Stress Management for Students

It's that time of year again. Houses are decorated inside and out with lights, Christmas music is on everywhere, and everyone is in a good mood. Except for the college student, who is now neck deep in the projects and finals they are preparing for. And for many of these college students, they may be reasonably stressed from all this pressure to perform well in their classes, especially since these last projects and tests are worth a large portion of their grade. And if you're like me, you are looking for any kind of help to alleviate this stress, and luckily there are some ways to cope.

Many schools offer some sort of website that offers tips to relieve stress, and the one I draw from is the University of Michigan. To begin, you can start by making goals for yourself. This can be for days or weeks. This will help you manage your time better, which is something most college students need to work on, myself included. Also, you could try making to do lists. This is another form of goal setting that gives you clear things to accomplish and it feels great to be able to check something off of a to do list you have. This is not as effective at time management though, so whichever works best for you is perfectly fine.

Stress can cause a lot of pent up energy that you feel the need to get off your chest. This can be compounded by over-consumption of caffeine, which should be limited. A good way to burn off the energy is to work out. Many people vouch for the help that exercising has on their mood and stress. Another way to decrease stress is by making time for leisure activities that you find enjoyable. You can be too easily burnt out by only focusing on work and school. Everybody needs "me time."

With all these in mind, the number one thing that someone can do to decrease stress is to take care of themselves and their body. This means getting an average of eight hours of sleep a night, and eating a balanced diet, not just fast food. This includes what I said earlier about limiting caffeine consumption, as it can make you jittery and cause dehydration. Too often students will cast away these things as they are more concerned about other things, but your health should always come first.