WHILE most consider their university years the best time of their lives, the stress can be overwhelming as students constantly worry about meeting deadlines and taking the next step after graduating.
Excessive and unmanageable stress can be damaging to one’s health because it affects both mental and physical wellbeing.
According to Malaysian Psychiatric Association president Prof Dr Nor Zuraida Zainal, due to increased stress, depression will be a major illness among Malaysians by 2020.
As students, stress from studying and the pressure to perform well may not be easy to avoid, but it should not get the best of you. Here are a few simple tips that can help you to overcome stress.
Be good to yourself
Stress can be manifested in many ways, particularly in physical and emotional forms. So, it is important for you to take good care of your body and mental state.
This may include getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising regularly and not taking unnatural energy boosters.
Being good to yourself also means knowing your limits and not overwhelming yourself with too much work.
Stay positive
In negative situations, staying positive can definitely help you to overcome your struggles.
Positive thinking does not mean that you should avoid confronting the less pleasant situations that you are in. It just means that you should approach them optimistically instead.
When feeling stressed, do avoid solitude for it may lead to you feeling more stressed and depressed. Instead, surround yourself with the company of supportive friends and family who know you well.
Be organised
For students, stress normally results from overflowing work and assignments, thus it is important that students learn how to prioritise and be organised.
By learning how to prioritise, you will learn how to balance your time between study and fun because being organised will make your life easier and more efficient.
You should also avoid procrastination as this is one of the major contributors to stress.
Create a stress outlet
When you feel stressed, it is okay to take a break once in a while to unwind.
And since we all react differently to stress, we have different ways to destress.
A stress outlet is created to relieve stress as it allows you to do things you enjoy. Examples include listening to music, dancing, outdoor activities, do-it-yourself projects and even meditating.
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