Top 7 Stress Management Tips for Students
Stress affects all students, from graduate level to kindergarten. The term stress refers to the response you have to circumstances that force you to act, change or adjust in some way to keep things in balance. It is your body’s way of responding to any type of demand. It can be caused by both good and bad experiences. In the right dose, stress can be healthy or even pleasurable. However, stress can be very damaging to students when it becomes excessive. It can harm students’ health, happiness, achievement, relationships, and personal development. This article will deal with negative stress management.
Causes of stress in students
Causes of stress in schoolchildren include; bullying, student-teacher mismatch, worries about not having enough friends, not being in the same class as friends, peer pressure, lack of family time, overscheduling of extracurricular activities, insufficient sleep, poor diet, lack of of preparation, noise pollution among others.
As students progress to a different level, the causes of stress often increase. When students go to college, they have to deal with leaving their parents and begin the process of finding their own identity as adults and their place in the world. Therefore, the main causes of stress here will include; the new university or college environment, paying tuition fees, new relationships formed, competitive circumstances, exams, lack of proper time management techniques, peer and parental pressure.
How Students Can Manage Stress
Students can manage stress using various techniques. The most important of these are;
- Learn to manage your time wisely. This is done by establishing a study schedule, dividing the studies into smaller parts. In short, students are advised to formulate, with the help of their teachers and parents, study schedules and respect them.
- The student will also need to have an organization system for taking notes, keeping track of assignments and other important documents.
- Creating a good study environment is also a great stress management tool. Students have different study habits. While some need a completely quiet room free from interruptions, others actually study better with quiet music in the background. A student must choose which one is best for him or her.
- Determine the most appropriate learning style: whether the student is a visual, kinesthetic or auditory learner. Tailoring your study practices to your particular learning styles makes success more attainable and keeps stress at bay.
- Using relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization or imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and yoga. Additionally, being optimistic will help students be healthier, less stressed, and more successful.
- Learning to budget money, spend wisely, and pay bills on time, if any, is very important to student survival and will reduce stress levels.
- Finally, students must take care of their bodies and minds through proper nutrition, some form of physical exercise, and adequate sleep. Seven hours of sleep each night is recommended for optimal body and brain function. Naps, not to exceed one hour, should also be taken when needed.
Following these tips will go a long way in reducing stress and might even help you improve your test performance.