Stress is something most students deal with, whether it stems from school, your personal life, or both. While a small, level of stress may motivate you to finish your assignments sooner and more efficiently, oftentimes stress can overwhelm us. For me at least, there are times every semester where it’s hard for me to concentrate on my studies because I’m so stressed out that my brain can’t think about anything else. The following are some of the ways that I stop my stress from overwhelming me to the point that I cannot study, as well as how I work on relaxing and letting go of what is stressing me.
Disclaimer: I’m not a therapist (obviously) so if you suffer from clinical depression, anxiety, etc. please see a licensed professional for advice on how to handle it. These tips are all based on my personal experience, but I am in no way suggesting that they will work for everyone. I understand that for some this post may not be helpful and that is ok. Again, I’m just sharing what I do, to deal with my stress, in the hopes that it may help someone else going through the same thing.
Take a deep breath. Set yourself a timer and give yourself five minutes to feel sad, and complain about how much school sucks. When your timer’s finished, you have to move on. Get up, get yourself a glass of water (or coffee), and start working.
Make a list (in your head or on paper) of all the things that are stressing you out. Then go through each one, and either decide how you’re going to fix it, or come up with a statement that explains why you shouldn’t be stressed about it (this last one is for illogical stressors). So for example, my list might look like this:
I’m worried that I’ll get a bad grade on the paper I just submitted
I have a test in three days that I’m not prepared for
I’m worried that I won’t be able to meet all the deadlines for my study abroad app
Then I would come up with solutions. These might look something like this:
Since I already turned in the paper there is no point in worrying about the grade; it’s out of my hands now. But I can always take whatever corrections I get and apply them to the next essay.
I’ll make a study schedule for the next three days, and make sure to prioritize studying for this test.
I’ll set up a meeting with my study abroad advisor to go over all the deadlines I need to meet. Then, I’ll put them on my calendar so that I know when everything is due.
Take a walk outside. Listen to music with headphones while you’re doing it. Try not to think about school or anything else that may be stressing you out. Seriously walking and being outside helps so much; I went through a time where I was pretty depressed and taking like 10+ walks a day was the only thing keeping me going.
If you’re having trouble clearing your mind enough to do homework, listen to music while you’re studying. On days when I’m super stressed, I find that listening to music helps distract my brain from what I’m stressed about, which helps me focus on my assignments.
Do something relaxing to take your mind off of school for a little bit. I know a lot of us in the studyblr community (me included) get overwhelmed with homework, and then feel as if we have to spend every waking minute studying. This is not healthy, and if you’re super stressed it can be worth taking the time to breathe and do something, not school related, that makes you feel good. Make yourself some tea/hot chocolate, do a face mask, read a chapter of your favorite book, etc. Even if it’s only a short break, when you return to your studies you will be in a much better frame of mind to focus on them.
As much as it’s important to take breaks, we can’t avoid our assignments forever. But you can make your studies more enjoyable by creating a relaxing environment to study in. When I know I’m going to have to stay up late to finish my homework, I put my pjs on, make myself some hot chocolate (or coffee depending), light a candle, and turn on my fairy lights. It makes my room feel super cozy, and I don’t mind studying as much because I still feel relaxed. If your anxious about something, doing this can help you relax and thus increase your focus while doing homework.
Talk to someone close to you about what’s stressing you out. Even if they can’t necessarily do anything to help me, I find that voicing my frustrations out loud can make me feel better. At the very least this person can hopefully offer you some encouragement.
Practice positive self-talk. Remind yourself that you are capable of dealing with the things that are stressing you out. Tell yourself what a great person you are. Remind yourself of everything you have already accomplished. I know it sounds cheesy, but affirming yourself, and your abilities, even you don’t necessarily believe it at the moment, can over time help you feel better about yourself. Sometimes, I write positive statements on my mirror using whiteboard markers so that I can see them when I wake up, and remind myself to stay positive.
Another thing that helps me is reminding myself that in five years the thing that’s stressing me out won’t really matter in the long run. Employers five years from now aren’t going to care that I failed a class, no one will remember that embarrassing thing I did in five years, etc. This really helps me put things into perspective.
It sucks that school can have such a huge effect on our mental health, but there are ways to deal with it. The important thing is to realize that you’re stressed out and then figure out what steps you can take to help you feel better, and not let it take over your thoughts. Hopefully, this helps one of you if your struggling with letting go of your stress and with working while super stressed. And remember, my ask box is always open if you just need someone to talk to.
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