Stress is a common word which is used in our day to day life by every population. So, what does this vague term actually mean? Is it a fear which you experience while preparing for exams or is it an adrenaline rush before a presentation? Psychology has defined stress as a condition of arousal or tension in your body. It is classified as positive and negative stress. Positive stress or eustress is the stress which is healthy and should be present to motivate you towards achieving your objective. Negative stress or distress is unhealthy and shifts you towards demotivation, anxiety and hampers your final performance. It causes a lot of wear and tear and hampers your everyday activities and tasks. Considering the varied negative health impacts of it such as high bp, increased cholesterol, gastrointestinal problems, heart issues, weight gain etc. Managing its level becomes crucial, so stress management basically connotes various kinds of activities, therapies, technique’s etc. for healthy control of stress levels. The event, objects or the person which causes stress to an individual are called stressors. So depending upon your age everyone has got different kinds of stressors for example a student may experience a lot of stress whether he is facing any issues while joining their live classes ,similarly a teacher may experience significant stress if he/ she is not able to efficiently use the online teaching app or employee who is going to a job interview. According to the situation and needs every population faces various stressors. So in this article I would especially focus on stress management of all kinds of stressors experienced by students. 

1. Finding the root cause of stress

The first not so easy step to manage your stress is to identify its sources. Keep in; mind that you should look for the source in not just your environment but also within oneself. Because mostly it’s our thoughts, feelings, overthinking which creates stress and we usually tend to overlook these intrinsic sources or factors which are increasing the stress levels. After finding the source, frame your strategies to deal with overwhelming emotions.

For example: if you are constantly stressed about how to complete the assignment within the framed deadline, you should sit down and critically analyze the assignment, look for references, divide the subtopics and frame time to complete it. This would help you to deal cognitively with all the tension and arousal and provide you with relief.

1. Listen to your favourite music

The most convenient and liked stress reliever with multiple benefits is listening to good music. Students can use these techniques whenever they want a good classical music or relaxing music or any of your favourite music which distracts you from these negative emotions and helps you to solve things slowly and rationally. There are various sorts of apps etc. which have a complete playlist of calming, melodious, relaxing music which can simultaneously be heard while studying, playing etc. Some studies have shown that playing such music in the background helps you to better focus and learn things quickly.

1. Practice breathing

Whenever an individual experiences stress, your rationality gets clouded due to which you are not able to make good decisions. So, the quickest way to calm these overwhelming responses is to breathe. Deep breathing can be done anytime and anywhere. For example prior to examination, in between the test or at any other instances whenever the person feels stress.

1. Do regular exercise

Regular exercise releases happy hormones in your body due to which your stress gets significantly reduced or I would say those negative energies get channelized in the healthy forms. Many researches have shown how stretches and yoga reduces stress and tension not only from your mind but also from your body. Thus regular exercising helps a lot to lead a healthy stress free life.

1. Take care of your sleep cycle

Sleep helps a lot to relieve one’s stress. As students have very tight schedules, they often miss on taking proper sleep which could lead to reduced productivity, fatigue, tension etc. Thus keeping a proper sleep cycle is very vital to keep stress at bay. You should focus on getting 7-8 hours per day of sleep. Also, if required you should also take quick naps during daytime as it helps a lot to revitalize.