Combating University Stress

Lucy shares her views on university stress and her methods of combating it.

- Lucy

Stress is something we have all probably experienced before. It seems to be a natural part of university life that we just put up with. Although that is the case, it can be very frustrating and exhausting and a lot of the time actually limits the amazing things we are capable of.

Of course, it is incredibly important to work hard and do your absolute best, but I don�t think we should have to suffer so much as a consequence.

Stress is something I have suffered with throughout my four years at University. It is also something that I have never been all that great at coping with either. All it does is worsen my anxiety, causing me to shut myself out from the world, as it was previously the only coping mechanism I know.

This is why I think talking about stress, and sharing tips and techniques we all use in our daily lives to combat it is so important. We all may be using certain ways to help ourselves, and someone else may find these tips incredibly useful too! Therefore, I am going to use this blog post to talk about a few of the methods I have used throughout university to help me cope with the stress.

1. Go for a walk. If I feel myself starting to get stressed, I like to get away from the work and go for a walk. Although it can be difficult to allow myself the time to do this, it always works wonders at clearing my head and putting me in a better position to get back to work again.

2. Read, write, be creative! Another way that works to reduce my stress, is to distract my mind from the work and do something creative. I study Psychology, which consists of a lot of academic papers and complicated statistic calculations. Therefore, it can easily become very exhausting. Therefore, doing something creative de-stresses my mind, whether this be through reading a fictional book or doing some writing of my own.

3. Have a relaxing evening to wind down. At the end of a long stressful day of essay writing, the thing I love most is to take the evening to relax and wind down. To do this, I run a hot bath, light some candles in my room, make a cup of tea, and snuggle down to watch whatever Netflix series I am currently binging. This is such an easy way to clear my mind of all the stressful and overwhelming thoughts that have built up throughout the day. It allows me to refocus my attention on things other than my work and to take some time for myself. During this time, I also like to switch my phone off, so I can fully shut myself out from any distractions and just focus on me. Times like this are when it�s important to be selfish!

4. Talk to someone. This is one of the things I probably find the hardest to do but it�s also the most effective. I�ve learned that it doesn�t always have to be the deepest of chats - it can just be as simple as talking to someone who understands what you are going through. Having friends who do the same course as you makes this super easy to do. Whenever I�m feeling stressed over an assignment, I�ll pick up my phone and text a friend, and chances are, they are feeling the exact same way! There is something about having someone who can totally relate to your experience that can prevent you from feeling alone in that suffering. As a result, this is a key way that I manage to alleviate my stress.

Although stress has become such a natural part of university life, it shouldn�t have to be so intense. I believe that we should all allow ourselves some time in the day to focus on us, to ensure we don�t let the stress take over. We are capable of so much and if we can find the balance between working hard and looking after ourselves, then nothing can stop us!

Hello! I'm Lucy, a Clinical Psychology Masters student at Anglia Ruskin University! Through studying Psychology and experiencing life as a student, I have become incredibly passionate about mental health and helping to make a positive change. I have been volunteering for Student Minds for the past 2 years as a Peer Support Facilitator at my university, and have been the Editor of the Student Minds blog since June 2017.

Competitive Burnout

Julia, a Sub-Editor for Student Minds, writes about 'competitive burnout' at University, the added stress this can bring, and how to juggle the demands of University Life.

- Julia

I�ve always been involved with lots of things in my time at university (and when I was at school), both extra-curricular and academic. Of course, why wouldn�t you want to do things that intrigue you or which allow you to challenge yourself? However, I�ve noticed that more and more at university there is pressure to do things for the sake of doing things. People feel that in order to be seen as competent or successful they need to have been in a play, written articles, and played a sport to a high standard� and all while maintaining top grades and an active social life.

Even more so, in the desire to come across as this successful and all-rounded person, it is now seen as important to show that you do more than anybody else, even showing off about being burnt out. At my university, it is incredibly common for people to one-up each other on how many deadlines they have and how little sleep they have been living off. While I think it is important that we acknowledge that there are times when university is difficult and we experience high stress, I don�t think it is healthy that it becomes a culture of �competitive burn out�. Particularly for students, like myself, who experience mental health conditions or other disabilities, the pressure to always be stressed can put a particular strain on our health or make us feel inadequate when actually we are intelligent and dedicated.

