Thursday 14 March 2024

Looking After Your Wellbeing During Exams

Exams can come with a lot of pressure which can make us feel extremely stressed. Stress is your body’s natural response to pressure and can help you focus and feel motivated to get things done but it can also feel hard to manage at times. Remember to look after your health and wellbeing during exam time and don’t forget that you're not alone. Everything you’re feeling is completely normal and plenty of others are going through the exact same thing. 

Various studies of exam stress have shown that exam periods and exam situations are stressful for students. The results from the Natwest Student Living Index 2019 stated that 45% of students admitted they are feeling stressed by their course. Another poll from the same year that included 37,500 students at 140 universities across England, Wales, and Scotland suggests that rates of psychological distress and illness are on the rise in universities, with “alarmingly high” levels of anxiety, loneliness, substance misuse and thoughts of self-harm.

The exam period is only a small proportion of the academic year. While it is important to study and do the best you can, it is also equally as important that you don’t push too hard. Burning yourself out won’t help with your exam performance and grades and can have a detrimental effect on your health as it is linked to anxiety, depression and a compromised immune system. Burnouts can also cause people to feel drained, fatigued, and unable to cope. In extreme cases, over long periods of time a burnout can increase the risk of heart attacks, type 2 diabetes as well as increasing cholesterol levels. Therefore, it is important to remember that you need to look after yourself mentally and physically.

Looking after yourself during exams

Here are some tips and tricks on how to look after your wellbeing during the exam period.

Make time for things you enjoy. If you're associated with any clubs or societies, then it's important that you still attend these. Visiting friends and family during this time is also really beneficial. Both family and friends provide us with support and comfort. They have a positive impact on our self-esteem and wellbeing and can help us cope with stress better. Additionally, it is vital to remember that exams do not define your life. There needs to be a balance between working hard and enjoying yourself.

Talk to others about your feelings. It's important to talk to others about how you feel, especially during times when stress levels are high. Speaking up about what you're feeling, whether good or bad, can help put your feelings into words, reducing stress levels and helping you feel close to people who care about you, whether that is friends, family, classmates, or strangers is completely up to you.

Study with others. Having study groups with peers can help students to learn course material in a deeper, more concrete way while having a positive social aspect to it. Tutoring is also a positive reinforcement of class material and improves confidence when exam time comes around.

Engage in regular exercise. Engaging in regular exercise increases your overall health and wellbeing, however, it also has been proven to affect how you manage your stress levels. Regular exercise reduces the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body and stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators. Additionally, participating in exercise means you are more likely to enjoy a good night’s sleep, which is crucial during exam time. It is recommended to have at least eight hours' sleep per night as it can affect academic performance. Having enough sleep can improve memory recall and concentration, which is essential during the exam period.

Stick to a routine. Sticking to a routine during exam time and taking regular breaks while studying can enhance motivation levels by providing a structure to work within and making you feel in control. Routines can allow you to meet your goals and deadlines while building discipline and resilience. They can also allow time for regular planned breaks, which can increase productivity and focus while also allowing space for enjoyment and fun. 

Do it your way. Remember, everyone has their own way of studying, so find what works best for you.


How to prepare before your exam

  • Prepare all your stationery and essentials for the exam the night before. 
  • Briefly review notes and study materials to refresh memory.
  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Make sure to eat a healthy breakfast.
  • If nerves a starting to get to you, practise some breathing exercises. 
  • Take your time and don’t rush. Rushing leads to mistakes. 

Looking after yourself after your exam/s

  • Once your exam(s) have finished, try to resist the urge  to compare your answers with others as this can act as a catalyst for anxiety. By doing this, you won’t know whose answer was correct. It is best to leave it until your results come back. 
  • Another important tip is to leave all your stress in the exam hall and focus on your next steps. 
  • Lastly, reward yourself with a treat. This might be a chat with a friend, an item of clothing, a long walk in the countryside, a new book, your favourite takeaway or something else. Choose what works for you. You deserve it!


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Location: United Kingdom

How to Build a Community as an Overseas Student

It can be very stressful for students moving abroad for university as for many it means leaving their family and friends behind and being confronted with a largely new and unknown setting. 

Adjusting to the new environment and potential cultural differences can make it difficult for students to build social networks and, as a result, many international students may experience periods of loneliness during their time overseas. With everything so new, foreign, and sometimes scary, making friends and settling in abroad can be challenging.

