When you’re busy studying and completing assignments, it is easy to feel stressed and get burnt out. Burn out looks different depending on the person, but common signs include feeling tired, isolated, experiencing self-doubt or difficultly concentrating. When you feel this way getting work done can feel like a chore and this can affect your motivation.
To avoid burn out and manage stress, it’s important to focus on yourself alongside your studies. Focusing on you looks like listening to your body, taking study breaks, and making time for the things you enjoy. We’ve listed nine ways you can de-stress below. You could yourself the goal of trying at least two of these suggestions this week!
- Take regular study breaks: This one may seem obvious but plan regular breaks throughout the day to give your brain a much-needed rest!
- Sleep: It may be tempting to stay up late or even all night, but your brain needs sleep to move what you’ve learned from short term to long term memory. Try to stick to a bedtime, so you’re getting enough rest and wake up feeling refreshed.
- Don’t forget to socialise: Meet up with friends for lunch or make plans in the evening to take your mind off your work and feel connected. Even a short coffee break will boost your spirits and you’ll leave feeling more motivated.
- Be creative: Do you like to draw, craft or make music? Take time to get your creative juices flowing to help reset and decompress.
- Find time for your hobbies: Continue doing whatever makes you happy to boost your mood and improve your motivation levels.
- Touch grass: Being in nature is the perfect way to connect with the world and get outside your head, so make time to go for a walk by exploring a nearby park.
- Exercise: Go for a run, go to the gym or do a class. You’ll increase the feel-good chemicals in your brain and feel more motivated.
- Don’t forget to eat: Fuel your brain by eating regular meals and snacks. You can even use cooking or baking to take a break.
- Mediate: Get comfy, put on some relaxing music, and focus on your breathing. Mediation helps you cope with any anxiety you might be feeling and is great way to refocus.
Remember, you don’t need to feel guilty about taking time for yourself because you’ll be more successful and productive in the long run. Good luck with your assessments and remember that a well deserved break is on the horizon!
Additional Support
If you’re still struggling, there are services you can access for help:
- Student Progression Administrators (SPA’s) can help you with anything and everything related to your studies.
- Disability Inclusion Service can help you with reasonable adjustments if you have a disability or learning difficulty.
- Wellbeing & Counselling Service are here to help you manage your wellbeing.
If you have any other questions but aren’t sure who can help, contact askUS. They’ll direct to the right place.
