There is no hiding that, at times, the busyness of university life can have a negative impact on your stress levels and mental health.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at uni with the pressure of your studies and are unsure of what to do next, don’t panic. We’ve gathered some tips together that will help you keep your head above water.
If you’re really struggling with stress, have a chat with your accommodation team. Whether you’re living in one of our student flats in Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, or anywhere across the UK, we’re always here to offer you a helping hand.
We care about your well-being and want to make sure your university experience is the best it can possibly be!
Identify Your Stressors
When you’re feeling overwhelmed at uni, you might feel as though you can’t get a grasp on the problem(s) at hand. This leads to you feeling negative about your course overall.
Take time to identify what it is that is causing you to worry or feel unhappy: are you struggling because of workload, a lack of motivation or inspiration, or are you feeling distracted by other issues in other areas of your life?
Getting to the root of what is causing you stress, whether it is related to studying or not, will help you to prioritise your next step.
Talk to Someone
It’s hard to focus on your studies when you’re going through a tough time.
Whether it’s a flatmate, family member, or a staff member at your university or accommodation, reaching out to someone could really help you address the problems you are facing. They can’t necessarily give you advice, but they could point you to the right organisations that can.
See the links at the bottom of the post for further information and support.
Get Motivated
Always in the library but feel like you’re not even making a dent? Try downloading a study plan – My Study Life is an app which helps you structure your time more efficiently.
If your workload is just too intense, reach out to your supervisor or a lecturer on your course. They’d be happy to book in a one-to-one session to offer valuable advice and help with how to stay on track and keep calm.
Similarly, if you’re struggling to motivate yourself, talking to one of your lecturers at the university might help you find inspiration in your subject matter – they might make you see the subject or topic in a different light.
We Know it’s Hard, But STOP Procrastinating
To some extent, as a student you have the freedom to manage your own time: for many students this freedom often leads to procrastination.
Whether you’ve been leaving work until the last minute, putting off emailing a lecturer about a point you’re stuck on, or prioritising your social life (FOMO is real!), procrastination is completely normal – and completely unhelpful if you’re already feeling overwhelmed at uni.
It’s simple – crack on with your studying through the day, then reward yourself with an evening out at a bar.
Balance is key – uni is about having fun at the end of the day, but you do need to balance this out to avoid getting bogged down later in the semester.
If you’re really struggling to get things done, come down to reception for a chat. We might even be running a well-being session that can help you find the right way to nip the problem in the bud.
Try to Keep Healthy
Whether you’re a regular gym-goer or an exercise-phobe, maintaining a (fairly) healthy diet and lifestyle is key to managing stress.
It’s common to neglect your health during university but, unsurprisingly, regularly trying to survive long night shifts in the library on Red Bull and coffee alone isn’t conducive to productivity. Keep hydrated, eat as healthily as you can, and try to keep active.
Moreover, managing your sleep pattern – even if you’re a night owl – will help you implement a study routine that sticks.
Be Kind to Yourself
Feeling overwhelmed at uni is not unusual, and your course may be taking over your life, but try not to push yourself too hard to keep up. Be kind to yourself – take regular breaks and treat yourself every once in a while.
Being kinder to both yourself and others is a great way of keeping positive. Don’t know where to start? Take a look at the ideas on the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation’s website – they might inspire you!
Links:
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/for-your-mind/stress/
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/,
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/support-for-students/.
