Top Four Effective Stress Management Tips for College Students
Diva Aulia Rahman | 6 Februari 2022
Stress is almost inevitable in every students’ life. Heavy assignment workloads, social pressure, and even financial problems are just a few examples of the source of stress for college students. The effect of short-term stress itself can be beneficial for students by creating an adrenaline rush that could serve as a booster in tackling tasks and challenges. However, long-term stress could lead to adverse effects if left unaddressed. Hence, students need to be capable of managing their stress, and here are the top four ways to do it.
1. Consuming Healthy Foods
Although it may be as dull as it sounds for some people, eating healthy and nutritious foods can help students manage their stress. The first thing to know is that stress adversely affects blood flow which could impede the performance in daily activity. The consumption of healthy foods can counteract this issue since it brings a key benefit of improving blood flow and nutrient delivery to the brain.
It should be noted that it does not mean eating pizza or other types of junk foods is strictly prohibited. However, it should be a reminder to avoid having a poor diet containing fast foods, high sugar foods, and other unhealthy meals.
2. Have proper and enough sleep
Having an adequate duration of sleep is crucial for every people due to the fact that it recharges our body and brain performance. According to the American Psychological Association, even the slightest obstruction in sleep quality can negatively affect mood, memory, and judgment. As a result, poor sleep renders people more impulsive, sensitive to negative stimuli, and deteriorates decision-making ability, which could impede the capability to conduct tasks and assignments.
Of course, it is easier said than done to have a proper sleep as a student due to the tight academic and non-academic activities schedule. Nevertheless, it is vital to remember that long-term sleep problems could significantly increase the stress level while also putting health at risk of being exposed to obesity, high blood pressure, and other illnesses.
3. Regular Exercise
Some people might overlook that exercising has a marvelous effect on mental health by reducing stress and instead view it as advantageous merely to physical well-being. As a matter of fact, regular exercise can help the body reduce stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. Other than that, it also helps to pump the production of endorphins that create a “feel good” effect and serve as a mood lifter.
Additionally, exercises and sports can also become a short escape from the restless list of work and even helpful to make connections and friends, which can improve mood, help to relax, and reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
4. Effective Time Management
A stretch of tight assessment deadlines, working part-time, and still having to watch lecture videos will lead to one essential skill that should be possessed to do all these things simultaneously: time management. Having a list of “to-do” priorities and a clear plan with important milestones would give a direction on what and when the tasks are meant to be executed. Implementing effective time management will allow our body to have a proportional time of when to work and rest, which brings stability towards life.
Hence, it is highly advisable for students to learn to manage time as soon as possible because sooner or later, there will be a time when applying this particular skill is muchly needed either on academic or non-academic related tasks.