Avoiding Stress while studying. Mental Health Tips for College Students

Navigating Stress and Academic Pressure: Mental Health Tips for College Students

January 14, 2024
Mental Wellness Tips
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The older you get, the more pressure you get.

For you, college is a place to learn and develop skills, a place where we learn to be adults. You may have experienced and encountered a lot of pressure on that journey.

At an age where you’re forced to grow up, you have to face worries and pressures, including studying and life. Invisible pressures motivate you to try and strive to achieve remarkable achievements. Trying to pursue inappropriate things makes you extremely tired.

Sometimes, you are so depressed that you can’t lift your legs, but there is much work ahead that needs to be done; the world still has many things to discover. You choose to continue that thorny path; those difficulties and pressures are worth it, right?

Everyone will have times when they face pressure, and hearing stories from fellow students makes you realise, “Ah, so everyone has their own worries and concerns.” Even though we know it’s difficult, let’s face and overcome those invisible pressures together!

First, let’s find out why you often feel stressed.

The Invisible Pressures of Students

Have you ever wondered why you have stress, which is very hard to overcome? It’s not just about exams and assignments—many students, including you, have faced these hidden pressures! Before learning about the method to deal with it, let’s take a good look at the causes of study stress.

1. Peer pressure

“Peer pressure” refers to the state when you constantly compare yourself with your peers. Negative emotions gradually appear when around you; you always meet students with “terrible” achievements and excellent extracurricular activities. That pressure grows, and you feel self-conscious and small.

2. Study pressure

Going to college is a completely new environment, and the way professors teach will no longer be the same as middle school or high school teachers. The lecture time in class is short; the lecture pace is also quite fast.

If you do not pay attention to the lecture or miss a class, you will feel like other students have reached the 10th step and are still stomping on the 5th step.

Going to university, almost all students have to be completely independent and face a huge amount of knowledge. At the school library, even at 1 a.m., the figure of a student sitting quietly next to a pile of research books and the yellow light always appears.

Sometimes, your eyes glance at that place, and you admire it, but you also feel extremely stressed and pressured because of the overload of knowledge; you are afraid of being unable to complete your small goal.

3. Exam pressure

We have a lot of work to do; we do it all the time, but in the end, nothing gets done. You feel exhausted and stressed from exams. You are overwhelmed by a mountain of unfinished work.

Usually, we remember interrupted tasks around 90% better than completed tasks. That’s why you can remember everything in the textbook, but when you finish the exam, you seem to forget everything.

Because after the exam, your brain no longer uses that information. But before an exam, your brain always reminds you that you have an exam coming up, which is why you feel persistent stress and anxiety.

4. Pressure from family

Some great parents never put pressure on themselves, but you’re still pressured, thinking your parents will be sad when you don’t succeed.

Some parents show excessive trust and expectations that make you feel tired. Even though it comes from love, parents always want their children to become talented people, but that puts more pressure on you when that love forces and forces you to fulfil dreams that do not belong to you.

5. Pressure on yourself

We sometimes put pressure on ourselves. Torture yourself for being unable to solve a math problem or essay with a lower score than others and attending classes I don’t like. Confine yourself to nameless achievements; always sad because your limits have not yet been achieved. Always pursuing unnecessary perfection torments yourself, causing repressed emotions. It is like describing a pre-programmed “learning machine”.

6. Financial pressure

In college, when do you start to be independent and responsible for your life? Most students are provided with living expenses and tuition fees by their parents. But many of you have had to work since your first year to make ends meet.

How To Not Feel So Stressed When Studying

When it comes to college life, you have to face academic demands, social pressures, and personal growth challenges. And many other things that make you stress. This part will give you some effective Mental Health tips for college students. This method is super easy to do yet works well if you stick with it.

Finish all incomplete work

The more work you still need to finish, the more you’re gonna be anxious. You always feel like there’s a lot to do, but more is needed.

Have you ever heard “the 2-minute rule”? It means if something can be done in under 2 minutes, do it now. For example, write your to-do list for the day or reply to an email.

Try to set realistic goals and to-do lists

Every morning, when you write down your to-do list, you imagine this will be the most productive and wonderful day.