"International students have several risk factors for loneliness, including being away from loved ones, novelty (finding yourself in a new situation), not having a network in the new place yet, and feeling different (not fitting in) because of not understanding social codes and norms."
Luzia Heu, Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, who conducts research on loneliness across different cultures. 

Ways to combat loneliness

Join clubs and societies: As a new student, take advantage of the first few weeks at university when everyone is trying to make friends. Take yourself along to the fresher’s events to mix with other students and join as many clubs and societies as you can. There are numerous clubs that will be suited to everyone at university, and it is one of the easiest ways to get to know your peers and make new friends. Some universities also have social media sites and online communities that you can reach out to people through.

Joining clubs and societies allows you to be around lots of new people in a non-classroom setting where socialising is common. It is also highly possible that the other students are there for the same reason you are – to make friends. Best of all, you would already have something in common with the people in your group allowing you to get to know them by bonding over shared interests. An important reminder is that you should not feel pressured to attend your club(s) every week, especially as the semester progresses and workload increases.

Join cultural communities: Joining cultural communities can also be fun as you will meet a range of new people, learn about diverse cultures, and share different perspectives. It also gives you an opportunity to meet people from the same culture as you and could even help with feelings of homesickness. 

There are other benefits to joining clubs that don’t revolve around only meeting friends, for example, if you enjoy films and the cinema, joining a group that watches and discusses films each week is a great way to meet people and improve one’s language skills. As well as this, you could still benefit by finding a new passion or interest you didn’t know you had.

Participate in class tutorials: Class tutorials are another good way to start conversations and work on different projects. They are an opportunity to share your thoughts and to have conversations around different issues. In addition, tutorials can highlight who agrees and disagrees with the points you’re making and by doing this it can form bonds if you notice someone shares the same views as you. It also gives you an opportunity to get your classmates numbers or social media to chat about the class material alongside other things. Inviting people in your class to meet up to study together or work on projects can be a good way of making friends while also focusing on class work. 

Consider shared accommodation: Applying to live in shared accommodation at university is a great way to make new friends as you can socialise with the people you live with. Living with strangers can be daunting but by putting yourself out there and engaging with others either by sparking up conversations in your common areas, or keeping your door open allowing others to come up to you, will help you to make a friend along the way.

Share meals: If you live in shared accommodation, consider suggesting a dinner party or having dinner together. People naturally congregate over food and experiencing new meals acts as a good conversation topic. It is also a good idea to even just have chilled nights with your new flat mates such as playing games and ordering a takeaway.

Mix with others in your student accommodation: It is very common for university dorms to have parties which gives you more opportunities to interact and socialise with new people. The biggest tip when staying in university accommodation is to not be confined to your room all the time where interaction with others will be minimal. Try not to rely solely on people coming up to you, so make sure you’re proactive about making friends. Some ideas include walking up to people in classes, hallways or even the dorms where you are staying. There are opportunities everywhere to make small talk. The chances are that you won’t be the only one who has moved away from home and are trying to make friends, there will be plenty others in a new country the same as you. While not all students will have travelled thousands of miles for their studies, most will have left home for the first time and will be keen to see a friendly face.

Find a part-time job: Finding a part time job can also be beneficial in trying to make friends. Working with colleagues provides the space to start up conversations, which can be helpful for making friends. Having a job can also lead to staff members catching a drink together after a hard shift or even doing activities together on their days off.


Hopefully making a handful of friends is all you need to do for your network to start expanding naturally as you begin to meet their friends who could end up becoming your friends.

The first few weeks or even months in a new country can be very overwhelming and making friends won’t happen overnight, but it also won’t happen if you don’t put yourself out there and make it a priority. Just remember to be kind and always be yourself and everything should work out. One last tip is to make the most of your experience by saying yes to every invitation you are offered, and before you know it, you will be surrounded by people. 

References




-
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Location: United Kingdom

Managing Anxiety As A Young Adult

Anxiety can have you feeling as if the world is crumbling at your feet, but remembering that it's a completely natural response and emotion may help you when you are experiencing these feelings.

Firstly, learning about anxiety can help you to manage or even overcome it. Coming to terms with the fact that anxiety affects everyone differently can be the first step of managing it.

