Managing Your Studying Stress”

It’s no secret that college life can be stressful. You have to study for exams and write term papers in multiple classes. Sometimes, those projects and assignments occur all at once, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the weight of the pressure and expectations. This can even happen when you’re studying abroad.

And it you’re prone to anxiety, depression or another mental health disorder, then studying stress could overwhelm you even more. So, what do you do to manage your studying stress? Follow these tips to ease your mind and be the best and less stressed student you can possibly be:

Be mindful of your time.

Effective time management can help you feel less stressed. If you have a lot of studying and writing to do, try to do that work in smaller chunks. If you have a midterm exam on a Friday, then try to not cram for the test the night before. While you may feel like you know the content (and you may very well know it), try to study at least a few days in advance. You will be able to retain the content better because you aren’t having to study all 10 chapters of your textbook all at once. Study two per day leading up to the exam.

Do your schoolwork, even when you’re not in the mood.

The perfect mood hardly ever exists for studying and doing other schoolwork. If you’re waiting for the “right” conditions, you could be waiting forever. Motivate yourself to do your schoolwork, even when you don’t want to. While this can be stressful in itself, try to reward yourself with small five minute breaks to look at your social media and check text messages. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, then talk with someone who gets it, like a fellow classmate, family member or friend. You could also chat with a licensed mental health professional or read articles on BetterHelp to work through even the most stressful times.

Schedule some relaxation time.

This is important for your mental health. While you may want to study and write to your student heart’s content, you need to set aside some time to do something fun. Reward yourself with some down time after you have been writing, researching and studying for a long period of time. Watch a couple of episodes of your favorite Netflix show, sightsee, have dinner with a friend, grab a cup of coffee — do whatever makes you feel relaxed. You will feel better prepared to tackle the rest of your work.

Have a healthy lifestyle.

When you’re constantly on the go and heading to classes and work, it could be difficult to retain healthy habits for your physical and mental wellbeing. Stay away from soda and limit your caffeine intake. Exercise, have a healthy diet and get enough sleep. Make sure you’re taking time to socialize with others. You can concentrate better if you are putting more healthy things into your body and also giving your mind a rest.

These tips and more can help you reduce your stress levels when they are at their peaks.