In the midst of essay deadlines and revising for exams, its easy to forget the most important person in your life: you! This can be an extremely anxious time of year for students, and for many people, it can be difficult to cope. If you feel like you are struggling, the most important thing is that you reach out and tell someone who can help.
That in mind, here are are a few tips to beat the revision blues and help you maintain good mental health during the next few weeks.
Give yourself a break
If you’re working 10 hours a day in the library with a just short luch break, its no wonder you’re feeling overwhelmed. Work in half-hour or 45 minute chunks and then take a 10 minute break to get some fresh air or a snack and a drink. This will help you maintain concentration and improve the quality of your work as well as keep you feeling calm throughout the day. Factoring in time to relax is also important; schedule your work sessions so that you work in the day and have evenings free or vice versa. When you’ve finished studying, watch a movie, go for a drink or cook a nice meal – anything that is unrelated to uni work! Studies have shown that your brain continues to unconsciously process information when you aren’t studying, so taking a break doesn’t equate to slacking!
Exercise
Probably one of the most important things you can do to relieve stress, exercise is a fantastic way to sweat away your worries. Do a yoga tutorial, go for a walk or run, swim, climb, gym, dance – the options are endless, but finding something you enjoy kills two birds with one stone. Not only are you having fun and releasing endorphins but you are letting go of the pent up energy you’ve accumulated during your hours at the library and doing wonders for your body.
Eating
The student diet stereotypically consists of Dominoes, pasta and Sainsburys basics vodka. It goes without saying that this is not the best thing for your body or mind. You need to be getting lots of nutrients to help your brain function and a balanced diet will make you feel good! This means getting enough protein, carbohydrate and fruit and veg. Of course you can treat yourself to a chocolate bar, some biscuits or a pizza now and again – do not attempt to cut food out or go on a “diet” during this stressful period. Food is comforting and if having a sweet treat in moderation makes you happy then go for it! But be sensible with your choices and mindful about what you’re shovelling into your mouth. Replace takeaways with fresh homemade food, fizzy drinks with tea and water and go easy on the sugar, which will make your energy levels crash eventually.
Socialise
Not everyone likes to socialise, so if you’re more of an introvert its completely fine to unwind and have alone time. However, shutting yourself away in your room 24/7 might make you feel worse than if you spent some time with your housemates or friends. Even simply meeting up with someone in the ASS cafe on your lunch break or watching some TV with a friend before bed can be great for your mood. Take full advantage of the people around you and don’t become a hermit because you think it helps you “focus”.
Ask for help
If you have a lot on your plate, one of the best things you can do is to simply let someone know you’re feeling stressed. Whether this be your mum, your personal tutor or a friend, don’t hold your feelings in. If you’re not feeling great mentally but you’re not sure how to bring it up, one of the best ways is to ask that person “how are you feeling mentally at the moment?” or “how are you coping with uni?” This will most likely lead to the person asking you back. Creating open dialogues about mental health can help reduce the stigma and “stiff upper lip” mentality. Not everyone has a support network around them, which can make this difficult. However, there are a number of ways you can talk to someone:
Contact your personal tutor, your senior resident if you’re in halls, Nightline, Student Health Services and Student councelling are available to support you.