This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bates chapter.
As college students, I think we can all relate to having stress. At some point or another, everyone probably thinks, “How in the world am I going to deal with all this?” Between academics, extracurricular activities, and social lives, we’re all busy, and it can be hard to manage the stressors of college life. Throughout my time at Bates, I’ve developed a few strategies that have come in handy, and decided I would share some to potentially help a fellow bobcat. I also asked a friend to share a couple of tips of her own, because everyone deals with stress differently.
- Try to stay on top of your work as it’s assigned. This can be super tricky since schedules get extremely busy, but if you start working on assignments as early as possible, you can avoid having them all pile up later and cause you more stress.
- Find time to exercise, whatever that means for you. When I’m stressed, I find that running or rock-climbing is always a great way to release some excess energy and help me concentrate better on work later. Whether it’s playing ultimate Frisbee or doing yoga, working out can help relieve stress, which makes you feel better.
- My friend, Gaby, recommended talking to friends. “It can be anything from talking about said stress and getting advice on how to deal with it to just talking to them about something completely different and thinking about something that isn’t what I’m stressed about.”
- Gaby also suggested a hot cup of tea and maybe a cookie. Yum!
- If you’re feeling really overwhelmed by work, speak with your advisor or professors. They want to help their students, and it’s possible that other students have voiced similar problems to them.
- Seek help from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). The staff at CAPS is really great, and they’re there to help students with managing mental health. Not only is it sometimes helpful to talk through your stress, but they can also suggest ways in which you can better manage it.
Good luck, and take care of yourself!
Main image courtesy of Unsplash.