Tips to Relieve Stress

Psychological Counseling

College stress is a normal part of life.

Here are some tips to help keep it at a minimum.

GET ORGANIZED: Having to remember where something is, when you鈥檙e supposed to do it, or what someone said taxes your memory unnecessarily. So plan it, schedule it, file it, take notes on it and write it down. Save your memory for more creative things.
TAKE BREAKS: To maintain peak performance, you should take a two-minute break after every fifty minutes of work. Don鈥檛 mistake working hard for working good and work past the point of diminishing returns. When you鈥檙e fatigued, your effectiveness quickly declines. 
REHEARSE: When you鈥檙e facing a situation that you know will be stressful for you, rehearse it. Either mentally or with a friend, anticipate what might occur and plan your response. Being prepared reduces stress.
DO IT NOW: Do your most difficult or most hated task at the beginning of the day when you鈥檙e fresh and avoid the stress of dreading it all day.
Procrastination breeds stress.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS: Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day or a week. It鈥檚 better to do less and do it well than to do more poorly.
CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE: Avoid stress by changing the way you look at things. Train yourself to view stressful situations as challenges to your creative thinking rather than as insoluble problems.
LEARN TO SAY "NO": Say "no" when your schedule is full. Say "no" to activities you don鈥檛 enjoy, to responsibilities that aren鈥檛 really yours, to emotional demands that leave you feeling drained, and to other people鈥檚 problems that you can鈥檛 solve.
SCHEDULE YOUR STRESS: Scheduling stressful activities can reduce the number of balls you must juggle at any one time. Don鈥檛 plan a party for the week you have a big presentation to do at school.
POSITIVE SELF-TALK: Instead of frightening or depressing yourself by coming up with reasons why you can鈥檛 cope with something, use positive self-reinforcement:  "I can handle this one step at a time." 
TAKE CHARGE: Take responsibility for making your life what you want it to be. It is less stressful to make decisions and take action than to feel powerless and react to others鈥� decisions. Decide what you want and go for it!

Students may schedule an individual appointment by stopping in our office (Nassau Hall, Room 14), or by calling 516.572.7698.