In 2019, 301 million people were affected by an anxiety disorder and almost one- third of 16–24 year-olds in the UK (31%) reported some evidence of depression or anxiety in 2017-2018. This had increased by 26% from the previous year. It is important to remember that we all have different personal situations and life experiences, therefore, how anxiety affects us can vary significantly.

Common causes of anxiety in young adults

The root of anxiety isn’t always psychological, it can be unique to you and your circumstances. Habits can spark or provoke anxiety, for example, not sleeping enough or too much alcohol consumption. Some individuals find certain situations more stressful and experience more challenges in life which can result in them being more anxious than others, for example someone having a health scare may develop health anxiety. Some other possible causes of anxiety include past or childhood experiences, current life situations, physical and mental health problems as well as drug consumption and medication use. This can relate to young people at college or university, dealing with exam pressure as well as newly graduated students who are searching for a job. Even though graduation is a happy occasion, once all that hard work and stress has paid off, it might leave you wondering what happens next. 

After university, it can feel a lot like you are moving backwards as many students move back in with parents or pick up old jobs. However, these types of decisions can be sensible and temporary stepping stones to get you to where you want to be.

The pressure to find a job, once graduated, can be overwhelming, especially when you feel there are no job opportunities popping up. It can feel even worse if you're  applying for jobs but keep being rejected from them while others you know are being accepted to their dream companies and positions. All these things can cause feelings of fear and anxiety for what the future will bring. It’s important to remember not to give up. The next job application you send might be the one that ends up accepting you. Its also worth maybe getting in touch with the places that are rejecting you to work out where you might be going wrong.

Additionally, being a young adult and still having no idea what you want to do for a career can be extremely daunting. 
  • Remember to be patient and explore your options and accept that sometimes things can take a while to work through. 
  • Try and work out what you enjoy in life and see what types of careers you could make out of that. 
  • Talk to people and try gain as much work experience as you possibly can and remember that your next job may not be your forever job but instead the first step on your journey to getting there. 

The thought of moving out and paying rent for many young adults will be a major stressor. For those who are no longer at university, paying rent without the help of a student loan can be a worry. Even decisions about where and who to live with can cause a lot of anxiety for young people as this will be a big stepping stone in their life. The cost-of-living crisis can feel like a major weight on young people’s shoulders when eventually moving out for the first time.

With time and persistence, you will get to where you want to be – it just might take a little longer than expected.

Some common symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety can manifest itself in many ways, Some of the main symptoms of anxiety include shaking and sweating uncontrollably, having an irregular or fast heartbeat and worrying about the past or future. Some other indications that you are struggling with anxiety include stomach aches, pins and needles, shortness of breath, feeling tired, restless, or irritable as well as experiencing a dry mouth.

Anxiety is frequently connected to sleeping problems. Excess worry and fear can make it harder to fall asleep, additionally, sleep deprivation can worsen anxiety which creates a negative cycle of anxiety and sleepless nights. It is recommended to get at least eight hours of sleep per night to significantly decrease cortisol levels and restore balance to the body. 
Click here to read a blog post explaining the importance of sleep for students >

Some tips to try and manage your anxiety include:

  1. Set yourself small targets that you can easily achieve and focusing on them one at a time. 
  2. Focus your time and energy into helping yourself feel better. Focus on the things you CAN change. Focusing on the things you CAN'T change can create negative thoughts.
  3. Don't avoid situations that make you anxious as this won't help. Instead, try slowly building up time spent in anxiety-provoking situations to gradually reduce anxiety. 
  4. Participate in regular exercise as this can reduce stress. Try going for a short bike ride or walk with a friend. 
  5. Experiment with breathing techniques such as taking deep slow breaths to calm the body’s nervous system.
  6. Practise journaling to untangle your thoughts and express your feelings. 

As a final point, an effective, safe and healthy way to combat anxiety may be to speak to others about how you’re feeling mentally. It is also beneficial to learn about anxiety and how it affects you personally. Lastly, make sure you get enough sleep!

Further reading


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Location: United Kingdom

The importance of sleep for students

The timing, duration and quality of the sleep we get are critical to the health of our body and mind. The recommended sleep duration for older adults (aged 46 – 60) is seven hours minimum; however, for younger adults (between 18-45 years old) nine hours is considered appropriate and most beneficial. This is because younger adults are experiencing very fast physical, intellectual, and emotional growth.

