Coping with Study Stress and Burnout
If studying has got you feeling stressed and burnt out, please know, you are not alone. Study stress and burnout are so common, whether you are a primary, secondary, or university student. Studying can be hard and exhausting, and you are not the first or last person who has ever felt this way. Just know, you are doing your best, and I, for one, am so incredibly proud of you.
Let’s talk about some strategies which will help you in coping with study stress and burnout. It is important to note, that everyone is different, and different methods work for different people in different circumstances. So take these tips, and do what you feel is right for you.
Tip 1.
Create reasonable goals and deadlines for yourself. Now the keyword here is reasonable. When studying, it can be so tempting to want to finish everything at once. However, we are only human at the end of the day, and our brains can only take so much before we burn out. If you create goals that are too difficult to accomplish, it can sometimes make you feel more stressed. So, it is important to know your capabilities, cater to them, and create goals that you know you can accomplish and complete to the best of your abilities. Everyone is different. Everyone learns at different paces, don’t compare your progress or study goals with those around you. You need to do what works for you.
Tip 2.
Break down tasks into smaller tasks. Now this point ties into tip one of making reasonable goals. It is not reasonable to complete an essay in a day. So try breaking down your essay into parts and work on a different part each day. For example, if you have an essay due, make a goal of finishing a paragraph a day, then leave a couple of days to read over and edit the essay before it is due. Breaking down workloads into smaller pieces makes it much more manageable and less stressful. For example, if you need to complete a maths module within a week, break down the questions, so you complete a few a night and still complete it on time.
Tip 3.
Plan (diary, calendar etc.) time management. This may seem like a simple one, but planning can be a major step in keeping organised and helping reduce stress. Everyone is different, whether you prefer an electronic calendar, a whiteboard, an old fashioned diary. Just make sure you have some way to keep track of your deadlines, work schedule and any other appointments you may have.
Tip 4.
Stay Healthy. (food, hydrate, exercise, sleep) our brains and bodies only work as well as the fule we give them. Imagine you have a brand new fancy car and you try to water down the petrol you give it or try to run it with no petrol at all. What do you think is going to happen? The car probably isn’t going to work very well, or at all. The same happens with our bodies. The key here is to keep up your movement (30 minutes a day), eat healthily and don’t skip meals.
Tip 5.
Takes breaks and do the things you love. Your life cannot be all work and study. Make sure you set aside a dedicated amount of time (30 minutes to an hour) to do something you love.
Also, break your study up into manageable chunks. For example, do an hour worth of study and take a 5-minute break, have a drink, make a sandwich. Remember to do this away from your study/workspace. Give your brain a chance to reset.
Then get back to your study with a refreshed brain.
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