Tips to Relieve Stress
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’re 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’t mistake working hard for working good and work past the point
of diminishing returns. When you’re fatigued, your effectiveness quickly declines.
REHEARSE: When you’re 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’re
fresh and avoid the stress of dreading it all day.
Procrastination breeds stress.
Procrastination breeds stress.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS: Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day or a week. It’s 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’t enjoy, to responsibilities
that aren’t really yours, to emotional demands that leave you feeling drained, and
to other people’s problems that you can’t solve.
SCHEDULE YOUR STRESS: Scheduling stressful activities can reduce the number of balls you must juggle at
any one time. Don’t 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’t
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’ 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.
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