Stress.

We’ve all felt it.

Everyone experiences stress at different levels, whether it’s acute or rarely there. There are infinite coping mechanisms depending on the stress stimulus. Managing cortisol levels is a rapidly increasing area of research and becoming more necessary in this ever-growing, ever-stressed society we live in. The famous Red Queen hypothesis ‘run fast to stand still’ which underlies evolutionary biology, in my opinion can be used to reflect on the current Homo sapien society. We are so obsessed with working, getting richer, getting smarter, getting more power, and as a result our health slides. A major consequence of this is the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and resultant production of the major steroid hormone ‘cortisol’. This hormone at high levels has major impacts on the body.

I’m going to talk about some coping mechanisms that help me stay my most relaxed self throughout the Uni semester, particularly during that busy exam/assignment period. 

Limit your coffee!!

• I got into a habit of drinking 3+ coffees a day, and noticed I would start getting really worked up throughout the day by unnecessarily over-stressing about my work load. When I dropped my caffeine intake (max. 2 cups), I noticed a major reduction in that stress

Exercise

• If you can, prioritise this into your schedule, book in a time for it in your calendar
• Examples: walk, run, HIIT, strength, Pilates, YouTube workouts, swim, cycle
• It helps to set goals with exercise too e.g. book in a 10km fun run, set a goal to be able to do 40 consecutive push-ups, aim to be able to lift twice your body weight

SLEEP!

• This is one of THE most important factors from my experience
• I have friends that would study in the library until 2am, I mean kudos to them, however they’re probably going to be a wright-off the next day. This is really counter-productive
• Work out how much sleep you function well offFor some it’s 6.5hrs, for others it’s 9hrs
• Pay attention to when you sleep, factor in this optimal sleep time and set your morning alarm for then

Don’t do it, Netflix can wait

• It sucks, but Netflix is a black-hole, it sucks you in, you get addicted, bye bye productivity and study time
• I try to avoid Netflix at all costs during the semester, unless I’m watching it with my friends/boyfriend which is only very occasionally  

Eat 3 meals

• Low blood sugar = brain fog ¹ productivity
• Most of us know what’s like to be hungry and to try and concentrate, it just doesn’t work
• The brain’s main energy source is GLUCOSE, don’t let it starve by skipping meals, because just as your car won’t run without fuel, your brain will really struggle without sufficient/consistent energy

Friends

• If you can, go out for coffee with your friends, go for a run, have dinner, study together
• Hugging releases oxytocin (a mediator of stress)
• Talking with peoples makes for a great momentary distraction from the stress of Uni

Sunshine

• Get that vitamin D
• Feeling overwhelmed whilst studying? Go for a 10min walk outside (if you can), you’ll come back feeling a lot more refreshed with greater mental clarity

Clean

• Maintain a tidy work space
• This will limit distractions as well
• If you’re short on time, put on a 5-10min timer and see how much you can get done, you’ll be surprised how much you can get done in a short time
• If you use something, put it away straight away! Don’t leave it there to put away later as those things build up

Schedule in a diary/calendar

• Write down EVERY quiz, assignment, exam, class, lab, lecture you have for the semester
• It helps not guessing when the next thing due is and is a good way to visualise your workload

Don’t fall behind, stay ahead and on-top

• Keep on-top of your lectures, lab work and homework EVERY week
• Start your assignments as soon as you get the notification – starting (even if just one sentence) makes it so much easier to get momentum and finish that 2,500-word essay

Procrastination: notice it and stop it

• Keep checking your phone? Put it in a drawer in another room
• Keep watching YouTube? Save it for your down time

Mindset

• Your attitude is so important. It helps to get perspective on things stressing you out in order to realise it’s not the end of the world
• Uni isn’t the only thing in life that matters
• If you keep putting in the work, you WILL get through it
• Will your future self be happy with the effort you’re putting in?
• You’re studying to benefit your future self (and maybe future family)

Don’t compare, just don’t do it

• Try not to focus on what other people are doing, everyone’s schedules are so different. Instead focus on yourself, on improving yourself and working harder within your life
• Don’t compare what you’re doing to your friends/class mates