Top tips for managing stress
Pause in the moment
In the middle of a stressful episode, take a moment to pause. A short pause can create a buffer and weaken the impulse to fall into a stress response. Try counting to 10, breathing deeply or taking a short break. If you need a longer break, do something relaxing – take a hot bath, watch a film, or do some exercise. This produces chemicals in your body called endorphins, which make you feel good.
Notice it and name it
Simply name your emotional reaction. You might say to yourself, “I’m feeling really overwhelmed at the moment.” By noticing and labelling your reactions you help activate the thinking part of your brain, helping you to step back and decide what action to take.
Acceptance
To prevent stress from overwhelming us, we need to work out what problems we can tackle and what we need to accept.
Organise
Write a to-do-list, organise your diary, draw up an action plan and clean up the clutter on your desk. Organising is a powerful antidote to feeling overwhelmed and provides a calming effect. Consider making a list of all the things in your life that are making you feel stressed by writing them down on a piece of paper. This can help you sort things out in your head. Problems look more manageable written down than in a big jumble in your head!
Visualise
Take a moment to step back and visualise the bigger picture. Imagine yourself handling the challenge successfully and create an image in your mind that inspires calm.
Focus
Our brains crave focus, but we often work against this by trying to multitask. Break your tasks into chunks and try to focus on one part at a time.
Stay connected
Connect with others to share the load and get help with the challenges you are facing. When you are in study mode, it is tempting to withdraw from others to give you more time to study. However, you need people to help stay grounded. Try chatting to someone you trust about it.
