College is the happiest time in everyone’s life. This is something you can hear from people, who are not college students. Indeed, you are young, full of ideas and plans for the future, but you actually feel stressed almost 24/7. The academic and emotional difficulties young people have to experience are truly overwhelming. Some of you have to combine studying with work or family duties, the others are worried about their achievements and expectations of society. According to surveys, most learners report that they cannot relax even at weekends and holidays due to the psychological pressure and emotional problems.
To avoid burnout and depression, you should treat your mental condition with attention. It’s okay to feel stressed, but there are easy ways to decrease this discomfort. Here are some simple stress relievers for college students to try.
Healthy Eating
Take care of your diet, since eating nutritiously is the first step towards stress reduction. You cannot get enough energy for your academic achievements without eating well. First, stop drinking too much coffee and other products that contain caffeine. Indeed, a cup of Americano can boost your activity, but at the same time, it makes anxiety more intense. Also, forget about alcoholic beverages, since they can cause depressive mental states when overused. To feel better and decrease problems with concentration, drink more water, eat fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, groats and protein-rich food.
Breathing Exercises
Sometimes, study environment makes students nervous. Dealing with academic overload is even more complicated when you have problems with communication on campus, class or family circle. When you are experiencing a conflict with peers or educators or feeling worried about a test, it is important to relieve stress immediately. The best technique you can always practice for fast results is a breathing exercise:
– Close your eyes
– Make a deep breath and focus on the air that comes to your lungs
– Breathe out keeping focused on the air that moves throughout your body
It is even more effective when you have a calming image or word in your mind while you breathe.
Music
Music is one of the most impactful stress management techniques. In a worried mental condition, you are recommended to listen to classical and calm music, which has a positive effect on your brain and body, making your heart beat slower and reducing the level of anxiety. What is more, your favorite songs can grasp your attention and distract you from negative thoughts. If you practice meditation, turn the music on to prevent attention from wandering.
Time Management
There is nothing more stressful for a student than approaching deadlines and dozens of work to be done. However, the main problem with time management is not a lack of time and a lot of tasks. It is not being in charge of your time in a wise manner. When you are not using the time to your own advantage, it means that you need to correct your management skills.
To do so, you should focus on prioritizing your tasks. Ignoring responsibilities in one segment of your life to complete something in the other is not an option. Balance is the key. Start with focusing on things that are more important instead of doing those that are more urgent. When you neglect important things, the consequences may be significantly worse. Also, sometimes it is a really good idea to share your work with other people, requesting essay writing service cheap or delegating your everyday duties to someone else, when possible. Next, think about interruptions that make you waste your precious minutes and hours. Decrease the number of them to a minimum and you will see that your days are much longer than you thought.
Positive Thinking
Positive thinking transforms your life to better and bring success in school and relationships. Optimists are known for having better problem-solving skills because they are used to think that good things are going to happen, not the worse ones. It doesn’t mean that you have to ignore everything that seems unpleasant to you. It’s about your reaction and approach to the problems that occur. When you have a bright glance at the situation, you think clearly and solve it more productively.
To start practicing positive thinking, try self-talk, which works the same as self-reflection. Usually, we find ourselves in the automatic flow of thoughts, whether positive or negative. Turn your logic and reason on and observe disturbing ideas clearly. Filter them and learn not to polarize – the world has more colors than black and white.
Laugh
It’s hard to keep yourself away from anxiety and stress when you perceive yourself and everything that happens too seriously. It’s time to accept that you can live a successful life without being worried all the time. Allow yourself to be more relaxed in your everyday life, interactions with others, and work you do. Start joking, laughing and smiling more, because laughter brings mind to order, when you are having complications. First, laughter releases aggression. Second, sense of humor keeps you in a good mood, inspired, communicative, and focused. This is a free resource of positivity, which is always by your side.
Sport
Even if you have no time for a gym, make sure that you include at least minimal physical exercises in your schedule. When your brain is feeling stressed, the rest of the body also experiences it. Sports release endorphins and help you sleep better, which is also a perfect medicine from anxiety. Yoga, morning exercises, biking, and walking can improve your concentration and boost energy.
Friends
Without controversy, when you have someone by your side, it is easier to fight complications in your life. A shared problem is half-problem, so call your friends or take a walk together when something is bothering you. First, a cheerful hang-out with your fellows will distract you from negative thoughts. Second, they will remind you that you are not alone and there are so many valuable things in life besides your current issues.
Movie
Watch an amazing story when you are feeling stressed and feel your mind and soul reverberating with the universe. Why not? This works perfectly to let you perceive your problems easier. What is more, films can help you watch the situations and problems from a distance, reflect on them, identify yourself with characters, and even find the way out. At least, you can just have a good rest.
Romantic Relationships
Love makes wonders. A loving partner is someone who really cares, listens, and helps. Just keeping in mind that you have a special person you love is enough to get rid of stress and negative thoughts. Healthy romantic relationships give people a sense of future and help them move on no matter what.
Education is tough and you cannot avoid problems on your way to a higher degree. When you know that you are the one to reduce your own stress, you can do anything. The simple strategies described above are the basics of relaxation, self-analysis, positive distractions, and healthy habits. They work perfectly especially if you combine them. Use these relievers regularly and they won’t be relievers anymore, instead, they will be your life practices. When you have practices like that, stress won’t bother you as often as it does. Think positively, eat healthy food, make exercises, keep in touch with your loved ones, and let your everyday life become fresh-colored!
Author’s Bio: A formal journalist and a blogger now, Nicole Lewis mostly writes motivational and informational articles for teens. She studies the psychological and social issues youngsters usually meet in their socialization process, whether at college or at home. Nicole’s main focus of research is students’ anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. Her aim is to learn these problems to support children with a piece of advice
