The final few months of uni are approaching, and let’s just say, I can already feel myself wanting to curl up into my bed, and only come out when it’s summertime. If that sounds like you, these tips will help you lower your stress and anxiety, and make you feel more calm and collected.
We’ve all been in these high pressure and stressful situations before, so why does it never get easier? Having these 5 things implemented into your routine will help you lower stress and anxiety. (I know I will be using these A LOT)!
1. Plan plan plan
There is nothing worse than looking at all of the deadlines, essays and assignments you have, and not knowing where to start. That leaves you overwhelmed and more likely to procrastinate till the last second!
Having a good plan is VITAL! Here are my tips:
- Grab your calendar and write down your timetable, and every tutorials/meetings you know in it. Starting with this means you can now plan around it and see what free time you have.
- Write down every deadline you have and highlight it. Having your deadlines clearly visible means you will not forget about them.
- Allocate time outside of your timetable to work on these deadlines. Now you know when your free time is, use some of that time to get a head start. Whether that’s 30 minutes every day, 1 hour every day, or 3 hours every other day, make sure you are dedicating time to get closer and closer to your goal. This is attainable and means you don’t have to cram 48hrs of work in before the deadline!
- Plan how many words (or whatever equivalent) you need to do every week, starting now, to finish before the deadline. This is probably the most useful tip and one that has helped me the most in making sure I’m never late for a deadline. Whether it’s how many words you need to complete every week, research that needs to get done, etc, separating it into small chunks every week, over a 12 week period sounds a lot more manageable than cramming months worth of work in one week!
- Set a fake deadline date one week before the actual deadline. And aim to get your work done for this time. This will take the pressure off, as when you get to the ‘fake’ deadline, you will have one more week to go through any amendments and minor changes. You can then submit it early and forget about it. (There’s no better feeling than closing all of your open tabs down that you’ve been looking at for weeks).
P.s, an honourable mention to the planner I am using right now: it’s the ‘Hello Day Planner’. I have the ‘original 2023 daily planner: crème’ and it is beautiful! It has everything I need in a planner. It was once of my Christmas splurges to myself for the new year, and I love it because it has all 12 months in there, theres nothing I hate more, than having to buy planners all year because they only last a few months! I would highly recommend spending that extra few £’s on this. It came BEAUTIFULLY packaged and with a lovely note from the owners. https://www.hellodayplanner.com/
2. Have a good sleep schedule (or as good as you can as a student at uni)
I know this one is not what you want to hear. But waking up midday, strolling into your lecture and going back to sleep when you get home is not going to get you very far if you want to do well in your exams (unless you are extremely gifted, then I am very jealous).
At least 5 days a week try to have a consistent sleep schedule. Waking up early (preferably the same time) and getting 8 hours of sleep per night, is not only going to allow you to have more energy, therefore having a more productive day, it is beneficial for your mental health (which we are trying to keep in check, especially during these last few months at uni).
Here are some tips in getting a good sleep schedule:
- Prioritise a good night routine. I can go more in depth on this, but the key is making sure your are winding down, at least 1 hour before bed and signalling to your brain that its time to wind down. This can be done by putting on your Pyjamas, taking your makeup off, having a relaxing bath, curling up on the sofa with a good book, relaxing yoga or stretching, etc. Try to get off social media and prioritise yourself.
- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. This helps your circadian rhythm, eventually making it easier for you to naturally go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. This is beneficial because circadian rhythms affect hormones, eating habits, digestion and body temperature.
- Prioritise a good morning routine. Waking up early can be hard. I don’t know how many times I have snoozed my alarm, and slept in another HOUR after I should have been up.
Tips to wake up earlier:
- Put your phone out of reaching distance, forcing you to get up, or stretch more than usual to turn off your alarm.
- Drink water as soon as you wake up. Once you do this, you’re already awake and hydrated, you may as well get up.
- Allow light to come into the room through opening your blinds a little bit the night before. It’s way easier to snooze your alarm when your room is pitch black and your subconscious still thinks its the middle of the night.
3. Prioritise self care
Making sure you are taking care of yourself will avoid you from feeling burnt out, and also gives you time to relax and de stress during this stressful time. Self care comes in many different forms, here are my favourite:
- Movement. Moving your body every day, whether that is through walking, stretching, weight lifting, Pilates, yoga, you name it, it will help you. Moving your body can reduce cortisol levels (aka your stress levels) and it’s good for you!
- Meditation. I don’t know about you, but I have a busy mind, especially when I have deadlines and work running riot in my brain. Finding a way to breathe, relax, and be in the present moment helps to ease stress and anxiety. Start with 5 minutes, for as many days of the week as you can, and watch the tension ease off you.
- Journaling. Get your thoughts out on paper. This will allow you to look at the whole situation and put everything into perspective. It feels like a weight bring lifted off your shoulders and clears your head. There are many ways to journal; bullet journaling, manifestation, the dear diary type of journaling – whatever will ease your mind the most.
- Pamper days/evenings. Setting aside time to relax, can help in allowing your week to slow down, and not be as fast paced. Do a face mask, light a candle, have a bath.
- Gratitude. Keeping in mind what your are grateful for makes you feel less worried, as it focuses your mind on the joyful things in your life. (I also like to be grateful I have the opportunity to go to University).
4. Talk with your peers or teachers
Talking with people who are going through the exact same things as you feels comforting and assures you, that you are not in this alone.
Other people may have also thought of different strategies, different approaches, different methods, that could be useful to you.
Meet with your peers in a coffee shop, or have lunch together. This means you are still being productive, whilst ensuring you’re still enjoying your time with friends.
As far as speaking to lecturers or professors, I know how intimidating that can be, but they are there to help, and they know what to do to get the best mark possible, so use them to your advantage.
5. Prioritise time to NOT do uni
I know you’re probably thinking, how is that going to help me?, but at the end of the day, you still need to live and enjoy your life as much as you can.
Don’t forget to take time for yourself. This is a similar tip to number 3 I know, but sometimes you don’t want to move your body, or journal or meditate. Sometimes you just want to curl up on the sofa and watch a movie – and that is FINE! Doing this will not stunt your progress with uni (as long as you aren’t doing it all day, everyday LOL) because it gives your brain a break and allows you to reset, so you can focus better when it comes to doing work.
If you don’t take time to do what you want, eventually you will be so burnt out and need a long break. Taking a small amount of time everyday to do whatever you wish, is attainable and avoids burnout!
Here are some ideas on what you could do:
- Read a book. Romance and fantasy books are my fave! I have MANY suggestions! http://bigsisterera.com/book-recommendations/
- Watch a movie or a tv show.
- Catch up with your friends (go to the cinema, enjoy a meal).
- Retail therapy! Treat yourself and buy something you’ve been looking at for a while. Allow yourself to celebrate your small wins.
- Go out with your friends and have fun! Whether that is drinking, bowling, pottery painting, whatever! Take some time to totally switch off from uni and enjoy yourself.
Hopefully these tips have helped you to lower your stress and anxiety regarding uni (or even just overwhelming situations), and help you to have a more manageable routine. Always remember to be proud of yourself, you are doing so well!
This can also serve as a reminder, that you are not alone in feeling like this, it is totally normal to be stressed and anxious over uni, I have been there (currently still there) and these have helped me, so I hope they help you!
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