Stress while studying: how to cope

The causes of stress are varied. One of the most common types is study stress. It is a condition characterized by excessive tension of the body, with a decrease in emotional and intellectual potential, resulting in psychosomatic illness, stopping the student’s self-development. Especially during the exam period, schoolchildren and students are massively exposed to stress. The danger of such a condition lies in its negative impact, affecting the health of the nervous, cardiovascular, and immune systems of the body.

Symptoms may gradually increase or occur suddenly, within a few minutes. Anxiety, restlessness, panic attacks appear, which usually last only a short time, occur in the form of emotional outbursts accompanied by a feeling of fear and such body reactions as increased heartbeat and sweating. Anxiety usually develops gradually.  Symptoms may also include muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, impatience, insomnia or sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, or conversely, overexcitation, anger, memory impairment, increased fatigue, etc.

The causes of occurrence

The most common cause of stress is a lack of confidence in the completeness of knowledge in the discipline, the fear of failing an exam, and the subsequent denial of a scholarship. Emotional overload is complicated by long waiting for the exam, a strict teacher, the complexity of the subject, and limited time to prepare. At this time, many students often think about buying a college essay so they don’t have to worry about how well they will write their academic paper or pass the exam.

The occurrence of a stressful condition is possible:

• with intensive mental activity;
• lack of interest in the subject;
• increased academic loads;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• sleep disorders;
• the emergence of fears relating to changes in the social group.

These factors, directly affecting the nervous system, have an impact on the entire body. Also, personal factors influence the stress of students, including:

• distance from parents;
• illness or death of relatives;
• conflict situations with classmates;
• personal problems;
• poor health;
• changes of financial status.

How to prevent 

In order not to lead the situation to a nervous breakdown, when the first symptoms of stress are present, you should follow these recommendations:

• not to underestimate your self-esteem,
• be objective about the level of your knowledge,
• avoid excessive loads,
• not to attach too much importance to the exam.

It is not advisable to be addicted to coffee, tea, and carbonated beverages before the exam. It is better to give preference to oranges, bananas, and walnuts. Many students know about the beneficial effect of chocolate on mental performance, but do not forget that its effect is short-lived – it lasts no more than half an hour.

A great way to relieve the emotional and physical symptoms of stress will be physical exercise, sports games, outdoor activities, as well as communicating with friends, aromatherapy. An energizing contrast shower in the morning before the exam has a restorative effect on the body, normalizes blood circulation, and strengthens the immune system.

Preventing stress due to studies, it is important for students to:

• work on the sense of control of the situation;
• use imagination as a method of mental relaxation;
• walk more outdoors;
• visit theaters, museums, exhibitions;
• get a massage;
• do sports.

One of the main methods of coping with stress among students is sleep, which is confirmed by numerous surveys. This is an excellent tool for restoring strength, raising your energy, morale, and mood. To normalize the emotional state there are special techniques for overcoming stress. These include breathing techniques, the so-called method of resource anchoring, and psychological exercises. All the detailed information on their performance and the correct algorithm of actions can be easily found on the Internet and applied in practice.

Consequences of stressful states

If the stress lasts for a long time, it may have a negative impact on the activation of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic sections of the human vegetative nervous system and lead to the emergence of neurosis and a decrease in self-esteem. Increased stress negatively affects mood, well-being, inability to concentrate. In addition, there is a decrease in performance, sleep quality, and headaches.

The negative effect of stress in the life of a student in some cases leads to the use of alcohol and medications to cope with the current circumstances. This, in turn, can lead to serious addiction and make the situation worse.

Remember!  It is impossible to completely eliminate stressful situations from life, but it is possible to live and work so as to minimize their number, minimize their consequences and thus preserve health for many years. Well, if for some reason you can’t control yourself, it’s better to visit a medical institution so a specialist can properly assess your condition, while prescribing the proper therapy for you in case of need and in general could provide you with the right aid.