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PASS: Peer Assisted Student Success: Read PASS Leader Fran's Latest Blog. Here she discusses how she has handled uni stress.

by Craig Martin on 2020-03-23T12:22:37+00:00 | 0 Comments

How to combat uni related stress 

*note: I am not a mental health professional this is just how it has helped me to relax as I suffer from anxiety, it may not work the same way for others. 

I’ll be the first to admit that I occasionally experience stress related to university (if I’m being completely honest, it probably happens at least twice a week). Who doesn’t?  

If you are one of those people who doesn’t experience this sort of stress; firstly, I’m very jealous, and second, this post might still help you. 

Uni related stress can be anything, from worrying over whether you’ll leave home in time to get to campus, get a drink and maybe a snack, and to class without being even a little late, to getting assignments in on time and trying to avoid that three-day period after the deadline which means you’ll still only get a pass even if you’ve done well (argh!).  

Fear no more! To help combat these stresses, I’ve compiled a list that will hopefully help lessen their impact on you in the future. (these are listed in no particular order) 

Getting to class on time (after getting something from the SU Shop/cafes)  

  • Have an early night so you get enough sleep, and set an alarm for a time you know you’ll get up at (and not hit the snooze button)  
  • Get everything you need for the next day ready the night before, so you aren’t rushing around in the morning trying to find various things  
  • Know what you want to buy before you go to the shop or café, so you don’t spend an age browsing  

Getting assignments in on time  

  • Start planning your essays/projects as soon as you can, or as soon as you feel comfortable doing so, so that you know what you’re doing 
  • Mark the deadlines on your calendar and in your diary, both physical and digital – so that you’re less likely to forget  
  • Create a “study schedule” for yourself, you can use your calendar/diary for this or create a brand-new schedule on Word, Excel etc. – and mark when you are going to work on an assignment and for how long, and when you are going to have a break – if you work too hard you may wear yourself out and suffer from mental and/or physical exhaustion, preventing you from working on your assignments any further 
  • Book tutorials with your tutors whenever you can; this will enable to you ask about anything you’re unsure about, and get on with your assignments without anything to distract you later 
  • Listen to motivational music, any music that gives you motivation to get work done; for me it’s mostly the music of Marcus WarnerSteven Coltart (who have collaborated in the past) and often BrunuhVille which does this for me 

Lunch (a simple thing, but this can still create stress for some people) 

  • Create a little calendar or plan of what you want to eat during the week on the days you’re in classes that span the morning and afternoon (for example 10am-2pm) and meal prep 
  • If you don’t have time to make lunch the night before or in the morning, for any given reason, double-check your purse or wallet to make sure you have money or your credit/debit card so you can buy something  
  • The joy of leftovers! If you know you won’t have time to make your lunch the night before, before you go to bed or in the morning, make more than usual when you make dinner and set some aside for lunch the next day, or check the fridge for anything you’ve made previous nights and take some of that with you (provided it’s still good to eat, of course) – the freezer is also a good place to check  
  • These last two aren’t necessarily linked with uni stress specifically, but can nevertheless help with it and other stresses life can fling at you 

Time for me 

  • Block out a day(s) in your calendar that you want to take for yourself, the days that you just want to spend on your own at home, or going for a walk, pamper day etc 

Relaxation  

  • Switch off, put your phone/laptop/tablet away somewhere, or have your friend/boyfriend/family member hold them hostage, for a given amount of time and do something that doesn’t involve looking at a screen, i.e. read, go for a walk, do some work in a colouring book  
  • Mediation, this can be an excellent way to de-stress if you have a busy mind/suffer from anxiety and need some way to relax and help you to let go of the stresses that can come with being a university student, and help to control breathing, if you don’t like meditating in silence, there are apps that you can download which have guided mediations, as well as meditation playlists on YouTube or Spotify/Amazon Music 
  • Relaxing music, any type of music that you find relaxes you fits into this category, whether its classical, country, rock, or pop. Personally, I find that some Irish music, and specific music by artists such as Marcus Warner, BrunuhVille (mentioned earlier) and Lindsey Sterling (among others) relaxes me 
  • And that’s my little list of ways to help g you, and I hope some of my tips help you 
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