Healthier Ways to Cope With Stress

To break free from stress addiction and maintain a healthy balance in their lives, university students must adopt healthier coping mechanisms. These approaches will not only alleviate stress but also promote personal growth and resilience.

1. Simran:

We are constantly thinking, occupying the mind thinking about exams, coursework deadlines, social life, debt, or the future. We are never left alone, constantly immersed in a pool of thoughts. We may not be aware, but the mind is constantly in pain; from waves of stress leading to waves of anxiety or depression. An example of how this pain can be alleviated by eliminating thoughts is through a universal tool - Simran. Simran is a focused practice for the mind which is the repetition of a word. This builds resilience and allows us to take control of the mind. This technique is done by verbally saying your chosen two-syllable word out loud, listening to yourself saying it out loud and focusing your full attention on the sound of your own voice.

2. Set realistic expectations of yourself:

We all tend to compare ourselves to that ‘someone’ - the someone who excels in everything, the someone who tends to effortlessly achieve the most, and as much as you try to keep up, you just cannot, it seems impossible. Remember, everyone has different strengths; you are unique - no one can do what you do and most importantly, you can only control the amount of effort you put in, not the outcome. To achieve your goals, it's important to reflect on why you are stressed, come up with solutions based on your strengths and determine what you need to focus on improving.

3. Physical Activity:

Feeling stressed may take up all your time and end up making you feel like you do not have time for anything else. One must take the initiative to take a break from stress, which will ultimately end up increasing productivity. Making time to do physical activity, hobbies, and interests outside of academics reduces the stress hormones in the body while stimulating feel-good hormones, which are mood boosters that enhance the sense of well-being.

4. Seeking Support:

The feeling of shame, embarrassment or being self-sufficient are barriers to receiving and accepting help. We may know ourselves the best, but getting support from friends, family, or counselling services is important. Having an external perspective to help process your decision-making process, thoughts and feelings will facilitate further self-development and the ability to cope with challenges.