I still do lots of extracurricular because I want to; I take pride in putting work into my degree, and, yes, I certainly have a social life. However, being burnt out and constantly stressed is not a pleasant way to live your life, nor something to strive too. I encourage you to think about the impact of telling someone around you that you were up all night working on an essay, and doing twenty other tasks at once. Not only is it bad for your health and increases your stress, but it can contribute to the anxiety and imposter syndrome that many already feel at university.

It is okay to decide that you would benefit more from an early night than finishing an essay or to turn down an opportunity for an extra-curricular activity (even something you�d otherwise love to do) just because you feel you need some downtime. Sure, you might find yourself experiencing stress or lacking sleep during term time, but it is also okay to prioritise yourself over overworking.

I'm Julia and I'm currently studying music at the University of Oxford. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I've been keen to do work talking about mental health, as well as other disabilities. Alongside sub-editing for Student Minds, I am the Oxford editor for Blueprint zine, a website with articles on mental health started by students at Cambridge University, and I'm also the chair for Oxford SU's disability campaign. I am absolutely delighted to be able to help with the Student Minds blog, to allow other students to talk about their mental health experiences and make discussing mental health not taboo, but something people can discuss openly and unashamedly.

Living with Procrastination

Lucy shares her experience of procrastination at University and how to make the best of it so it doesn't hold you back.

- Lucy

As I sit up my kitchen side, staring at my laptop screen, while desperately trying to make a start on an assignment, I feel like now is the best time to write a post about procrastination.

Procrastination is something I am almost certain that everyone experiences at some point in their university lives (or life in general), and for some of us, it happens on the daily. This can cause a bit of a tricky situation, where that inability to force ourselves to do an assignment only ends up causing a huge amount of stress in the long run. At the time, it's so difficult to convince yourself that you'll be suffering much more from the decisions you are making now. Even if you're aware of that fact, for some reason, your brain just doesn't want to process it and take action. So instead, we continue to sit and stare at a blank word document and waste a whole day doing absolutely nothing, out of guilt for doing anything but that.

It doesn't really make sense when you think about it.

Fair enough, it's going to be one of those days where you just can't produce a single sentence without checking your phone or staring out of the window. However, why should that mean that we waste a whole day doing absolutely nothing because of it? I don't know about you, but when I find myself procrastinating, I'll find small and useless things to do while just sitting in front of that piece of work. For some reason, I feel guilty if I step away from my laptop screen and do something a little more productive, because then I'm no longer paying any attention to the assignment that should be in front of me. So as a result, I just end up wasting a whole day sat in front of my laptop screen, doing absolutely nothing, but still manage to feel a sense of achievement at the fact that I 'tried', when in actual fact, I just wasted a day.

That's where learning how to deal with procrastination can really come in handy. Having the ability to notice when you're procrastinating is the first step. But to then pull yourself away from the guilt you feel by not doing your work and to then distract your mind by doing something else instead, is the real game changer.

It's about learning to pull yourself away from that blank word document and teach your mind that it's okay to step away if you're incapable of being productive. It's okay to take a couple of hours off, or even a whole day, because as a result, you'll be allowing yourself to do something more enjoyable and also productive with that time. 

In addition, that time away may even provide you with a little motivation to sit down and get a few paragraphs written over a few days. Or it may even give you enough motivation to get the whole thing finished way before the deadline date, and escape all that last minute stress.

Procrastination can be incredibly difficult to live with because it consumes you with guilt, which leads to frustration, which ends up adding to the procrastination you are already experiencing.

Learning to accept you're having an off day is the key to overcoming it.

Learning to appreciate writing a few sentences as a success when you're really struggling, is the best way to remove the guilt and to keep on going.

Learning to allow yourself some time away from those deadlines to refresh your mind, can really help avoid those few days of stress as you reach a final deadline and still have a tonne of the assignment left to complete.

Procrastination can be difficult to live with, but it is possible to learn to live with it too. It's all about training your mind to remove the guilt you feel and instead, fill that time with something else productive that you're going to gain a little more enjoyment from, until you regain your motivation!

