Solving the 5 stresses of student life

Who said being a student was easy? 

You might feel like you're the only one struggling to keep on top of things at times. With all the changes happening in your life, it's not surprising you feel the pressure from time to time.

But when these worries start to interfere with your day to day life or dramatically change your mood, it might be more serious than you realise. 

It's important that you can identify the cause of your stress, and are able to tackle it rather than leave it to get the better of you.

Do any of these sound familiar? 

Here are 5 of the most common causes of student stress:

1. Workload/Time Management:
   Lectures, socialising, exercising, cleaning, the list goes on... sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day. 
2. Money Matters:
   It certainly does! But buying big name brands, and grabbing the 3 for 2 offers when you'll struggle to get through 1 is easily done. 
3. Relationships:
   Struggling to form or sustain relationships at uni can be a stressful experience - as is putting up with people who are overpowering and negative. 
4. Group Projects:
   As if trusting your own ability wasn't hard enough, lecturers want you to trust other people's as well?! That's on top of arranging meetings, getting people to show up and actually have input...
5. Competition:
   Whether it's a presentation, applying for a placement year or for a job when you graduate, being in competition with others can put you under pressure.

So, what can YOU do?

• Prepare:
  Make a timetable but DON'T overload. Prioritise what you need to do first and what can afford to wait. Keep time for yourself - it'll help you calm and rationalise what you need to do.
• Sensible spending: 
  Don't stop buying your favourites, just be practical with what you can afford to splurge on. Check out the Spending Tracker app to help you try and budget.
• Talk:
  Try talking to a flatmate or course friend about your worries and get involved with what they're doing. You can also join a society or club or attend a Social Programme event. It's not too late, so don't be shy. Isolating yourself will make things seem worse. You can even chat with your Wellbeing Rep. If someone is being overpowering or negative, step away and focus on other friends. 
• Take control:
  For group work, figure out the best way to communicate, set check-in points and aim to finish a few days before the deadline (accidents happen). If people aren't pulling their weight, inform your lecturer.
• Be positive:
  You wouldn't have made it to where you are if you weren't capable of the tasks at hand. You can do it!

Don't let the stress take over...

Try and avoid substances high in fat or sugars as these can aggravate stress levels, and take part in regular exercise. This will release chemicals that make you feel good and motivated.

Also, be sure to get enough sleep and take time away from technology. Failing to switch off when you need a break will only make you more stressed out. 



Finally, just remember- if you are experiencing feelings like this that are really affecting you, you might want to catch-up with your Wellbeing Rep.

You can attend a drop-in session or arrange a time by emailing here4u@arts.ac.uk (please reference your hall in the subject line).