The studying journey can come with its own highs and lows, but for people experiencing anxiety and stress simultaneously it can have a big impact on their learning. When studying towards an exam or a qualification you need to be able to manage your time efficiently, schedule time in for reading and minimise distractions. However, if you feel anxious or stressed this can make it difficult to concentrate on the tasks at hand.
So how can you reduce anxiety while studying? Here are 4 tips to prevent anxiety from affecting your studies.
- Break up your workload
One of the things that can often cause stress while studying is a heavy workload. Panic can set in when you look at the tasks ahead and think it’s more than you can take on, then end up feeling completely overwhelmed with it all.
A quick tip to break up your workload is to schedule each of your tasks by order of importance. This way you can get the bigger tasks that are likely to take longer to be completed first, which will help reduce any daunting feelings you may have.
- Practise healthy sleep and eating habits
Not eating the right foods or getting enough sleep can make your anxiety symptoms feel worse. It’s important to get plenty of rest, and try to relax and unwind before sleep.
To help you sleep better, consider reading a book or listening to music before bed, and try to schedule some technology-free time. You could also try some soothing scents, such as lavender, chamomile or cedar wood to take away any stress.
Foods with nutrients that can help ease anxiety while improving your focus include salmon which promotes brain health, yoghurt which contains probiotics to help your wellbeing, and blueberries which contain flavonoids that help improve brain health.
- Use breathing techniques
When you feel anxiety starting to build, it’s best to use some breathing techniques to lower the stress levels. This helpful technique from the NHS can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety and can be done whether you’re sitting or standing.
Try to make yourself as comfortable as possible and ensure both feet are flat on the ground, approximately hip-width apart. Breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Try to count steadily from 1 to 5, but don’t worry if you don’t make it to 5 at first. Gently breath out, and again, count from 1 to 5. Aim to do this for about five minutes. This can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate and reduce the feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Take regular breaks
Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in your studies and lose track of time, but this can also lead to you feeling mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. When you feel drained of all your energy it can make it harder to concentrate on your studies due to feeling unmotivated and frustrated.
This is why it’s important to take regular breaks from your studies to allow you to recharge, go for a short walk to stretch your legs, give your eyes a rest from the books or computer screen, and grab a snack or drink.
Studying can be a stressful time without having to deal with anxiety on top of that, so try not to let it affect your studies and keep in mind the useful tips outlined in this post.