Hello! I'm Lucy, a Clinical Psychology Masters student at Anglia Ruskin University! Through studying Psychology and experiencing life as a student, I have become incredibly passionate about mental health and helping to make a positive change. I have been volunteering for Student Minds for the past 2 years as a Peer Support Facilitator at my university, and have been the Editor of the Student Minds blog since June 2017.

Home Stressy Home: How to Maintain a Happy Household During Exams

Elise shares how she maintains a happy household during the busy exam period.

- Elise Jackson

Whether you prefer to work from home, in the library with your Bluetooth headphones, or on the floor of a pitying friend�s bedroom, exam time can be a nightmare. You�re living off meal deals and triple shot lattes, everything you wear has an elasticated waistband and you�ve lost all sense of time. And you�re surrounded by thousands of people doing the exact same thing, a few of whom you live with. So how do you stay okay? In the spirit of listening, I asked my housemates what they thought were the most important things in maintaining a happy home, and here�s what they said:

Routine, Routine, Routine

To me, this is the most essential. My routine for the past month or so has been: get up at 7.30/8, library, work, lunch break with friends, work, then home around 3pm. Writing that out, I see I�m on a secondary school schedule. At home, I�ll do some lighter low-pressure work and often I do it with friends, sitting in the living room or garden together. I try not to work past dinner time, so I can get into my PJs, listen to a podcast or watch an episode of TV, meditate, and be asleep by 11ish. Most of my house are on the same schedule, and there is something about knowing each other�s routines that helps soften the stress a little. Additionally, I�ve found it really helps to check in with each other regularly � mainly centred around mealtimes.
Along that vein�

Don�t sacrifice your social life!

Make sure you still do things with your friends during exams � balance is key. The proportion of time you can spend going out will be hugely reduced, but that social need remains. Whether this means a board game, a cinema trip or, as my house have done, a weekly pub quiz, you can make it as low-key as you like. Letting off steam and reminding yourselves why you enjoy spending time together will make your house dynamic infinitely better, as well as allowing yourself the time off will do wonders for your mental health. No whiskey, though.

Get a change of scenery

Changing your space can really change your mindset. My house got into the habit of switching rooms to study in when working from home, as this maintains your bedroom as a place reserved for sleep and relaxation. If you can�t do this, then make sure you don�t eat in your bedroom � take your lunch downstairs, or the garden if you have one. If the day is particularly overwhelming, go for a quick walk, or offer to do a run to the shop for sweets. Get out, breathe the air, and come back ready to go.

Don�t expect too much of each other�

It�s likely that not everyone is going to be on their game. People will forget things, be snappy, and there may be some tears. The best way to tackle conflict is to acknowledge it when it happens, allow for it (within reason), agree to apologise and move on. Additionally, if you want to do things that your housemates don�t, or if there�s no milk, or if someone is doing something that just gets under your skin, consider letting it slide this time. Ask yourself that if you were in their position, what could you handle, and deal with it accordingly. Recognise that it might be a you problem, not a them problem.

� but keep yourselves to a standard.

Living in a student house can be gross at times, but there is a limit. During exams, no one wants to be cleaning the hobs but it must be done. Clean up after yourselves, take the bin out when its full, bleach the loo if it�s looking dodgy, replace the washing up sponge if its falling apart. Things that take two seconds now save aggro later.
Hold certain standards: keep the noise down in the morning and at night, don�t invite a bunch of people over without asking, don�t be completely horrible to each other and pass it off as �I�m just stressed�. If everyone is held accountable, things should run smoothly, but make sure you strike that balance, and maybe lower the bar of expectation just that little bit. You�ll be all the better for it.


So, there is some wisdom from a fairly well-functioning, fairly happy third year household. The biggest thing to remember is that, as much stress as you�re feeling right now, it will be over soon, and you�ll all still be together. Support one another, get into routine, and don�t forget to cut yourself a little slack and have a bit of fun every now and again!

Hello! I'm Elise. I'm currently in my final year studying English Language and Literature at the University of Nottingham. My writings for Student Minds will range from pieces about depression and DPD to coping with loss, bereavement and change during your studies - all the while remaining mindful and getting the most out of university life. Thanks for reading!

What Doesn't Work?