Sleep problems are common in university students as they often stay up late completing assignments. In addition, this period of their lives can be stressful and stress can influence the amount of sleep a student gets. This is because high levels of stress can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Not having enough sleep on a regular basis triggers the body’s stress response system leading to an elevation in cortisol, which further disrupts sleep.

Additionally, student life can involve lots of social events from making new friends, joining societies, attending parties and drinking. This lifestyle can have a negative impact on your circadian rhythm, also known as your 'body clock' because the natural sleep routine is disrupted, meaning the physiological cycle that your body operates on is disturbed. This means that the rapid eye movement (REM) part of the sleep cycle – the deepest and most restorative part – is reduced. 

A study conducted in 2022 with the purpose of gathering information on how much sleep university students from the UK got, found that 19% of students had an average sleep time of less than five hours per night. Additionally, 45% of the participants rated their sleep as bad.

Why is sleep important?

Numerous studies have found a positive correlation between sleep duration and school grades. Evidence has also found that poor sleep patterns are related to impaired academic life. This is likely because insufficient sleep decreases general alertness, impairs attention, and slows cognitive processing, which when combined could diminish an individual’s academic capabilities.

Additionally, sleep is important because it can improve mental health and lower the risk of suffering with depression and anxiety as well as other physical risks such as diabetes and heart disease.

Depression and sleep problems are closely linked

People who are suffering with depression often find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. They also might experience periods of excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep problems can also exacerbate and provoke depression. For example, individuals suffering with insomnia have a higher risk of developing depression compared with people who get a good night’s sleep. We are at risk of getting into a negative cycle in which we struggle to sleep because we're depressed, but the lack of sleep then makes us more likely to be and stay depressed. 


While more research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the connection between sleep and mental health, we know that sleep is important as it helps to regulate emotions and behaviours. Studies show people who are sleep deprived report increases in negative moods such as anger, frustration, irritability and sadness as well as a decrease in positive moods. Insufficient sleep can make it more difficult to cope with relatively minor stressors such as exams or deadlines and it can also impact our ability to perceive the world accurately.

Well known behavioural lifestyle factors that impact sleep are:

  • Cigarette smoking
  • Heavy drinking
  • Physical inactivity 
  • Excessive internet usage 

The sleep issues associated with cigarette smoking are largely attributed to nicotine, the main ingredient in tobacco products, however, some individuals claim smoking makes them sleepy due to the nicotine relieving their anxiety and inducing relaxation. Nonetheless, nicotine is a stimulant that keeps people alert and awake and is thought to be responsible for insomnia and other potential sleep problems associated with smoking.

Strategies to improve sleep

Some strategies to help improve your quality and duration of sleep include:

  • Being consistent with your sleep schedule and sticking to a routine. For example, having a specific time you go to bed at and wake up at each morning can allow your body to get into a sleep rhythm which is more likely to benefit you in the long run. 
  • Disciplining yourself by switching off mobile phones and electronic devices an hour before bed. This can improve sleep as it allows your mind to wind down better. This is because the bright light from electronic devices can affect your body clock and can cause difficulty drifting off. The production of melatonin, a hormone produced by the body, is initiated by the pineal gland in response to darkness. This in turn, makes you tired. Exposure to bright lights or screens slows down the production of the melatonin hormone which may be one of the reasons you struggle to fall asleep. Inserting a book into your nighttime routine instead of watching TV can improve sleep quality and reduce stress massively. 
  • Including physical activity in your daily routine. This has numerous physical and mental health benefits such as improving cognitive function and mood. Another huge benefit is it can help regulate your sleep pattern, increase sleep quality, and decrease sleep onset (the time it takes to fall asleep). 
  • Combining physical activity and limiting screen time. This can be particularly helpful when studying. For example, it is important to have regular study breaks away from a computer, book, or phone – going for a short walk is a good option. The fresh air and exercise can boost motivation and refresh your mind making it easier to come straight back in and pick up where you left off.


Some other benefits of sleep

Some other benefits of having enough sleep at night include being able to manage weight better, being sick less often, being able to think more clearly and generally getting along better with people.

It is evident how vast and diverse the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep are, from reducing stress, improving mental health, to promoting cardiac health and restoring the body’s energy levels. Some easy tips, as mentioned before, to experience a better sleep involve limiting your alcohol consumption, engaging in more physical activity and finally limiting the amount of bright lights or screen usage before bed. 

Further information



Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,
Location: United Kingdom
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)