Stress Relief for Students

Afternoon!

Today I am talking about something that creeps it's way into everyone's life at some stage or another, and that is stress!

As my exams are looming I'm definately experiencing some right now. Generally I think stress is most debilitating before a particular event. We build things up so much in our head that small challenges can become magnified and distorted, and this can take a toll on our mental, physical and spiritual health.

I know from my own experiences I've fallen victim to this manys a time! Presentations in particular tend to cause me to panic, I spend weeks and weeks dreading it and building it up, only to find that the presentation itself goes fine and is over pretty quickly! Stressing over such things is truly a waste of time and energy!

For students learning to manage stress is very important. I would imagine that for med students it is critical!

So here are some ways that help you to release that buildup of stress:

1) Face Challenges Head-On!

This is something I need to work on. When we are faced with a challenge, many times the temptation is to run away from it, to avoid it as long as possible. One example of this for students would be assignments. If you put things off and procrastinate, you will only have more time to build up stress! Then, not only will you not have as much time to work on it, but the standard of your work may also drop as you become more and more panicked! So the best thing to do when faced with a challenge is not delay! Do it today so you can enjoy your tomorrow! :)

2) Diet and Exercise!

Having a good diet and keeping active is really important to manage stress! Exercise clears the mind and releases endorphins that make you feel better. Try to fit in a little bit of exercise whenever you can. Make small changes to become more active in the long term. Start with small things such as doing some yoga or going for a walk and as your fitness levels increase you can do more. Combining exercise with a good diet will help you not only stay in shape, but keep your body healthy and reduce stress! For more on having a good diet, see my post on Student Nutrition!

3) Get it out!

Stress is an emotion which causes all our muscles to tense up. It causes us to withdraw inwards out of fear. Therefore, you want to do things which let that tension out of the body! Talking is a great way to release tension. Seek out someone you trust and just let them know what's going on with you. Just let them know you need to vent. Pets are a great option for this I've found as they can't make comments back! ;) If you are really tense, try punching a pillow over and over, or hell even scream until you can't scream anymore! Just let that stress OUT! (You might want to warn people around you before you try that last one!). :)

4) Meditate.

Meditation is something every single person should be doing in my opinion. You don't have to be a spiritual or religious person to do it so there's no excuse. What you are doing is drawing your focus inward, usually on your breathing, and clearing the mind. This can take some practice but don't be discouraged it does get easier! Meditation not only reduces stress by calming the body and quieting the mind, but ut has also been shown to reduce rates of heart disease AND increase IQ! There are many different techniques so have a root around online for one that suits you and just go for it!

5) Take Time For You

We all have tasks that we have to get done in our lives, and sometimes this list can seem never-ending. Rather than letting yourself get dragged down by all the stuff you have to do, make time for something you want to do! Fit something into your schedule that is just solely for the purpose of your mental well-being. This might be meeting a friend, reading a book, going for a walk, putting on a face mask- anything you enjoy! Just be sure to make this time purely for you! Put a mental box around this time and don't let any of the stress from what you have to do spill over into your me-time! You will find that doing this on a regular basis breaks of the monotony of practical life and gives you something you can look forward to. That in itself can help reduce your stress levels!


I hope these points have been helpful, learning to manage stress does not happen over night, it takes time. But making small changes in your life on a regular basis will help you cut down the worry and the panic, and help you enjoy your life more!

I'm off to take my advice and face my study head on! ;)