Publié le 14 November 2024
Focus on wellbeing and optimize performance with 4 effective stress management techniques for working students.
Student life can be extremely difficult. Considering the pressures young people are under these days, it comes as no surprise that a huge number of college students suffer from chronic stress, anxiety, and even depression.
Starting university significantly impacts people’s mental health.
According to a survey that included 13,000 freshmen, more than half have experienced declines in their mental health. The causes? Worries about money, loneliness, the inability to find a job, and balancing their workloads.
To top it all off, a growing number of students need to work part- or full-time to finance their schooling. The results? An instant recipe for chronic stress and (potentially) burnout.
Knowing this, it makes sense that working students must explore ways to take better care of their mental health. One potential strategy might be to learn proper techniques for controlling stress levels.
So, if you’re looking for 4 effective stress management tips for working students, here are a few tactics that are bound to make working and studying a bit easier to handle.
Build and Follow a Realistic Schedule
Before we start with 4 effective stress management techniques for working students, there’s one thing we need to get straight.
Stress management isn’t about learning how to live with immense pressure.
Instead, it’s about finding ways to eliminate stressors from your life. It’s about helping yourself feel better during difficult times. Finally, it’s about supporting your body and mind in a way that will allow them to handle future challenges without becoming overwhelmed.
So, if you look at stress management this way, it becomes clear that the first step toward allowing yourself to deal with school and work is to build and follow a schedule. And not just any schedule, for that matter. You need to create a realistic plan for your day-to-day activities that will allow you to complete all your tasks without forcing you to work overtime.
But what does a realistic schedule for working students look like? Well, it will inevitably differ from person to person. However, there are a few elements that should be ubiquitously present in a healthy routine.
Place a Ban on Multitasking
If you want to eliminate (or at least minimize) stress from your busy routine, there’s one thing you absolutely do. You must learn how to stop multitasking.
While, on the surface, the idea of completing multiple tasks at the same time might seem productive, it’s anything but.
Research shows that shifting between tasks reduces productivity by as much as 40%. Moreover, it increases tension. And it can even hinder your ability to learn.
So, as you explore methods to improve your mental health as a working student, try to place a ban on multitasking. Don’t do your homework while at your job. Don’t scroll social media while revising for a test. And don’t brainstorm about work tasks while in class.
Instead, draw clear boundaries between your student and professional lives (as much as that’s possible). Try your best to only do things by giving them 100% of your attention.
That way, you won’t just get better results. You’ll also rid yourself of the strain of constantly having to perform without actually achieving your goals.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Another hugely helpful way to manage stress as a working student is to identify areas of your life where you could secure positive outcomes while doing less.
This does not automatically mean accepting a lower grade in order to free up some time. (Although that is a valid choice, so don’t hesitate to make it if it’s what’s right for you in your current circumstances). But it does mean being prepared to explore unconventional ways of getting things done.
For instance, using AI to build your skills or multimedia resources to learn about new topics can be an excellent way to save time.
Or, you could play around with calendars and time-management tools to ensure you stick to your schedule.
Even something as simple as using a productivity method (like following the two-minute rule) can be an effective way to help you finish tasks without requiring you to work more.
Schedule Downtime
A productive and stress-free routine for working students (and anyone in general) absolutely must include scheduled downtime.
Ultimately, the human body and brain are not meant to be constantly on. Instead, a healthy schedule is necessary in order to help you recover from the demands of school and work. This will benefit your productivity, and research shows that participating in pleasant leisure activities is good for your mental and physical well-being, too.
With this in mind, try to fit some enjoyable downtime into your schedule.
Ideally, this should be something that will fill up your batteries — like socializing with friends, exploring creative skills like playing the guitar, practicing mindfulness with yoga or journaling, or doing some enjoyable form of physical activity.
Don’t Let Your Good Habits Slip
Stress management — regardless of how busy your schedule gets — is practically impossible without the basics of self-care.
So, if you want to ensure that your mental health doesn’t suffer due to work or your studies, do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
No, this doesn’t have to mean a complex self-care routine that takes up all your free time (and costs a fortune). Instead, try to adopt and maintain healthy habits that are realistic and offer high returns.
Sleep
Getting sufficient sleep, for instance, is an excellent way to manage stress.
According to the American Psychology Association, people who get fewer than eight hours a night of sleep are more likely to report feeling stressed, irritable, overwhelmed, lethargic, or impatient.
Nutrition
Similarly, nutrition can play a big role in alleviating stress symptoms.
A diet rich in antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids can be an excellent way to prepare your body for the challenges of being a working student.
Even more importantly, avoiding excessive amounts of caffeine can be a great way to manage anxiety.
Exercise
Finally, a healthy routine for busy students must include some form of regular exercise.
Physical activity isn’t just a fantastic outlet for negative emotions. It also boosts the production of feel-good hormones.
Furthermore, strengthening your body — especially the lower back if you tend to sit throughout the day — can prevent common injuries, helping you stay on top of your schedule.
Address Negative Thoughts and Feelings
Overcoming everyday stress is difficult. Especially if you have to do it while juggling school, work, and a personal life.
But the one way not to overcome life’s challenges is to avoid your concerns.
You see, many people think that the best way to stop feeling overwhelmed during busy times is to power through. But while this may work sometimes, it’s much more likely to result in burnout.
With this in mind, your stress management strategy needs to include time (and courage) to identify your negative thoughts or feelings. That way, you’ll have a clear idea of your main stressors. And you’ll have a good starting point to develop a plan for eliminating some of the biggest anxiety triggers from your life.
For example, realizing that you’re worried about finances is more than just a piece of info. It can also be the inspiration you need to explore ways to solve this issue — whether that’s by creating additional sources of income or applying for financial aid so you can attend a great college.
Or, if you discover that you feel pressured by your packed schedule, evaluate your wants and priorities. That way, you can identify stressful or unnecessary parts of your routine and replace them with activities that will offer a better ROI or more enjoyment.
Accept That Stress Management Is an Ongoing Process
Finally, as you explore these 4 effective stress management tactics as a working student, you need to accept that life will always pose challenges — regardless of how busy your schedule gets.
So, do your best to take care of your physical and mental health, as that will be essential in helping you overcome these obstacles. Moreover, learn to recognize the signs of being overwhelmed. And don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it.
Ultimately, understand that leading a healthy and happy life isn’t about eliminating the (inevitable) negative elements. Instead, it’s about learning to accept and work around them when they occur.
Additionally, it’s about finding ways to see the positive in everything you do — whether that’s the opportunity to study and build your career at the same time, do more than one job for the sake of professional development, or improve your time-management skills.