Nobody should start college without learning how to deal with stress in college.
But many people do, and you might be one of them.
That’s ok.
Don’t worry, and don’t be hard on yourself.
When it comes to most big things in life, you probably won’t be fully prepared before you start, and that’s ok.
It doesn’t make you inadequate or dumb; it makes you normal.
And luckily, we’re here to help you learn how to deal with stress in college with the tips in this guide. 🙂
1. Don’t Ever Be Afraid to Reach Out For Help This is the first and possibly most important tip we can give you.
A lot of people bottle things up, push them down, and bear them alone until they eventually collapse.
There’s no reason to do that.
And remember that we humans are social beings who don’t like being completely alone without any interaction with other humans.
Many people say otherwise, but that is mostly either cope or self-deception. Embrace your humanity and your need for human interaction.
Professional Help This doesn’t have to be your first option unless you’re really in a crisis, but it’s one that you should know about in case you find that you need it at some point.
One of the benefits of professional help, if you choose to seek it out, is that a mental health professional will likely know methods and techniques to address any negative thought patterns you may have but be unaware of .
Campus Counseling No matter which college you’re attending, there is most likely campus counseling or other mental health support provided on campus.
Even if there isn’t a mental health professional present on campus, your school almost certainly has resources you can get from the student services staff and pursue on your own.
Support Groups These may or may not be on campus, and it’s probably best to look for both .
If there is one on campus that you can attend, you’ll have the benefit of the fact that the other attendees also attend the same school (maybe even the same program) and understand what it’s like.
However, you will likely also benefit from attending an off-campus support group because doing so will take you out of the campus ecosystem and give you the opportunity to take a breath of fresh air and get perspectives from other attendees who are from different backgrounds.
Trusted Friends Friends are a massive part of life, and nobody likes having no friends.
So get some friends and be a friend. If you don’t have friends already, you could make some by joining clubs and hobby groups both on and off campus , as well as by participating in religious groups if you are religious.
Don’t feel like you need to unload all of your stress and tell your whole life story to every new friend you make.
The mere act of making friends and spending time with them, especially while doing healthy activities together, will be therapeutic on its own.
However, as important as it is to have friends, it is just as important to know how to be a good friend , and doing so will also give you a sense of purpose.
2. Go to Sleep! Seriously, get enough sleep.
Ideally, you should aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
And yes, we said “night.”
Don’t become nocturnal.
Having a stabilized and regular circadian rhythm is good for your health, both physical and mental.
If you’re trying to figure out how to deal with stress in college and some part of your plan isn’t “get a healthy amount of sleep at consistent times,” then you’re just not setting yourself up for success.
Don’t Drink Too Much Caffeine Caffeine keeps you awake.
So it’s best not to drink any within 6 hours of your bedtime.
And for goodness’ sake, don’t drink more than one or two coffees daily.
As for energy drinks… well… you should probably just stay away from them altogether .
3. Get Regular Exercise Find a physical activity that you enjoy and commit to doing it regularly, preferably with someone else if possible.
There are lots of options, like calisthenics, jogging, yoga, going for walks, weightlifting at the gym, cycling, martial arts, and ballroom dancing.
The important thing is to get outside, get your heart pumping, and get your body moving.
Bonus points if you join a club and attend regularly.
4. Plan Ahead Write out a list of things that matter most to you, like career, family, romance, spirituality, physical health, same-gender friendships, etc.
Once you’ve got your list of things that matter most to you, rank them in order of priority to the best of your ability.
Once you’ve got that all sorted out, you can use your list to begin planning ahead as far as you’re comfortable.
Even if reality doesn’t unfold exactly according to your plan (it won’t), having a plan will help you accomplish a lot more and also feel a lot less anxious and overwhelmed.
Be sure to break large goals, like “Complete thesis,” into multiple smaller goals that require a week or less to complete, like “Complete first 5 pages of thesis rough draft.”
5. Pray or Meditate Depending on your inclination toward religious belief or lack thereof, praying or meditating can be a great way to clear your mind, center yourself, relieve your anxiety, and reconnect with a sense of something larger than yourself, as well as refocus on your purpose and what matters to you.
There’s a reason why humans have been praying and meditating since the beginning of time.
It actually does work!
You’re Going to Be OK. As you can see, there are a good number of things you can do to help you manage stress, and learning how to deal with stress in college isn’t as hard as you probably thought it was before you found this article.
We hope we were able to help you here.
If you need any more help, check out the other articles on this website.
And never be afraid to contact us or a local mental health provider near you if you want more personalized guidance or to schedule an appointment.
We’re here to help. It’s what we do. 🙂
