This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Helsinki chapter.
Our midterms are just around the corner! Here are few tips for all of you students out there who are struggling to manage your stress and anxiety levels at this time.
- Listen to music: Research has shown that music with a slow and serene tempo can create a calm meditative state. These changes in brainwave activity levels also help the brain to shift speeds more easily on its own. This means that even after you stopped listening, music is contributing lasting benefits to your mind and mood.
- Exercise: Exercising has many health benefits, and is especially useful in reducing stress levels. It produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulates stress and anxiety. While exercising your body produces chemicals called endorphins, which trigger positive feelings in the body, boosting ones mood. I recommend taking advantage of UniSport services, which offer many forms of exercise such as yoga.
- Eat Right: Eating healthy and balancing your diet is the best alternative in the long run. But honestly every now and then indulging in your favourite foods when you feel like it is also a good idea. This is because feel-good foods are also helpful in boosting your mood. Also give these stress-reliving foods a try: Blueberries – the antioxidants and phytonutrients fight in your defence, improving your body’s stress reactions. Dark chocolate – in addition to tasting great, eating dark chocolate reduces your stress reactions. Pistachios – eating pistachios may reduce acute stress by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure
- Plan ahead: There will be times when you feel exhausted and stressed due to overwhelming amounts of work and lack of sleep. That’s university life for you. This happens to every student once in a while. The key is anticipating when this might happen. When you learn to anticipate these stressful situations, handling them in the future will be easier. Learn to balance taking care of your physical health, doing the things you have to, and doing the things you like to do for fun.
- Visit a study psychologist at university: If your stress feels overwhelming and it feels like you can’t handle it alone, you should consider using the services of a study psychologist. They are trained to help you cope with stress, anxiety and help you regain motivation. You can choose between one-on-one guidance, small groups offering peer support, or online courses for stress control.