As August comes to an end and September rolls around the corner, students start to turn their thoughts back to school. Life on a university campus is lively and amusing, but if a proper balance of fun and schoolwork is not established, life on campus can quickly become stressful. In order to be a successful college student, you must learn how to deal with stress in an effective manner. To help you avoid the tears, headache, and worry that comes with stress, here are some tips for managing and avoiding stress.
One way you can avoid becoming stressed is engaging in positive self-talk. This is an easy way to evade stress because we all talk to ourselves each and every day, be it out loud or inside our heads. Positive self-talk includes thoughts such as, “I can do this” or, “Everything will work out for the best.” Negative self-talk would comprise of thoughts such as, “I am so stupid” or, “I will never be able to do this.” Negative self-talk induces stress, while positive self-talk helps you relax, regroup, and release yourself from the claws of stress. In order to improve your ability to talk yourself out of stress, practice every day – while you drive, before you go to sleep, or whenever you notice you are thinking negative thoughts. Some positive thoughts that could help you relieve stress are:
· “Things could always be worse.”
· “Someday I will look back on this situation and laugh.”
· “I won’t let this issue get me down.”
· “At least I still have my health.”
· “I can work all of this out.”
· “I can always get help if I need it.”
· “I can handle this situation if I take it one step at a time.”
· “I’m only human, and humans all make mistakes.”
My close friend’s favorite way of relieving stress is curling up on the couch and watching television with a big, hot cup of tea. If you feel comfortable, stressful thoughts will become less prominent. Engaging in activities you enjoy is an easy and natural way to prevent stress. You can find pleasure in simple things, such as reading a good book, listening to a song you love, talking with a friend, walking under the stars, or going for a long drive with the windows down. To keep yourself at a healthy level of stress, try to do at least one thing you love each day, even if you only do it for ten or fifteen minutes. Some enjoyable activities you can do are:
· Starting up a new hobby, like painting, exercising, writing, or photography.
· Starting an art project. You could create a scrapbook of your family and friends, finger paint with your little sister or cousins, make frames to put your favorite pictures in, or re-decorate your room for a fresh, new feel.
· Have coffee or a meal with friends, or make plans to do something that you all find fun.
· Read your favorite book, magazine, blog site, or newspaper.
· Make a list of goals, dreams, and things you would like to accomplish this year. Some items on my list are to become a leader, begin a new workout plan, eat healthier, and return to China for the second round of study abroad.
· Watch movies or TV shows that will make you laugh and feel giddy
· Learn something new. Take to the Internet or take a new class at your local college to explore a subject that interests you, such as psychology or philosophy – maybe take up a new language or read about a country and culture with which you are not yet familiar.
My personal method of dealing with stress is letting all of my anger, frustration, anxiety and negativity out. I usually release all of my tension by writing and listening to calming music. Yoga music, Starbucks playlists, ambient music, and instrumental music typically help me to relax. Most importantly, I let myself cry long and hard. I always feel so much better after a good cry. After I cry, I go right to sleep. Sleeping makes me feel rejuvenated in the morning, like I can put the past behind me and keep moving forward with renewed energy and motivation. My little sister is not one to cry, but I can always hear her scream into her pillow in her room to release her stress. My mother relieves her stress by exercising. Studies have shown that exercise is one of the most effective ways of dealing with stress because when you exercise, your body releases extra endorphins. Endorphins are a chemical inside the body that help relieve pain and induce happiness. Plus, once you finish a work out, you feel accomplished, and the feeling of accomplishment will inevitably lead to self-satisfaction and straying from stress.
In order to avoid feeling stressed, it is important that you manage your time well. I manage my time by writing everything I have to do down on a calendar so I can visualize my schedule. I also make sure that I focus on my responsibilities before I focus on having fun. If you keep your priorities a priority, you will finish them faster and be able to spare more time for relaxation and fun. Also, make sure to engage in some activities that make you happy during your free time to keep yourself sane and stress-free.
Another way to avoid feeling stressed is to embrace mistakes and imperfections. Perfectionism takes stress to new heights and makes it ten times heavier; perfectionism is often the catalyst for depression, addiction, anxiety, and life-paralysis (missing out on opportunities because you are too afraid to put yourself out in the world for fear of being imperfect). Nobody is perfect, and you learn best by making mistakes. Focusing on being mistake-free causes unnecessary anxiety and is mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting. Do not put that kind of pressure on yourself! Making mistakes leads to personal growth, and personal growth leads to positivity and satisfaction with one’s life. Finally, make sure to get a good rest each and every night. There is nothing a good night’s sleep cannot fix. Getting enough sleep will also help you to keep your grades up, accomplish more, and feel healthier.
If you follow my advice and practice some of these tips, you can make this school year the best one yet. Always believe in yourself, your abilities and the power of good choices. You are the future, so don’t let stress hold you back!
To learn more about how stress can negatively affect your health and for more tips on how to manage stress, visit these helpful links:
http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/tips-to-control-stress.
http://www.studygs.net/stress.htm
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm
Photo source:
http://www.dalinex.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/stress.jpg
http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l543/hercampusphoto/Places/Gym%20or%20stadium/gym.jpg