Sometimes we need a bit of ‘good pressure’ to help motivate us and get things done. But all-to-often this can quickly turn into stress - especially during exam season.
When the pressure of assignments, assessments, and exams begins to feel a bit too much, there are some simple techniques which could make a big difference to your stress levels – also helping your performance and productivity.
Set realistic goals
Whether you have months, weeks or days before exams/deadlines, it’s important to set goals that help maximise your productivity without risking ‘burn-out’.
Breaking down the work you have left to do into small chunks, either through a revision timetable or daily to-do list, could help things feel less overwhelming and easier to tackle.
The university has lots of study skills resources available – including the online Skills Hub.
Get into some good habits
Having a good routine, full of little things we enjoy doing, as well as eating healthy (and regularly) will aid your ability to focus on and complete things effectively.
Try to:
- Drink plenty of water and eat regular meals
- Get outside (or at least away from your desk!) for regular breaks
- Get into a steady sleep schedule
- Space out your workload (rather than cramming it into a few all-nighters)
- Keep some good things in your diary too (including seeing friends, exercising, hobbies).
Avoid bad habits
When stress and anxiety begin to mount, it’s completely normal that some of the good things in our routines fall down the pecking order to allow more time for revision and working. But this is not always the best approach.
Try to avoid:
- Using coffee or energy drinks to maintain your energy levels (this leads to ‘crashing’)
- Isolating yourself from people (it’s good to talk things through with others to get new perspectives)
- Comparing yourself to others (we all cope with, and react to, stress in different ways)
It can also be soothing to reach for alcohol or drugs to help calm us down, especially when we’re feeling stressed, anxious, sad or overwhelmed. But the effects of these are temporary and don’t tackle the root cause of our worries.
By avoiding alcohol and drugs, you increase your chances of:
- Processing difficult feelings
- Getting a better night’s sleep
- Feeling more productive and focussed.
The university has some tailored drug and alcohol support available by registering with therapeutic services. You can also find one-to-one and group support from Change, Grow, Live – Brighton's recovery service.
Talk it out
Often, a good way of coping with stressful or difficult situations is to talk it through with somebody else. A fresh perspective or supportive ear can be transformational in the way we approach things.
Try to keep in regular contact with your friends, family and course team for any support or guidance they can offer. Remember that asking for help shows bravery, not weakness.
For further information you can also see pages on looking after your mental health and what the therapeutic services team offer.