Stress is not a bad thing
Did you know that stress is actually not a bad emotion? In fact, stress motivates you to work on solving your ‘problems’. Think about it: without any stress, you probably wouldn't be motivated to study for your exam. Stress also means that something is important to you, whether it's an exam or an important sports match. Therefore, you should see it as a useful emotion; the goal is therefore to learn how to cope with it, not to eliminate it forever.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: that all sounds well, but how do I deal with it? Because let’s be honest, stress is not a nice feeling. With these tips, you will learn to manage stress during your studies in the best possible way.
Know what to expect
It has probably happened to all of us: you take a closer look at your study schedule and realise you've missed that important deadline next week. Chances are you get stressed. To avoid such situations, one tip is to check at the start of a new module or quartile what is expected of you during that period. Put important deadlines, exams, and presentations in your agenda in advance. Then you will not be surprised later on.
Make study plans
Okay, you've probably heard this advice a thousand times from your parents or teachers, but planning really does work. Procrastination is often one of our qualities as students. You might think you can take it easy for a few weeks, but then suddenly exam week is already around the corner. You vow to start on time next module, only to repeat this cycle again. Even though this method may often seem to work, postponing tasks causes a lot of stress because you don't have enough time to do everything. Therefore, make schedules (and try to stick to them 😉) in which you spread out your workload, so that you keep a good balance throughout the module between studying and other activities.
To-do lists and setting priorities
Even with a perfect plan, it can always happen that at some point you have too many things to do. Then it can help to first list all your to-dos. Try to do quicker, smaller tasks first. After ticking off these tasks, your to-do list will immediately seem much less overwhelming. This also makes you feel fulfilled, which in turn motivates you to stay in a productive mood.
For the other tasks, it is important to ask yourself: do I really need to do this now? Some tasks can perhaps wait or are less important. Perhaps someone else can take over a task. For example, do you really need to do the groceries, or could your housemate do it? Try to set priorities in this way.
Talk about it
When you feel stressed, talking about it with friends, family or fellow students can be helpful. Even if it doesn't always solve the stress factors, a listening ear and sharing your feelings can be relieving.
Professional help
Sometimes managing stress becomes too much. Signs of too much stress include dizziness, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, stomach aches and feeling down. If you experience mental problems affecting your life and studies, it is important to seek help. As a student at the University of Twente, you can initially speak to your study advisers, who will discuss the problems with you to look for solutions. You can also make an appointment with a UT student psychologist.
Help from the university
The university can also help in other ways. For example, you can attend a stress management workshop, in which you learn more about stress and how to deal with it. Several times a year, there is also a mindfulness training programme, in which you learn to recognise negative thoughts and signals of fatigue and overload and how to respond to them better. Like this, there are several other workshops and courses that can help you. Additionally, there is a Canvas course (Student Wellbeing) that you can sign up for, where you will find lots of information and videos, including tips, exercises, useful websites and more.
Plan your study time efficiently
On busy days, it's easy to fall into the habit of locking yourself in the library from morning till night. However, it's unrealistic to expect yourself to be focused all day. Find out when you are most productive and schedule your study sessions during these times. This can help reduce stress because you can do other things outside these planned moments, without feeling guilty. Don’t forget to also schedule enough fun activities, for instance with friends.
Make time for yourself
During busy periods, personal time is often one of the first things that gets moved to the bottom of the list. However, when you sacrifice your personal time, everything else suffers as well. Sometimes it's better to take a break from your books because at some point, you stop absorbing anything. When you take a moment to clear your mind, your concentration often improves afterwards. Therefore, always make sure you set aside some time every day to relax, for instance by reading a book, watching a series or doing something else you enjoy. Of course, there will be days when you have to work hard, but especially then, it is important to take some time for yourself in between or at the end of the day.
Take good care of yourself
When you're stressed, you're more likely to neglect your basic needs, which in turn can cause even more stress. Sure, the occasional frozen pizza or instant noodles are okay, but try to live healthily in general. After all, your body will function better that way. Therefore, make sure you eat healthily, get plenty of sleep, and exercise regularly. Especially during busier periods like exam weeks, you will notice that this really makes you feel better.
Put stress factors in perspective
From time to time, remember to put things in perspective. Even if things seem so big now, in reality, they are often less important or impactful than you think. Sometimes it can help to relativise things. Do the things you are so stressed about now still matter next week? Or next year? Spoiler: very often, the answer is no. Of course, that doesn't mean that your feelings of stress aren’t valid. But putting stress in the right perspective can sometimes help reduce stress a little.
Don't be too hard on yourself
Last but not least, try not to be too hard on yourself. A pitfall is wanting to do things too well and taking on too much: getting high grades, joining a committee, taking extra courses, having a part-time job, maintaining a social life... As difficult as it may be, sometimes you will have to make choices. If you find it all becoming too much, it's important to take a step back and not overstep your boundaries. This way, alongside your study obligations, you can focus on the things that truly make you happy.
