Educational trends have changed a lot over the years. They have become more student-centered, therefore increasing more pressure on students. Student learning mostly revolves around self-motivation as classwork becomes more exploratory rather than introductory. Students are required to learn the basics on their own and then explore it further in the classroom with the assistance of teachers. Classroom models such as flipped learning have turned the teachers from leaders to guide and allies who are meant to help the students learn. This major role switch has impacted the educational world in a monumental way, consequently increasing the pressure on students.

Students stress level has increased exponentially over the years. More students are dealing with mental health issues in the current century, stats showed. Reports also showed that the academic performance of students has also started to deteriorate over the years. Now there is not much evidence that this change in student performance is due to stress, but a part of it could be attributed to increasing mental health issues.

Here are a few tips about how students can remain stress free and manage pressure during their academic years;

Keep a Journal

Mental health issues are challenging to deal with and require professional help. Although, minor stress issues can be dealt with minor but effective measures such as meditation or keeping a journal. A journal where students keep track of their progress, learning, and daily activities would help them put things into perspective. College life can be overwhelming and sometimes things become hard to deal with it. A journal would help a stressed-out student with expression, but will also improve the writing and creative skills of student. It is a highly recommended method by teachers to reduce stress and perform better in and outside of class.

Watch Your Diet

We are what we eat is not a mere phrase, but holds a deep meaning. Out diet has a huge impact on our mood and mental health. Research shows that snacking on junk excessively tends to have a negative impact on mental health and causes mood swings. Majority of the students in the US eat junk and fried food in lunch and dinner, which is a contributing factor to not only obesity but stress. Not only that, but students tend to miss breakfast which results in dizziness, lack of attention, and fatigue during lectures, consequently marring their class performance. To remain attentive in and outside of class, it is important for students to eat three meals a day and make sure that they consume healthy food.

Stay Hydrated

Water is an important part of our body makeup and is responsible for smooth body function. While studying, students should make sure that they remain hydrated. Experts recommend drinking at least six or eight glasses of water in a day. One common mistake that students make while studying is drinking energy drinks or coffee. These drinks are high on caffeine that puts the body into overdrive and tires it out for the rest of the day. After consuming an unhealthy amount of caffeine, students may feel exhausted and fatigued.

Experts recommend students to drink plenty of water and replace caffeine with low sugar and light beverages. Water keeps the body cool for the entire day and prevents it from overheating. Students are also recommended to carry a water bottle.

Get Enough Sleep

Majority of the students stay up all night to study or complete their assignments. This habit may seem to work when it comes to getting good grades, but experts believe that it is a bad habit. It is important for students to get nighttime sleep for at least 7-8 hours in order to feel fresh in the day. Experts also recommend day time rest and naps to recharge the energy.

Stay Physically Active

Considering the changing educational culture, students are expected to do much more than before. Education and learning have become energy consuming which requires students to make healthy choices in their life to succeed in the current educational world. Students spend the majority of their time sitting in the classroom and then sitting at home. Their physical activities have reduced to none, resulting in an unhealthy lifestyle.

Schools should incorporate programs to improve the physical health of students or allow them free time to work out or take a walk around. Physical health and mental health are highly interconnected and in order to remain attentive in a class, it is important that students are physically active.

Create a Morning Ritual

As mentioned earlier, breakfast is the most important part of the day, but many students tend to skip it. Experts recommend students to create a morning ritual which includes healthy habits such as breakfast, working out, reading a blog/newspaper, going for a walk. A ritual would help a student follow these habits religiously without skipping.

The best advice students can get on leading a healthy life is to assert themselves. By letting someone else make uncomfortable health decisions for them, they are giving up their personal power. Everyone has different ways to make them self feel better, therefore, they are not bound to any rules or regulations when it comes to a healthy lifestyle.