Studying until late at night to finish an assignment? Partying during weekends to “relax”? Handling roommates problems while dealing with your own personal problems? Having coffee a few times a day to stay alert? Having several midterms at the same time? All of those situations are causes or factors of stress in college. And, as students go through stress, they usually try to deal with it by drinking, partying or trying to finish all their homework in one night. While I have to admit it is hard to take time for you in this substantial amount of homework you have, there are still small actions that you can do everyday to deal with your stress. Keep reading for 10 ways to deal with stress at USC!
Students tend to stay up until 4 a.m to finish an assignment while having class the day after at 8 a.m. Insufficient sleep becomes very unhealthy as it can increase your stress levels considerably, and even make you more subject to serious illnesses. The Florida Institute of Technology reveals that “Getting 6-8 hours less sleep than usual over a week can impair mental efficiency and reaction time, and cause depression, anxiety and irritability”. Going to bed before midnight, and I would actually recommend before 11 p.m is a simple action but it will have such a big impact on your stress levels. The ideal sleep time for a college student would be between seven and eight hours according to several studies. Managing to go to bed early is challenging as a college student but setting a sleep time can be a good start to be able to follow this habit. You can also try to relax an hour before going to bed instead of watching television or studying as it will be much easier to fall asleep.
Staying fit is usually the main reason students exercise. However, there are a number of benefits associated to exercise. When you are stressed, you tend to forget about your health and stop exercising because your think you do not have the time to do so. However, even twenty minutes of exercising can have a huge impact on your health and stress levels. Find a type of exercise your enjoy doing and try to do it at least three days a week. It will change your mood considerably and therefore, increase your efficiency during your studying hours.
There is nothing worst that eating pizza slices at 3 a.m as it will decrease your energy levels and therefore, lower your stress levels. Food is a big factor to take into account when going through college. I always tell myself “Healthy food, healthy body, healthy soul” and that drives my everyday routine. I understand it is hard as a college student to cook everyday but have you heard about meal planning? Or, even if you do not cook, dinning halls and other food places near your college usually offer healthier options than fast foods. Try to follow a diet of vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and fruit and you will see the big difference it makes toward you stress.
Being in college can be hard as it is a new environment with new people and new ways of studying. Keeping your feelings inside becomes unhealthy and increases even more your stress. It is important to find a friend, a member of your family, or a professor you can vent to in order to lower your tensions and frustrations. If you cannot find anyone to talk to, seek for counseling sessions in your school; they are professionals and will know how to help you.
Going to yoga classes or just taking a few minutes in the morning to meditate bring your stress levels down and increase your well-being. Colleges usually have yoga clubs to get involved into. Or, you can try to find yoga classes around your campus. If you are not a yoga lover, you can still turn to the art of meditation which consists in taking deep breathes and emptying your mind of negative thoughts. Meditating five minutes every day is still beneficial for you and will positively impact your day.
Coming back to the “healthy body, healthy soul” concept, drinking alcohol becomes detrimental to your health and increase your stress levels. It is important to be responsible and conscious when drinking and keeping the amount of alcohol ingested reasonable or drinking some water between drinks. And if you can stop drinking alcohol, it is even better and will make you much more efficient in your studies.
If you are not really into the whole “exercising” habit, you can try to reduce your stress by pursuing a hobby or passion your love. Not only it will give you a break from your studies, but it will also enable you to empty your thoughts and release any tensions you can have. There are plenty of clubs on campus that can have a connection with your passions.
A coffee once in a while can give you the warmth and cozy feeling coffee provokes. But, filling up your body with considerable amounts of caffeine become very unhealthy as it involves many side effects. Insomnia, nervousness, irritability, upset stomach are some of them. All those side effects are main causes in the increase of your stress. Instead of drinking coffee, you can try green tea as it has a little amount of caffeine. Or, you can simply get enough sleep to be more energized during the day.
It seems simple but listening to music releases stress reducers that help relieving your stress, as shown by a number of studies. Lying down in your bed while listening to music will empty out your thoughts and make you more relaxed. It will create a peaceful environment around you and make your day much more positive. Music is one of the best and easiest ways to deal with stress at USC!
I started journaling a few months ago and found it very therapeutic in reducing my stress. Write about anything that goes through your mind, but avoid writing too much negative thoughts and include more positive ones. Studies have shown that writing positive things that have happened during your day enhances your mood. Keeping a journal will definitely help reducing stress even if it is three sentences. So grab a notebook and start writing folks! It’s one of the most creative ways to deal with stress at USC!
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