Paula discusses unhelpful pieces of advice she has been given during her recovery from Anorexia.

- Paula

During my recovery from anorexia I relied on suggestions given by doctors, therapists as well as people who had already won the battle. I�d like to mention three pieces of advice that definitely did NOT work for me. Please keep in mind that everybody (and every body) is different, so if in doubt, always follow your team�s advice.

1. Keep your environment trigger-free.

In many treatment centres it�s not only a suggestion, it�s a formal rule. No health magazines with recent fad diets lying around. No discussions about food. Clothing must cover certain body parts.

I agree that trigger-free environment makes recovery easier. For example, reading a weight-loss meal plan just before being served a high-calorie lunch can make the meal extremely difficult. The same goes for looking at actresses with �perfect� (i.e. probably photoshopped) bodies when you need to accept your own weight gain.

However, our world is full of triggers for eating disorder sufferers. If I was getting a pound each time I hear someone talking about weights, calories, workouts or �healthy� and �unhealthy� foods, I�d be a millionaire. In my opinion recovery should let us live freely in the real-world, not only behind the walls of an eating disorder treatment centre.

2. Avoid cardio workout, but do some strength training and go for walks.

I believed this one for years before I decided to just quit exercise cold turkey. In principle building muscle is good for us, and it doesn�t burn too many calories. And walks? These innocent strolls in the fresh air? They can�t do any harm, can they?

Well, it�s more about the mindset than anything else. Sedentary lifestyle felt horrendous for me while I was recovering. I always felt I SHOULD do something, whatever, just as long as I�m moving. But guess what � healthy people don�t get anxious when they spend days going car-office-car-home. Challenging the fear of not exercising was one of the key parts of my recovery and helped me develop a healthy relationship with exercise.

Some might argue that exercise releases endorphins, so helpful for ED sufferers who tend to be depressed as well. However, if we follow this argument, there exists an excellent alternative method of getting the daily dose of happiness hormones. Chocolate. So think about it � if you care so much about endorphins, would you ever pick chocolate as an alternative to your exercise routine? If not, think about the reasons.

3. You need to focus 100% on your recovery.

Which means you probably should take a break from school/work, read recovery books and keep doing CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) exercises in your free time.

While I agree that recovery should be your priority, I also believe that one can overdo it. By no means am I saying that you�re allowed to skip meals or exercise �once in a while� (check point 2). However, recovery shouldn�t be about recovery, but about life. Chances are your ED made you forget who you are, what you enjoy, who you like. Therapy is important, but I think that the actual healing takes place in everyday life.

I truly started recovering when I began to build my life from scratch. Going out. Getting back to my hobbies. Making friends. You need some motivation to recover, something that will show you how much you�re missing when food and numbers are constantly on your mind. As long as your hobby doesn�t involve running or meal planning, go for it!

Whatever you do, make sure that the person in control is the real you, not the sneaky eating disorder. And if you haven�t found your voice yet (which is perfectly fine), always consult a trusted person. Never forget that recovery is possible!

Hi! I'm Paula, a PhD Maths student. I'd like to share my thoughts about mental health in graduate school.

When it all gets too much

Emily shares her best ways to cope for times when life at university is particularly stressful.

- Emily

We all know that University is a stressful place sometimes, even more so where mental health is concerned. Trying to balance assignments, deadlines, attending lectures, maintaining a social life as well as eating and sleeping properly is tough. Sometimes, it does all get too much and it feels overwhelming, as though we�ve been thrown into a sea and expected to swim, but it can get difficult when the waves get choppier. This article demonstrates what I have found that has helped me personally to cope with my mental health when things get overwhelming.

1. Accepting that things are difficult: This, I have learnt, is very much easier said than done, and comes with practice. In my case, it�s accepting that I can�t do everything because I�m likely to burn out which is not good for my physical or mental health. 

2. Taking a step back: Whether this is taking a break from university work for an evening or having a night in, sometimes it�s necessary to just have some time to relax. What works for me is writing and having an evening off just to write. For others, it can be going for a walk, reading a book or having a bath. 

3. Focus on your achievements: When things seem difficult, it can be all too easy to focus on the negative and feel like a failure. In this instance, it�s good to realise what you�ve achieved and to give yourself some credit. Write down a list of things you are proud of yourself for each day, even if it is as simple as getting out of bed. 

