Tips for Managing Stress in the Midst of the Semester
Whether it’s your first semester of college or your last one, it is common to feel stressed as assignments and responsibilities build up over the course of the semester. You may feel overwhelmed, spread too thin, and exhausted, without much time to practice self-care. There are several strategies that can help you in preparing for and getting through these difficult periods. Repose therapists can help you with these methods and more to manage college stress and other challenges.
Supporting your basic physical needs
The importance of taking care of your body’s needs may sound simple or obvious, but if we reflect back I’m sure most of us can think of a time when we sacrificed sleep, a nourishing meal, or staying hydrated because we felt too busy and overwhelmed. Then, soon enough, we may have felt frazzled, anxious, foggy, or irritable. Research has shown that it is likely more beneficial to sleep than to spend that time studying leading up to an exam. Our bodies and minds can’t function at their best without energy and rest.
For some people, making a commitment to themselves to prioritize their physical needs is enough. Others may want to discuss this with a roommate or friend to have a partner in accountability.
Coping ahead
Sometimes we know a busy and stressful period of time is coming up, with many deadlines, meetings, and other commitments that are out of our control. We may feel powerless to reduce our stress during that time, but through preparation and learning more about coping strategies we can ease that burden.
Take some time to plan ahead on how you can support yourself practically and emotionally. Are there any assignments or chores you can get ahead on? Try to think ahead and set up a way to take short breaks, whether that’s buying a coloring book, making a playlist of songs you can dance to and feel re-energized, etc. Perhaps planning a fun social event or self-care activity to celebrate the end of this busy period will give you something to look forward to, and an opportunity to unwind once you have more free time.
Engaging with community
Leaning on your support system, connecting with others who are managing similar stresses, and asking for help when needed can all be great options.
When talking to your peers, commiserating and getting study tips can be useful - but be on the lookout for comparison. Comparing how much studying you got done, your grades, etc. is typically not helpful and just sets you up for self-criticism rather than self-compassion.
Remember to ground yourself
Often, the busier we are and the more scattered we feel, the more likely we are to feel disconnected from our bodies and our core selves. Engaging in grounding and mindfulness techniques can enhance our feelings of being present and calm, and help us find moments of peace even during busy and stressful periods of life.
There are a multitude of approaches to grounding and mindfulness that can work for different people. Some places to start could be yoga and breath awareness, dance therapy, and mindfulness meditation. If possible, trying out different methods before a period of high stress is ideal so that you can notice what your body and emotions respond well to, and learn how to incorporate those methods into your life. However, even if you are currently in a period of high stress, setting aside a few minutes to test out different techniques may be very helpful, and could even have immediate effects in making you feel more relaxed and mentally focused.
We hope these methods help, and please feel free to book a consultation for therapy for young adults if you would like to explore stress or other challenges with one of our clinicians.