Author Name: Olivia Anderson
Like most university students, balancing your classes, outside activities, personal responsibilities, and perhaps a job can send your stress level soaring. If you are not careful in knowing how to properly manage your stress, you could find yourself dealing with a variety of physical and emotional problems that could greatly affect your grades and other parts of your life. To properly manage your stress, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Get Plenty of Sleep
While you may think you can get by with very little sleep and still manage to keep your grades up and everything else in your life going smoothly, your body and mind will say otherwise. If you make it a priority to get at least seven or eight hours of sleep each night, you will improve your concentration, find yourself feeling happier each day, and notice most things don’t bother you as much as they once did. If you skimp on sleep, this can affect your immune system, meaning you’ll be getting sick more often and missing class.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Yes, eating fruits and vegetables will be a great way to reduce your stress level. Contrary to what you and many other college students may think, a slice of pizza is not always the cure-all for what ails you. When you eat a healthy and balanced diet, this improves your mood, strengthens your immune system, and helps you avoid indigestion. Along with eating lots of nutritious foods, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to eat those meals since eating on the run is always stressful.
Get Regular Exercise
When you are living in TTU student housing at The Bloc, get some regular exercise between classes by taking advantage of The Bloc’s 24-hour fitness center. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are critical to helping you relax. This means you will sleep better, have a more positive outlook, and be less prone to feeling bad physically or emotionally. Remember, regular exercise does not have to mean strenuous exercise. In fact, you can try doing some yoga, walking on a treadmill, or whatever type of exercise best suits your needs.
Avoid Stimulants
While it may seem like the perfect solution to your stress problem, drinking lots and lots of coffee or energy drinks will only make things much worse in the long run, especially when all that caffeine goes away and results in you crashing hours later. When you rely on stimulants such as these, they actually increase the cortisol levels in your body, meaning you will feel even more stressed than you did before you took that first sip.
Have a Hobby
After you have spent all week going to classes, working, and studying, having a hobby you can look forward to doing in your free time can be a fantastic way to relax. This can be anything you enjoy, such as playing a musical instrument, birdwatching, watching or participating in sports, arts and crafts, or even playing video games. Once you find something to do that lets you get lost in another world, you’ll find you worry less and less about things you often can’t control.
Don’t be Too Hard on Yourself
If you had a rough week in class and got a grade or two that were a bit lower than you would have preferred, don’t be too hard on yourself. Should you start telling yourself that you are stupid or don’t have what it takes to graduate from college, you are subjecting yourself to lots of unnecessary stress. Instead, take a step back, realize that you did your best, and figure out what you can do to improve your situation moving forward.
Socialize with Friends and Family
Finally, don’t keep yourself isolated. Instead, make plans to socialize with your family and friends as much as possible. When you do, you’ll find yourself laughing and having a good time, which will always send stress levels lower and lower. To best manage your stress, you should probably use several of these tips. If you do, you’ll discover that healthy food, exercise, and spending time with your BFF and others will help you keep life in its proper perspective.
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