A person will go through all kinds of different stressful events during their life, and while some may be just temporary and last only a few hours, other events are long-lasting and can span months and even years. It’s these longer periods of stress that one needs to be particularly mindful of and to be aware of their own well-being both physically and mentally. A perfect example of this type of long-term stress is during your university schooling.
Can University Really Be Stressful?
You might think that students spend the majority of their time partying and attending a lecture or two, but in fact, degrees require a lot of work, effort, and time, especially if you’re enrolled in an intense program such as that of an educational psychologist. You can bet you’ll have plenty of hours’ worth of reading, studying, and assignments each and every week, and before you know it, your schooling can take over your life. As important as your higher education is, a healthy life balance is what will truly allow you to succeed.
But how can you achieve that life balance when things seem so out of whack? Take a look at that educational psychologist program as an example. You’ll be studying psychology, mental health, and psychological functioning – all very intense and heavy topics. So, before you let the stress take over, here are some tips you can use that will help you achieve balance in your life.
Create a Schedule
The first tip is to create a schedule. This schedule needs to include everything, not just time for schooling. It’s also important to pencil in appointments and meetings of course, but also down time for yourself. Once you get it all laid out on a calendar, it will become obvious if things are out of balance.
Allow for Flexibility in the Schedule
While this may seem counterintuitive, that schedule should be acting as a rough guide, so to speak, not something that is set in stone. Allowing for flexibility and for you react in the moment will help to take some of the stress and pressure off you.
Ensure You Get Physical Activity in Each Day
Because life as a student can be so stressful and demanding, it’s also wise to look for healthy ways to release that stress. Physical activity is one of the best options, as it will act as stress relief, and you have the added bonus of it being good for your overall physical health. You don’t have to join a gym or intense aerobics classes; even something simple like a daily walk, jog, or bike ride will do the trick.
Make Sure Sleep is a Priority
It can also be really easy to downplay the importance of sleep, especially when you’re juggling multiple assignments at once, all of which are due at the same time. The problem is, once you start to miss out on sleep, it becomes a very steep downward slope. A lack of sleep will affect your ability to focus, concentrate, and react, which will in turn affect your studies.
Be Kind to Yourself
The final tip is probably the most important, and that’s to learn how to be kind to yourself and allow yourself to have some fun, relax, and look after your needs.
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