Student Stress: Here’s how REAL people deal with it
After dealing with stress and anxiety myself during university I was fed up of reading NHS websites trying to find out how to 'deal' with it. So I started to speak to my friends, and I found out that it was more common than I imagined.
It’s all well and good hearing advice from a professional but you never get to hear it from the real sufferers themselves.
Living in constant stress will never be easy, but hearing how others have coped proves that you CAN get through it and you’re definitely not alone.
There has always been a stigma around students and how they’re lazy, messy and disruptive – but has anyone ever stopped to think that maybe it’s because they’re up to their eyeballs in assignments? However, it's not only assignments that cause the stress, its loneliness, deadlines, living conditions and so much more.
A 2018 NUS survey found that 87% of students have experienced stress and 77% of students admitted to experiencing anxiety – clearly more needs to be done to tackle this growing issue.
Additionally, figures from a poll conducted by The Guardian this year show that 87.7% of the 37,500 participants, admitted to having experienced anxiety in some way during their degree.
So, how have students coped with the stress of university?
Here are REAL students giving their ways of coping…
"I’ve had counselling over the years which has definitely helped me but it’s mainly just reassuring yourself that you aren’t a burden to people… "The workload is a lot on my course, and I’m only in year one but I just make sure that I separate my workload because the more I have to do, the more overwhelmed I get."
— Amy Thrussell, Student Nurse
"Close friends, family and just being honest as well and just saying actually, I've got this going on and can I talk to you about it."
—Sam De Garis, Theology Student
"The stress of deadlines and proof reading your work adds so much pressure... "Luckily, I have good neighbours that let me take their dog for walks and I live by the river so I can go there for some escapism... "Making sure you get out of the house is important, because staying in was one of my anxiety triggers."
- Zara Rehan, Biomedicine Student
"If possible,I would advise people to go see someone, I was worried about doing that for lots of reasons but once you make that decision you won't look back... "I would advise not using anything to try and stop your anxiety like drugs because they only mask the issue... "If possible too, I'd advise people to read and research as well as meditating because these are all simple ways of trying to help yourself."
Connor Clarke, Psychology Student
Being a student can be tough, because a lot of people don’t take you seriously as you’re ‘too young to be stressed’ but no one is too young to be stressed, it is a NORMAL thing that ANYONE can experience.
After reaching out to students, an overwhelming amount of people responded with their stresses and anxieties which shows just how common it is.
The main thing to always consider is, you're never alone, and there are so many people that are dealing with the same issues.
We asked people on Instagram what their coping mechanisms were for dealing with stress at university - here's what they said...
The main coping mechanisms that the people on Instagram used were:
-Taking breaks
-Going to the gym/exercising
-organising your work
And lastly, NEVER be afraid to go and see someone about it, after all, they're there to help you out and give you advice. Seeing a counsellor or a doctor can put you back onto the right path and help you focus back on yourself and your work.
Personally, I make sure I take frequent breaks by leaving the house and going on a walk or going to the gym. It doesn't always feel great relying on your friends, however, your friends are there for a reason, you're not a burden.
You have to remind yourself sometimes that you're doing fine and, as long as you're doing the best you can, the stress should be the last of your problems - after all, you got yourself into university, you can see it through till the end!
If you're feeling overwhelmed and your stress and anxiety is getting too much, don't hesitate to see someone. Here are some helpful websites and places to go to for help:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/student-stress/
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/conditions/anxiety/
https://www.studentminds.org.uk/supportforafriend-anxiety.html
https://www.studentsagainstdepression.org/understanding-my-problems/what-is-anxiety/