Managing stress

Stress and university study

As a university student, you may experience stress arising from:

• Balancing the demands of your course with other things going on in your life
• Not knowing what steps to take to progress toward your goals and deadlines
• Mismatch between your expectations and outcomes of study tasks
• Overwhelm at times when there is a lot to do
• Uncertainty about how you are progressing in your studies.

Stress can be helpful

It’s important to remember that stress is a normal part of daily life. Some degree of stress can even be motivating.

It can be useful to ask yourself if the stress you are experiencing is helpful and productive, or impacting you negatively. If you are feeling overwhelmed, burned out or distressed, it’s time to consider strategies for reducing stress.

Stress management strategies

The first step in reducing harmful stress is to learn about your stressors. Take note of the situations that are stressful for you and notice your physical and emotional reactions.

Identify your stressors

Ask yourself what it is about the situation that is stressful for you. Talking to peers, mentors or friends, journalling, freewriting or solo reflection time can all be good ways to do this.

The next step is to decide on an approach. Does it make more sense for you to:

• Change the situation that is causing stress; or
• Change your response to the situation ?

Change the situation

Once you have identified what it is that feels most stressful, brainstorm what you can do to control, lessen or avoid that particular factor, either now, or for next time.

Here are some examples of stressful situations, and strategies to try:

• Worried things might ‘go wrong’ on the day of an exam? Use an exam day checklist to ensure (and reassure yourself) that you are fully prepared to wake up on time, arrive early enough, and with all of the materials needed.
• Not sure which topics to focus on or how to make sure you cover everything? Set up a revision planner to cover topics systematically, set goals and track your progress.
• Unsure how to even start that big essay? Consider using a writing process to guide you through the first steps for any written assignment.

Still stuck for strategies? Make an appointment with an Academic Skills Adviser, who can help to suggest strategies for these situations, and many more.

Change your response

If you can’t avoid the stressor, can you reduce its intensity by managing it differently? The following strategies can help you to change the way you respond to situations that usually provoke stress or overwhelm.

• Physical techniques can lessen stress. Consider breathing exercises, relaxation, stretching or even exercise.
• Cognitive techniques such as mindfulness practice, positive reframing and visualisation exercises also work well for many people.
• Notice your own self-talk and try to moderate extreme emotional responses. Don’t focus on the negatives or ‘what if?’ statements; rather, try to be objective in your assessment of the situation. Be wary of falling into traps such as perfectionism   and procrastination  .

Try different techniques and reflect on what works for you.

Building positive habits

In addition to strategies for responding to stress as it arises, here are some ways to build a positive, resilient mindset to carry you through those high-stress periods.

Maintain your physical reserves

It’s always a good idea to look after your physical health, but particularly leading up to exams and assessment deadlines, make sure to prioritise good quality sleep, nutrition and exercise.

Maintain your emotional reserves

Spend time maintaining mutually supportive friendships and relationships. Choose people you can trust and talk to them about the things you are finding stressful. Pursue realistic goals that are meaningful to you; do things that you are good at and that you like.

Expect some frustrations and failures and remember how you have managed to resolve these situations in the past.