As the semester has now entered full steam ahead and exam dates become seemingly closer and closer you may feel your heart beating just a little bit faster with the thought of the impending studying, and projects which lie ahead. However do not fear, as there are some things you can do to reduce your stress from a 10 down to a 1.
- Try some yoga
Yoga is a great way to cut down on stress and become mindful of the stressors which are affecting you. Doing yoga is a great way to learn the tools necessary in order to find inner peace such as deep breathing, stretching, and mindful meditation. There are a plethora of videos online for starting off, however, I also recommend looking into a nearby yoga studio as guided in-person mediation can really help.
2.) Prioritize
Feeling overwhelmed can often arise from not knowing what to do first, and not knowing when to end. Take some time to create a weekly planner where you can set out your homework, objectives, goals and other things you feel you may need to be complete is a really great way to keep on top of things. Having a clear set plan is crucial to diminishing the feeling of having too much to do in too little time.
3.) Balance work and play
Sometimes working for hours on end leads to lowered productivity and a diminished work efficiency. In conjunction with your weekly planner, try taking a 15-minute break every hour in order to give your mind a rest and refocus. Even though you may lose some time studying overall, the final quality of the studying will be much better.
4.) Put your life in perspective
For some of us this time of the year may equate to university applications, or a new high school or our freshman year of postsecondary. Whatever the situation may be, humans tend to magnify situations to the extreme. If you had a bad quiz, or a bad game or something just did not go the way you planned, remind yourself “it is not the end of the world. 20 years from now what seemed like a huge deal will probably be something you forgot about until you were reminded about it by this blog post. At the end of the day, you have to remember “life is too short to start worrying about things that have already happened, and not worth worrying about things that haven’t even transpired”
5.) Get some sleep
Sleep is a vital player in your success throughout the day, therefore not getting enough can drastically diminish your performance throughout the day, thus leading to more stress as a result of your inability to effectively focus and get work done. Try to aim for 8-10 hours per night in order to feel prepared, refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
Overall stress can be caused by a variety of factors and therefore numerous solutions can all aim to reduce stress. Hopefully, this list gives you an idea of some good ways to reduce stress and mitigate them going into the busiest part of the year
