10 ways to stay stress-free at uni

Starting university is one of the most exciting times in a person’s life. It’s a chance to meet new people, have new experiences and develop new opportunities.

It also comes with its own unique set of stresses and challenges. Moving to a new place, separated from family and friends, mixed with academic and financial pressures can create a breeding ground for common mental health difficulties.

Jason Parker is a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner and regularly helps students overcome these difficulties to get the most out of their time at university. Here are Jason's top ten tips to help students stay well.

1. Our first tip is to make time for yourself. Hobbies and interests are really important for our wellbeing and reducing stress. Try to keep them up even during crunch time.

2. Look after your body. Your mental wellbeing is tied to your body. Eating well, regular exercise and a healthy life style can all help manage stress and promote psychological wellbeing.

3. Balance your time. But we’re not just talking about studies and play; remember that you’ll need time for the day-to-day living stuff. This may not be as fun as time with friends or as pressing as your studies, but it is just as important for a comfortable, stress reducing life.

4. It’s ok to feel anxious. Some anxiety and stress is normal, especially given the demands you face. So don’t be too hard on yourself.

However, when it doesn’t go away, don’t ignore the signs. You can contact our Let’s Talk-Wellbeing Team if your anxiety and stress is becoming a problem.

5. Remember you are not alone. Most people will experience a period of stress, depression or anxiety in their life, and students are no exception. Talking can help you feel less alone with your problems.

6. Put off procrastination. Procrastination goes hand in hand with perfectionism and stress. Try setting small goals - for example, aim to study for five minutes and then see how you feel.

7. Face your fears. Fear and anxiety feed off avoidance. Standing up to fears can help your confidence and self-esteem grow.

8. It's good to talk. If you’re struggling talk to friends, family and tutors. Offloading can help find new insights and ideas on how to manage your problems.

9. You don't have to be perfect. You’ve got this far because you’ve done well. The idea of achieving high standards is regularly reinforced in us. But trying to reach 100% will just lead to stressing over tiny details, wasted time, extra stress and eventually burnout.

10. Finally, get help if you need it. There are organisations and services out there to support you with the challenges of being a student. Don’t leave it to the last minute. Get in touch with us to talk through your options and how we can support you.

Let's talk about uni...

Jason Parker is a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner with the Leicestershire & Rutland part of our Let’s Talk Wellbeing service. Here are his tips on looking after your wellbeing as you enter the world of never ending assignments, loans and independent living. 

University life is a strange mix of ingredients. We start with a dash of hope and excitement blended with a healthy dollop of freedom. Add to that your first pinch of responsibility, a couple of spoons of independence. Once the mix is starting to come together gradually pour in the challenge and then stir in some anxiety. Then we’re ready to cook for three to four years in a pressure cooker of strangers, limited funds, time demands and ever-shifting accommodation. While we’re waiting on the main course we can prepare the side dish of wild parties and excessive alcohol mixed with some extra-thick text books and seasoned with deadlines.

The result is a bittersweet meal that nothing really prepares you for. I don’t mean to be pessimistic about university life. There’s a lot to be excited about: the friends you’ll meet, the opportunities you’ll have, the things you’ll learn and the experiences you’ll treasure (some of my pranks as a student still remain a career highlight). But there’s also this side that doesn’t get talked about as much that exists beyond the expected academic pressures.

No one warns you how hard it is to live in a cold house with little money for heating (worst winter of my life!). They don’t tell you how isolating it can be away from family and established friends. Nor are you informed of the stresses that come with never living in one place for more than a few months. You’ll hear all sorts about balancing study time with play time, but it’s unlikely you’ll be told you’ll also need to include time for cooking, cleaning, shopping and generally running a household as well.

Amidst all the excitement and glamour of university is a plethora of stresses and pitfalls that can take their toll. Somewhere between the books and booze it’s easy to lose sight of your wellbeing.

So it’s important to put aside some time to reflect on your wellbeing. Remember, to experience some low mood, anxiety and stress is a normal part of life. The challenges you face as a student will certainly heighten the chances of this. But when they don’t let up and start to take over your life don’t ignore these signs, start talking. Talk to you friends, family and your tutors; let them know what’s going on.

If you find that you start to struggle settling in to university life, or at any point during your studies, know that you are not alone. Stress, depression and anxiety can affect us all and the difficulties and hardships of student life can increase that risk.

There are services and organisations out there that can support you in overcoming these difficulties. If you ever need to talk you can contact Nightline, student welfare services, university counselling or get in touch with Let’s Talk Wellbeing.