The routine of a college student is full of challenges. After all, during this period, it is necessary to be flexible in order to find a balance between personal and academic life.
However, not everyone is able to control the situation in the best way, going through stressful and pressured moments that can affect their mental health.
With this in mind, we have prepared this article to present some practical tips that will greatly contribute to minimizing this problem and making your academic journey easier and healthier.
Happy reading!
Recognizing signs of stress
Stress is a natural response of the body to challenging situations, but when excessive or persistent, it can generate various symptoms and signs that affect both the body and the mind. Therefore, identifying it is essential to adopt effective control practices and, thus, preserve well-being and quality of life.
Signs of stress can be divided into physical, behavioral and academic. Learn more about each of them below!
Physical
- extreme weight loss or gain;
- manifestation of panic or excessive anxiety;
- lack of personal hygiene;
- frequent occurrence of illnesses;
- injuries or marks on the body.
Behavioral
- irritability or impulsivity;
- frequent crying;
- manifestations of anger;
- isolation;
- demonstrations of apathy;
- expressions of hopelessness;
- indicators of suffering.
Academic
- loss of quality in the activities carried out;
- increased absence from classes;
- constant requests for extension of deadlines;
- displays of aggression towards teachers and classmates.
Coping measures play a crucial role in maintaining emotional and mental balance. Therefore, when you identify the symptoms mentioned, you should implement approaches that will not only relieve stress but also promote a state of vitality, which will help you face the obstacles of everyday life with greater serenity and emotional intelligence.
Self-care strategies
To improve your health, well-being and quality of life — and thus reduce stress during your academic career — you can implement some practices. Follow along!
Practice physical activities
Exercise has been known to help reduce depression and anxiety as well as increase self-esteem. There are plenty of options to choose from: running, walking, yoga, swimming, and weight training; just find one that suits you best or enjoy the most.
Develop a balanced routine
A balanced routine is necessary to maintain mental health. Therefore, create a routine that includes time for work , studies, healthy eating, and moments of rest and leisure.
Maintain a good sleep routine
There is no doubt about the importance of sleep for mental health. After all, this time is essential for the body to recover from daily stress. The ideal is to sleep between seven and eight hours a night.
Cultivate good relationships
By cultivating healthy relationships with family, friends and college colleagues, you can gain relevant emotional support to help you deal with stressful situations.
Seek professional help
If you can identify any of the symptoms, and you are feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with anxiety, stress, or depression, you must seek the advice of a licensed mental health practitioner, including psychologists or psychiatrists.
These professionals are able to deal with emotional problems and develop effective measures to face obstacles present during the graduation process.
Time management and organization
The accumulation of activities can be directly associated with ineffective time management — or even a lack thereof. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze what is a priority and check whether you are not taking on more tasks than you can fit into your routine.
In this case, you can use some strategies, such as using a daily planner with the help of a physical diary, planner or smartphone apps. You can also create a study plan, with regular breaks for rest and leisure — like the Pomodoro technique .
The important thing here is to maintain a balanced routine that helps keep pressure and stress under control.
Seeking support and resources
Ideally, the college should have a structured support network for students. When the institution itself offers psychological assistance to students, this process becomes simpler — and this support is essential for identifying problems and dealing with them more assertively.
You can check to see if your school offers trained professionals, such as psychologists or educational counselors, to students. They can help you develop coping skills and help you deal with anxiety and stress in a healthy way.
The college can provide individual appointment times with these professionals, with whom students can discuss their concerns and receive more appropriate guidance.
The professionals on the team are prepared to support students, with sensitivity to identify when something is not right — welcoming communication, with information about the resources offered.
Another thing you can look into is the institution’s policies and how it works to promote a healthy environment. Check if there are open channels of communication between students, teachers, and administrative staff, such as emails, discussion groups, and other means of maintaining an ongoing dialogue. This will allow you to feel more comfortable expressing your doubts, fears, and concerns.
Many colleges can also promote regular meetings between students and teachers to discuss academic and emotional issues, in addition to seeking to create a study schedule that allows for the completion of academic activities, as well as the development of other activities — with time left over for rest and leisure.
As we have seen, it is essential that university students prioritize mental health and seek support when necessary, in addition to creating a culture of care and mutual support within the academic community.
When you identify signs of stress, be sure to put into practice the tips presented in this post to maintain physical and psychological balance, in addition to counting on the help of a qualified professional.