But in reality, you can’t complete all of them, and you get depressed.

Here is the tip: you should have a notebook to record your spending by week, month and year. This way, you will have a more comprehensive view of your goals.

With a daily goal, every night before going to bed, write a to-do list so that you know exactly what you need to do when you wake up.

For example, instead of setting a goal to read a whole book in a week, you have a detailed set, like reading 20 pages of a book every morning and 20 pages of a book every evening.

Accept the worst possible outcome.

Even top students sometimes have low scores, so why do you have to force yourself to be perfect in every test? You should have a positive mindset and accept even the worst outcome, even if you don’t like it.

It means if it really happens, it is not a surprise. There is nothing worse and more disappointing than expecting an A and ending up failing the subject. And since it’s unexpected, expecting the worst would mean that everything better than that is an improvement. Also, it helps keep the pressure off yourself.

Don’t compare to others

There are many learning methods; each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is important that you know your study style and choose a study method that you feel comfortable with and is highly effective. Stop comparing your learning style to others.

Someone wakes up at 4 a.m. to study because they feel like that’s when they get the most attention, but that doesn’t mean it’s effective for you.

If you feel like you have more energy and creativity in the evening, adjust your time and do it as long as you stay up early enough.

Or your friend studying 8 hours a day doesn’t mean you have to do as well.

Find your own learning method and schedule, and stick to it.

Comparing yourself to others only makes you more stressed and wastes time. But if you feel like today’s self is better than yesterday, even if it’s a small change. Congratulations, you are almost reaching your goal!

Do not make your life revolve around school

Balancing work and life can be challenging. You need discipline and time to build that.

But if you keep your mind on school and tests 24/7, you will quickly burn out.

Take time for self-care. Try to do things that are not related to school to help you relax your mind.

Taking a break is not a waste of time; don’t feel guilty.

On a beautiful sunny day, go on a date with a group of friends to camp at the park or go to a cafe and have a nice chat.

If possible, reward yourself with a relaxing spa session. Full body massage is an extremely effective way to dispel stress, relax the mind, reduce bone and joint pain, and reduce muscle fatigue. In addition, massage with oil can help your skin become more beautiful. I bet you will like that.

Listen to Vibe Music

Sometimes, because you are engrossed in finding advanced methods, you often need to pay more attention to these methods. Do you usually listen to music? Every time I listen to the music, my soul feels healed, and when I read the lyrics, it gives me strength, pushing me forward.

But if you want to reduce stress, choosing the right type of music can make a significant difference.

Here are the lovely tips that teach you how you can use vibe music to alleviate stress in a college setting:

Create Personalized playlists with songs that evoke positive emotions, relaxation, or motivation.
Using Instrumentals and Ambient Sounds can help you focus during study sessions or unwind after a challenging day.
Mindful Listening allows you to detach from stressors momentarily.
Different Genres, different moods. Energy upbeat tunes motivate you, while soft melodies can be perfect for winding down before bed.
Attending live Music Events can enhance positive effects and provide a sense of connection.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle is a crucial tool to help you manage stress while studying. You can start by creating a healthy and nutritious diet for your body.

Most of us love coffee because it helps keep our minds alert, and the aroma is irresistible. But if your goal is a healthy life, control your use of too much caffeine, sugar and junk food.

If you can’t give them up, try using them less and find healthier options like fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Also, drink water regularly every day because hydration is critical. It can improve your physical and mental health. If you are dehydrated, your body will be tired and have no energy to exercise.

Exercise every day for about 20 minutes, and it doesn’t matter whether you go to the gym, do yoga, or dance. Keeping your body active and sweating will help you have a healthy body and a refreshing mind to prevent stress.

Final Thought

You may not always be stressed about school, but you definitely have this fear of failing even when you’re studying all the time. It’s a constant whisper at the back of your head. That’s what freaks you out. Fear of failure is what stresses you up.

Anyways, smiles and loved feel. Pick some of the above methods to find the best one for managing your stress.

Navigating Stress and Academic Pressure: Mental Health Tips for College Students

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