4. Remember why you started: Getting caught up in and stressed out with university work can often mean that we forget why we started our courses in the first place. Sometimes, to help ground ourselves and re-focus our minds, it�s a good idea to remember what motivated us to start studying our subjects in the first place. 

5. Focus on moving forward: After doing all of the above, and adding a lot of self-care, focusing on the future helps. We all find things overwhelming sometimes, but dwelling on needing to take a break doesn�t help. Make a daily or weekly plan and set realistic achievable goals. 

The most important thing when University life gets overwhelming is to be kind to yourself.

My name is Emily (Em). I am currently in my final year studying Modern Languages, Translation & Interpreting at Swansea University, where I'm also the Creative Writing Section Editor and Deputy Editor for The Waterfront - Swansea's student newspaper. I wanted to write for Student Minds because I have experienced depression and anxiety as well as other health issues, and I support friends who have also experienced mental health difficulties. I am also a passionate writer and writing has been important in my mental health experiences - both in helping me to cope with my mental health, as well as sharing my story in order to help others.

Opening up about Men's Mental Health - Michael

Michael shares his experience living with and opening up about mental health conditions.

- Michael

For many years now I�ve been fighting mental health difficulties such as depression, mental paralysis, and anxiety. I�m in the prime of my life, so I ask myself, why do I feel like this? I�ve just turned twenty and I am a Student in London, but I find it hard to introduce myself because for years I didn�t have a clue who I was. My worst times were between 2015-2017 and I�m now in a rebuilding stage. I still fall down sometimes, but I get back up. Always get back up.

I see every day the major stigma for men to open up about themselves. People ask why? Men have been portrayed for decades � centuries, even � to be strong and mentally stable. It�s okay to be an �Alpha Male�, but it�s okay to be emotional too. The whole issue of stigma comes from society and the people around us. Our friends/family are often the main people we�d cover it up from, and I covered up my emotions just so I wouldn�t show weakness. Men do this, and using this mask works to an extent. It�s also hard finding somebody who will understand. Not many friends/family will ever understand what�s going on. I know this because I could never talk to people I care about the most.

What makes me talk today? I�ve had enough of seeing people fall below me. Meaning, I�ve been on the brink of giving up many times. Those potential final moments of your life it�s just an unexplainable feeling. Known/unknown names are falling below the level and it frustrates me. Therefore, for a Male like myself to decide to open up. It�s bloody necessary in today�s society.

I�ve found myself struggling to function sometimes because my cognitive performance has been worn out with stress and anxiety. I�m currently having to rebuild my ability to do things I once thought were simple, such as literacy skills. I also lost a lot of good things in my life during those bad times. I gave up activities I once loved, like hiking and the gym. I banned myself from learning to drive because I nearly crashed the car from lack of concentration. I didn�t want to put others in danger, so I quit. I lost important individuals who didn�t know about my mental health difficulties because I didn�t want to drag them down with me. I was giving up on my future. I couldn�t let them waste theirs, that would�ve been selfish of me. It�s these regrets that I have which are also encouraging me to talk and help others.

I think that the main challenge for men in our society is to get over their own ego which makes them think they�ll be strong enough to get through it alone. I�d love to meet a person who walked in and out of mental health difficulties without anyone knowing or without any harm done. I went years without telling anyone and it made me worse. I accept that everyone is different, but everyone needs some kind of help from a healthy source. We were all born to do something in life. We aren�t here to just struggle day by day and only find peace on our deathbeds.

Therefore, we as men need to open up. It doesn�t matter who you are, or your story. A �real man� talks! Don�t ever think you have go through mental health issues alone, that�s just toxic. You can get through the barrier, you just have to break through it. There are so many resources to help us overcome mental health difficulties, you just have to use them. The first step? TALK!


If you would like to get involved with our Men's Mental Health blogging series, then you can find all of the details here. You can also send us an email at blog@studentminds.org.uk for more details!

Hi, I'm Michael Rigby and I study Sports Business and Broadcasting at UCFB Wembley. I have experienced mental illness, including depression and social anxiety since the age of 14.