How Do Students Deal with Stress?
The internet is full of advice on how to deal with stress in school. Scientists and psychologists are constantly coming out with new research and ideas about how to combat stress, particularly in regard to homework. Despite this huge variety of advice and ideas, one thing most people agree on is that everybody is different. Different habits work for different people. This week we were able to ask several students what they do to deal with stress in school. Perhaps their responses will help you in dealing with your own stress, whether in school or in other areas of your life.
“Don’t procrastinate and do a little bit of homework each day. Do homework before you do something fun.” – Dain, Age 22
“I’ll sometimes take a break or relieve stress by going with my roommate to get food. We’d just hang out for a little bit and maybe watch a movie or TV show while we ate.” – Amy, Age 19
“The way I deal with stress in school is just like anything else. I give my brain chances to let out all the bad stuff, recharge, and go back at it. When I do things to alleviate my stress, it’s not just doing whatever I want. It’s productive things that require 100% of my attention, things that I can set an easy time limit for. I usually do something like working out, reading a book, making a phone call, watching a TV show for an episode or two, or playing guitar. Honestly, it’s all personal, but if you give your brain a chance to let go, you find when you start again, you’re able to think much clearer than before.” – Noah, Age 20
“I deal with stress from school by making sure I take time in the day to do some form of self-care. I think it’s really important to put your needs before anything else, otherwise you won’t have the energy or motivation to get things done. Things like reading a book, stepping out in nature, or exercising really help me.” – Bailee, Age 18
“It took me a very long time to learn how to prioritize. I was a procrastinator all through high school and you could see it in my grades. Now that I’m in college, I have a priority list for every day. High priority items get done and anything else I can gauge whether I’m still okay to keep going. Also, TAKE A BREAK. Spend 10 minutes outside in the fresh air. It can help more than you’d expect.” – Emma, Age 21
“To help with stress in school I make sure to have everything planned out. I make a list of all the assignments I have and when they are due, so I know what to work on first. When I get really stressed I take a break and go for a walk or do something fun.” – McCall, Age 22