with essential vitamins and minerals. We then sustain energy, improving brain health and fostering a positive mental state as opposed to feeling stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed.
5. Exercise
As with food, exercise also affects brain chemicals. According to the Harvard Health Blog, when we exercise, we release chemicals in the brain that decrease inflammation and foster the growth of brain cells and vessels. Therefore, regular exercise can help with sleep, reduce stress, and manage anxiety. Feeling healthy and strong physically can help us to feel healthy and strong mentally as well. However, it should be noted that people’s preference for stress-reducing exercise may vary.
For example, some people may feel more relaxed after practicing yoga or meditation. Others may find that they can reduce their stress by lifting weights or running. Take the time to experiment! By learning how to reduce stress in college students through exercise, you keep your mind and body in working order.
As college students, the daily life of academics and social life can easily get overwhelming. Learning how to deal with college stress early on can really change your college experience.
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