Dealing With Student Stress - Dos and Don'ts

Dealing With Student Stress - Dos and Don’ts

April is stress awareness month and to be honest no one is more aware of stress than students. Looming deadlines, societal pressure and financial worries are just a few of the number of things that can contribute to the mountain of stress that those in education have to face on a fairly regular basis. If you’re one of the millions of people who experiences student stress then read on, and if you’re one of the lucky ones who has managed to remain stress-free then also keep reading, and share your wisdom to those of us who aren’t so fortunate!

[DISCLAIMER: This post is in no way intended to trivialise the stress of non-students. I understand that people from all walks of life, of all ages experience stress, but I chose to write about student stress as it is what I am most familiar with. The following advice is not a substitute for seeking professional support should stress become overwhelming]

Do: Share your worries:

The most likely situation is that in the large and diverse groups of friends that you’ll make at college/university someone would have experienced something similar to what you’re going through. Ask them to have a face to face conversation (no phone call or instant messenger chats) and get what is bothering you off your chest. They may be able to offer some stress busting advice or a practical solution that is specific to that particular worry, or they may just be there as a listening ear. They say a problem shared is a problem halved, and when it comes to students there are often hundreds of people who you can relate to; don’t be afraid to reach out.

Don’t: Forget to Listen:

It’s all well and good going to your friends for advice (and I highly recommend it) but you have to be prepared to return the favour. As I said, most students are experiencing some stress at some point, and sometimes friends may need you to give them advice or listen to their own stresses and you should be prepared to do this. Allowing someone to vent to you not only makes you a good friend and can help you work together to resolve an issue, but it can be extremely therapeutic to step away from your own issues for a while and immerse yourself in supporting someone close to you. Friendship is a two-way street and when it comes to stress this is even more important.

Do: Make a Plan of Action:

A lot of my personal stress comes from a lack of planning, as I’ve said in previous posts if I’m not 100% organised, then I struggle massively. If you’re similar, or experiencing a lot of unexplained stress then I advise you to take an hour or so on a Sunday night and make a plan for the week ahead. This could be a plan to target a specific worry that’s causing you stress, such as organising a large workload in order to meet a deadline; or just a general outline so that things run smoothly to allow you head-space to work out those miscellaneous stresses. This may not work for those of you who prefer spontaneity or ‘winging it’ and that’s understandable, but for those who function better when organised, then give yourself the time to really work on a plan for one week and see the difference it makes in your stress levels.

Don’t: Take On Too Much:

This is both a do and a don’t: Don’t take on too much, and do learn how to say no. If you’re one of the superheroes who has a part time job alongside studying, then 1) I applaud you; and 2) Say no when necessary. If your boss is wanting you to work 3 evenings as well as 2 full weekend days, but you have that deadline next week and lectures and seminars taking up the daytime then in my experience, explaining that this week you can’t because of this deadline or that Law Society Commitment (for example), then most employers will understand, you’ve now got time to finish that work! If you’re taking on too much then not only will your stress levels SOAR, your work quality will suffer which will lead to more stress and so on and so on. It’s a vicious cycle and the sooner you can break it, the sooner your stress levels will be much more manageable.

Do: Recognise when it gets too much:

Everyone gets stress, that’s true, but when stress becomes so much that you’re finding it hard to undertake your daily goings on, and all you can think about is your stress or you’re becoming unwell due to stress, you need to seek support from a professional. Most universities have a healthcare service, so book in an appointment because I can almost guarantee that they are NO stranger to student stress and can give you some expert advice, or refer you to some form of therapy if they believe it will help. If you don’t feel comfortable seeing someone in person, there are several telephone based support systems that will be able to offer some advice or a listening ear. The numbers listed below are all free to phone from the UK.

The Mix: Essential Support for under 25s: 0808 808 4994

Stress Management Society: From distress to de-stress: 0203 142 8650

Samaritans: 24 Hour Confidential Support: 116 123

Don’t: Forget to Have Some Me-Time:

All sorts of issues can contribute to stress, whether it’s a personal stress such as financial, or relationship related, or something to do with university or work something that you shouldn’t allow to suffer is your self-care. Taking time out to do something that you enjoy such as going to the gym, reading that isn’t course related (Have a look at my current read here!) or going out for a meal or drink with friends can massively de-stress and leave you with a clearer  head to rethink, and gives you the opportunity to get your mind off of it! Everyone’s self-care preferences differ, so share your favourite stress-busting self-care routine in the comments!

Do: Keep a Stress Diary: This might be more useful to those who can’t pinpoint a specific source of stress. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and tense, make a note of it. You can get a fancy notebook (Such as these) or just use the notes section in your phone. It doesn’t have to be time consuming, but keeping a note of when you’re getting stressed can really help you to get to grips with what is causing your stress, which leads to the ability to combat it!

Hopefully these Dos and Don’ts will be a good starting point for getting a handle on your stress management! If you have any other tips, or have tried any of the above, let us know in the comments! - LC