Hundreds of thousands of students across the country are preparing to go to university for the first time, or are returning to their studies after the summer. It can be a stressful time for many, so Dr Michael Smith, Associate Professor in Northumbria University's Department of Psychology, has written for The Conversation on how to manage the stress of studying for your degree...
According to the recently published Natwest
Student Living Index, 64% of university students rated the stress of
studying for their degree as seven or above out of ten. Other
studies have estimated that up to 82% of UK university students
suffer from stress and anxiety, and the number of students dropping out of
university due to mental
health problems is increasing.
The National Union of Students reports that the top
three sources of stress among students are coursework
deadlines, exams, and balancing study with other commitments. Going to
university can also mean living away from home for the first time, less sleep,
poor eating habits and money worries.
It’s clear that the majority of university students
experience high levels of stress during their degree. But a few simple stress
reduction techniques and small lifestyle changes can help with this. So if you’re
a student, or heading off to university for the first time, here’s what you
need to know about managing stress.
Talk or write about it
A major source of stress for university students living away
from home for the first time can be a lack of perceived social support, if
friends and family are no longer close by for a chat.
The most important thing if you start to feel stressed is
that you don’t bottle up those feelings. Talk about it – with a parent, other
family member, friend or a tutor. Or contact your university’s student
well-being service.
Another approach could be to write about your feelings if
nobody is around to talk to. Studies have suggested that writing about your
emotions can be useful
for managing stress.
Stay organised
A key source of stress is a perceived lack
of control over a situation. Coursework deadlines and exams are an
inevitable part of life for a university student, but by managing your time
wisely, and not leaving your assessment tasks and revision to the last minute
you can stay in control of these deadlines.
Rebecca Sharp, a psychologist from the University of
Bangor, suggests that splitting a task into smaller, more easily manageable goals is a good way
of organising your time and staying on top of university work.
Making time in your schedule to relax and socialise is also
very important. Socialising may help you to build a network of people you can
rely upon for social support. Creating some “me time” for socialising, relaxing
and exercise is
key to managing stress.
Look after yourself
University students often have a comparatively
poor diet. During those first few weeks of living away from home, it
can take some time to adjust to having to plan
and prepare your own meals, and bad eating habits can creep in.
University students also report getting fewer
hours of sleep than the recommended eight
hours a night. This is problematic because irregular sleep patterns
are associated with poor academic
performance at university and poor sleep quality is
associated with increased stress.
All of this means that it is important to look after
yourself, by exercising regularly, establishing a pattern of good quality sleep
and eating healthily. A balanced breakfast, plenty of fresh fruit and
vegetables, and limited
sugary and fatty snacks can help to optimise your brain
function. This will help to keep your stress levels in check, and also help
with your concentration in lectures and when revising.
One issue though, is that when our stress levels increase,
it is easy to engage in “emotional eating”
– consuming more sugary and fatty snacks and less fruit and vegetables. It’s
important to try to avoid this vicious cycle where possible, and maintain a
healthy diet through these periods.
Be mindful
Being
mindful – paying more attention to yourself and the world
around you by being “in the moment” – is known to reduce stress, and helps us
to notice the signs of stress earlier. Research
has shown that mindfulness training can reduce levels of
distress in university students during exam periods.
Even if you haven’t had any formal training in mindfulness,
it can be beneficial to practice mindfulness techniques by sitting quietly and
paying attention to your body and your surroundings. Mindful breathing
exercises can help with relaxation and reducing negative thoughts. Although not
for everyone, activities such as yoga can also help with being mindful and
being more aware of your breathing.
Is stress all bad?
It is important to remember that the feelings we experience
when we’re stressed are due to hormone responses that have evolved to help us
survive by fighting
off or fleeing from a predator. University life can be thought of as
that predator – the stress response helps us to cope with and manage demanding
periods such as exams and coursework deadlines. So a little stress is fine, and
probably even
beneficial, but if you’re experiencing frequent, high levels of
stress, then do something about it.
Click here to read the original article in The Conversation.
