how do i deal with school stress?
By Maria Sola, gender/sexuality expert
College can be a source of happiness, but also can be overwhelming sometimes. At those times that school feels like a weight on your shoulders it is useful to have some tools to cope with it.
Stress comes in many forms, and normally is our body’s response to a disruption in our routine. Short-term stress can help you raise a grade or finish an essay, but when it turns into long-term it can lead to physical side effects like trouble concentrating, difficulty making decisions, irritability, a lack of energy, appetite changes, trouble sleeping and anxiety about the future.
Have you ever felt any of those? Here are some ideas that you can use:
Set reasonable expectations: break your objectives into smaller pieces and enjoy achieving each one of them. Also go through your class schedule and see if you have enough time to study and rest. If rearranging your classes is not a possibility, you can always try to get an extension by explaining your situation.
Get organized realistically: with deadlines and projects, but also set specific times to rest, move a little, enjoy your hobbies and spend time with friends or relatives. The trick is doing a little everyday, not overloading yourself.
Some tools you can use to organize and study are:
Trello to list out all the tasks for your classes and see the status of each task
Calendars to map out exam dates and assignment due dates so you can see all of your classes together and mark out time for rest and time with friends or family
Pomodoro technique, which consists in breaking the time you have in 25 minute slots with 5 minutes break. A task can be filled in one, two, or the amount of pomodoros needed. Each 4 pomodoros take a longer break of 20-30 minutes.
Study groups are a great way to connect with other people while you’re also learning. If you can teach something to someone else you’ll remember it better, so break up the information you need to know and teach each other
Keep in mind that organization helps, but there will be times where some things will fall off the schedule, or others that you will feel the need to do nothing and will want to say ‘no’ to some things. Listening to what your body and rhythms are asking is also a way of organization, even if it is a bit difficult at first.
Take care of yourself: this might seem obvious, but being conscious about what you are eating, how much you are sleeping and if you are moving your body enough are ways of self-care.
Avoid stimulants like coffee and energy drinks which might disrupt your sleep cycles and substitute them with herbs tea or water
Make sure you get enough sleep (at least 6 but probably more hours/night) and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to help your body get good rest
Balance your meals so at the end of the day you have eaten at least three different food groups (dairy, fruits, grains, healthy fats, protein, vegetables
Try to go for a walk and listen to some music or with friends at least a couple of days a week, bike to class or dance in your room, whatever feels best for your body. This will not only be good for your muscles and bones but will also improve your mood.
Stay grounded: you don’t have to do this alone! You might have left home to go to college, or your schedules might not be the same as your friends', but your connections are still there. Having relatives or friends with whom you feel comfortable to share what is going on might support you in the process.
Want to talk about it? Reach out to our experts on OkaySo. We’re here.
Read more:
Self- Compassion: What do we do instead?
Self- Compassion: What is it, actually?
Self- Compassion: How to cultivate compassion for ourselves
How to help a friend or partner who is hurting
Maria Sola is a content creator, gender studies expert and now a front end developer. She is on a mission to add diverse eyes to tech to be able to innovate and create products that really help us all. She loves climbing, practicing circus sports and baking bread.