Stress is a natural and common emotion experienced by people everyday. And with being a full time student, it’s inevitable to encounter trouble in finding the best way to cope with stress, especially when you are constantly under pressure to balance assignments and extra-curricular commitments simultaneously.
It’s okay to feel overwhelmed by the copious workloads you have from school, but what’s important is how your mind and body deals with it all. Learning how to properly manage your stress levels will help you evade other related mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Self-care is the term used to describe the act of mindfully taking care of yourself and your emotions in such a way that reaps both physical and mental benefits. Managing your stress is an integral part of self-care especially as a student, and it’s the conscious effort to do things that you enjoy, that will help you maintain a positive outlook throughout your studies.
So here are 20 ideas that you can take on as part of your self-care regime so that you know you’re taking care of yourself, your mental and physical health. These are some of the best things you can do to de-stress and release your tensions.
1. Have a drink.
Either water, juice, some hot tea or hot chocolate – anything that will keep you hydrated and give you that boost of energy.
2. Have something to eat.
Take a nice romantic walk to the fridge or cupboard and grab a snack. Good brain food to keep you focused include nuts, blueberries, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate.
3. Listen to your favourite music.
When you listen to your favourite artist or song, dopamine is released which is the chemical related to happiness. This relieves stress, tension and anxiety, while increasing motivation and productivity. If you’re on the hunt for some relaxing tunes, you can head over to our Acoustic Spotify Playlist post here.
4. Get creative.
Delight in your favourite hobby; whether you play a musical instrument, practice with your yoyo, do origami, bake desserts, draw, write or colour — entertain yourself by doing something you love for a change.
5. Have a social media cleanse.
Instead of heading over to Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or Pinterest after you’ve finished studying, why not take a moment to experience a study break without you staring at a screen? Make the effort to have a short chat with a family member, your dog, cat, goldfish or potted plant. You’d be surprised at how liberated you’ll feel after. Keeping connected with the people closest to you will ease feelings of stress and anxiety you have about assignments, and remember you can always talk to them if you need to vent about it.
6. Exercise.
Sitting on your posterior for hours gives you a numbing sensation of pins and needles, which is not delightful. So get up, shake it off, and do some light exercises; maybe a short walk outside, on your treadmill, or search up some at-home exercises on Youtube.
7. Take a nap.
Sometimes a power nap is all you need to keep going. A power nap is recommended to be 10-30 minutes long, which is just enough time to energise yourself, but not leave you feeling groggy or disrupting with your sleep pattern at night. Power naps are proven to boost your mood, concentration, alertness and performance – so get snoozing!
8. Have a shower or a bubble bath.
A hot shower or warm bubble bath has great benefits in alleviating stress. So turn that tap on, or grab a Lush bath bomb and unwind as you relax and be one with the water.
9. Practice mindful meditation.
Mindfulness meditation is the act of being present in the moment in a non-judgemental way. This helps us to ground ourselves and focus on our inner feelings and thoughts which is therapeutic to our mental health. You can download mindfulness and meditation apps for iPhone and Android, or look up some guided mindfulness tutorials on Youtube.
10. Do some deep breathing.
Stress can cause your heart rate and breathing to increase, so if you’re feeling like you’re on the edge and overwhelmed – take a breath. Take time out to stabilise your breath as you inhale and exhale, regather your thoughts and refocus your attention on achieving your goals for the day. Talk yourself into believing that you can do it, and that you can push through because it’ll be worth it in the end.
11. Chew some gum.
Chewing gum helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, and improve your overall concentration. It’s a great tool to use during those important study sessions, so get chewing!
12. Watch a funny video.
Whether it be of cute puppies or kittens, or a funny prank video; watch anything that will improve your mood and make you smile.
13. Do some stretches.
It’s recommended to get up and stretch every 30 minutes during studying. Sitting on your back for prolonged periods of time while studying can cramp up your muscles and make them sore. So doing any kind of stretching benefits your body and helps to avoid muscle stiffness.
14. Watch an episode (or a season) favourite TV show or movie.
Watching your favourite show or movie can instantly boost your mood and motivate you for your next study session. But seriously, in moderation only. Don’t procrastinate and forget to complete that essay of yours that’s due the next day (speaking from experience, seriously, don’t do that, please).
15. Practice gratitude.
Try counting the blessings in your life instead of focusing your energy on negative feelings caused by stress and studying. This change in mindset will help improve your mental and physical wellbeing by cultivating increased levels of happiness, life satisfaction and overall more positive experiences.
16. Spoil yourself; indulge a little.
If it’s a Friday night or the weekend and you’ve just finished a 4 hour study session, you deserve a break! Treat yourself to a night out with friends or family at the cinemas, the arcade, or a cafe. If you’re on a budget then have a night in and order some pizza, or make a hearty home cooked meal.
17. Read a book or an article.
If you’re a little bookish, then reading must be the most cathartic thing you can do for yourself to unwind and relax. So do just that, and maybe make yourself a nice hot cup of tea or hot chocolate to enjoy it with.
18. Write down a bucket list.
Ever watched those ads on TV where you see extremely happy families or couples enjoying their life as they lay on a beautiful beach in Hawaii or cruise along through Europe? Dreaming about travelling the world is something everyone desires, and taking the time to list down all the places you want to go to and things you want to do will motivate you to work hard for yourself so one day you can be living that dream.
19. Write down your goals.
What are your goals for yourself and the future? What are your deepest aspirations? Life has so much to offer and your potential is limitless in achieving anything you aspire. So take a moment to draw inspiration from within yourself by writing down your goals for the present moment and the future.
20. Write in a journal.
Writing down your thoughts and feelings is incredibly cathartic and it helps to release tense feelings by giving you a space to vent. You might surprise yourself with how easy it is to write down you feel, and how relieving it is for yourself.
Hopefully some of these suggestions will help you engage in more self-care activities that will improve the management of your stress levels better. Remember to always look after your physical and mental health, and good luck for your future studies.
For more information, you can head over to Blurtitout.com here or download your own Self-Care Starter Kit here.
