What can we do to manage stress?
April is Stress Awareness Month.
After the last two years, it's really important for us all to come together and think about how our wellbeing has been affected, and how it can be improved. We have all faced challenges and have found new ways to adapt, overcome and progress.
This year's theme for Stress Awareness Month is Community. As a University community, we can learn from each other and discover new ways to manage our stress and our workload, and learn how to prioritise our own mental health too.
We asked our students to tell us their top tips for managing stress, and here's what they said.
Top tips from students, for students
Read through some of this great advice from students!
Make sure to take time out to get some fresh air during the day.
It's important to get outside into nature to clear your head, especially when we spend a lot of our time looking at screens all day. Try going for a walk to break up your day, and listening to your favourite podcast as you go.
Make sure you are getting enough sleep.
This is a big one! Rest and sleep is really vital and helps us maintain good energy levels, and keep up our productivity when studying. Try switching off your phone before bed and making sure you are in the right zone for getting a good 8-hour sleep.
Make time for family and friends, and schedule study sessions!
This advice came in from one of our students, and it's a really lovely one. Spending time with our loved ones is a great way to unwind from any stresses. Also you can talk to them about any issues or worries you have, and they will put your mind at ease. And a great tip - schedule study sessions with friends so you can work together and get things done... team work makes the dream work!
Why not try the gym? Exercise really helps me when I'm stressed.
It can be tough to fit exercising into a busy schedule, but we should try to prioritise our health and fitness. Try to exercise or go to the gym in the mornings before your first lecture, or in the evening when you've finished classes for the day.
Start your coursework well in advance, rather than waiting until the deadline is close.
Plan well in advance when it comes to coursework, essays, assignments and revision. When we leave this until the last minute we can get extra stressed and sometimes we don't produce our best work. If you think about your 'to-do' list and your deadlines well in advance, then you will feel more on top of things and this will reduce your stress levels.
Set targets and timeframes.
Targets, measurable goals and timeframes are key to study success, and key to reducing stress. Try using a diary or calendars to keep track of your timeframes, and set targets so you know exactly what you need to do to achieve your goals. When we are organised, we feel much better about our 'to-dos' and this can significantly reduce stress.
Maintain a healthy work/life balance, and take time to yourself for your mental health
Studying can be stressful, and we all must find time to focus on ourselves. Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is so important as we all need this space to ourselves to re-focus and re-charge. Try going for a drive to clear your head, or watching your favourite tv show in between study sessions. Remember to call your friends and family for a chat, and to do the things that make you happy, like focusing on your hobbies or reading your favourite book.
Don't over do it. Always remember to take everything one step at a time.
This is the key to managing stress. When you feel overwhelmed, take a step back and appreciate all your progress so far. Keep everything in perspective, keep positive and remember - one step at a time, you've got this.