Whilst it’s an accepted fact that students at secondary school, college and university will succumb to periods of stress, there are plenty of techniques and practices for staying on top of not just studies, but also mental wellbeing.
Take things one step at a time
This may sound like obvious advice, yet it’s amazing how many students go through times of intense anxiety simply because they’re thinking about everything all at once. Whether it’s a good old-fashioned handwritten timetable complete with colour coordinated areas, all the way to clever digital tools that make it easy for them to picture their day, week or semester clearly, encouraging students to plan their time will pay off no end.
Work together
When students discuss subjects in groups or do homework and assignments with friends, so much more can be achieved when they have a study partner. This can be applied to almost every area of learning, including the memorisation of facts and figures, the analysing of difficult topics, giving feedback on each other’s essays, or simply having someone to ask questions when a subject is proving to be difficult territory.
Make time for life
No one ever got anywhere by working constantly. Reading a book for pleasure, getting a little exercise, grabbing a glass of water and a bite to eat, catching up with friends and family – all of these small activities help to refresh the mind and body, which can mean the difference between burning out and doing a fantastic job.
Set realistic goals
You can’t excel at everything immediately and all in one go. A student needs to decide what they want to achieve within a certain amount of time, be it an afternoon or an entire academic year. The key is to aim high but not to the point where they’ve set themselves up to fail. If goals are achieved, always make new ones; if not, focus on new ways of tackling problematic areas.
Take mental breaks
Even if a student takes regular breathers to eat, watch TV or go outside, chances are they’re still thinking about their studies, at least a little bit. The path to achieving the best results is to allocate times when you simply don’t think about them at all. This could range from meditation, mindfulness techniques, prayer, relaxation exercises, or taking a stroll through a green space and living in the moment. If they do this on a regular basis, they’ll find that their brain works a lot more efficiently.
Learn how to deal with stress
Even when following all of the above tips, stress can still rear its ugly head. When this happens, it can be incapacitating and ruin an otherwise productive study session. As soon as a student starts to feel stressed, they should turn away from the books or computer monitor, take a deep breath and think about something that makes them happy. This might sound a bit corny, but it can be extremely effective and sometimes causes serotonin to be released by the brain, which can have a speedy calming effect.
Get in touch
Whilst we’re here to help educators with their design and marketing, we’re also experts at developing strategies, methodologies and company cultures that help teachers and students to get the most out of education. We’ll help you to take the stress out of education through powerful planning and clever implementation. Get in touch at hello@bigpinkfish.com or call us on 0161 507 3365.
