How to Deal With School Stress: 18 Ways to Manage

Why Does School Make Me So Stressed?

There are numerous factors that contribute to school stress and these vary depending on the person. Some of the most common issues students face include adjusting to a more independent lifestyle, challenging schoolwork, deadlines, new responsibilities, interpersonal relationships, finances, and more. Having so much going on may leave students with little time to focus on anything else, but ignoring their stress or turning to short-term solutions like self-destructive behaviors can significantly hurt their academic performance and exacerbate stress.⁴

Signs of Stress in Students

Whether you thrive off academic pressures or struggle keeping up, the reality is that prolonged periods of stress will likely cause adverse effects on your physical and mental health including headaches, fatigue, and irritation. As such, it is important to understand how you respond to academic demands, and how this stress impacts your overall well-being.^2,3,4

Physical Signs of Stress in Students

Here are common physical signs and symptoms of school-related stress:^2,3,4,5

• Headaches
• Muscle tension
• Chest pain
• Involuntary twitching
• Feeling fatigued
• Trouble sleeping
• Digestive problems
• Changes in sex drive
• Weak immune system (getting sick more often)
• Unusual weight fluctuations

Emotional Signs of School Stress

Here are common mental and emotional signs and symptoms of school-related stress:

• Becoming easily irritated or on edge
• Having less than normal patience
• Loneliness
• Emotional burnout
• Feeling uninterested in things/activities that used to be enjoyable
• Difficulty concentrating or focusing
• Uncontrollable worry
• Feeling depressed or helpless
• Feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with daily responsibilities

Behavioral Signs of School Stress

Here are common behaviors and unhealthy ways of coping with school-related stress:

• Chronically procrastinating or not completing assignments or other responsibilities
• Skipping class
• Avoiding interacting with friends/peers
• Not getting along with others
• Lashing out, frequent angry outbursts, or hostile behaviors
• New or increased consumption of alcohol/drugs/smoking
• Excessive use of video games or social media as means of avoidance coping

How to Deal With School Stress

There are many practical strategies you can use to manage your academic demands and increase your resiliency to diffuse stress, such as adopting or improving healthy habits, practicing self-care, organizing your time and space, adjusting your frame of mind, and developing supportive social bonds. All of these things methods can help you cope in a healthier way.^2,3,4,5

Here are 18 tips on how to deal with stress at school:

1. Change Your Mindset

High levels of stress can contribute to the development of a negative mindset. Conversely, when you have an overall positive mentality or frame of mind, you can deal with school stress more effectively and ultimately, achieve academic success.¹⁴

Here are some tips to change your mindset for the better:

• Accept your stress: This doesn’t eliminate stress; instead, it opens the path to new solutions and possibilities
• Remember, not all stress is bad: Try to be flexible and let stress motivate you to grow and perform better
• Adjust your internal dialogue: Develop positive beliefs about your abilities
• Acknowledge your strength: Rather than being critical of yourself, practice positive affirmations
• Set realistic expectations: Focus on progress not perfection
• Adopt a growth mindset: Embrace challenges, apply efforts, learn from mistakes, and perform better in the long run

2. Identify Your Triggers

Triggers are signals your body, mind and heart can send you to warn you that there may be a threat. Every trigger you feel doesn’t necessarily mean there is a threat attached to it, but it is how our bodies naturally try to protect us. Learning to become more aware of these cues can give you insight into what your triggers are and how you react to that kind of stress. Learning your triggers can aid you in the short and long run as you learn to listen to yourself and use your judgment before you spiral out. Examples of triggers may include an upcoming test, having to talk in front of the class, school social events, or lunchtime.

3. Get Plenty of Sleep

Improving or maintaining healthy sleeping habits is of utmost importance to sustain a fast-paced educational lifestyle and the stress it brings. Develop a sleeping routine and try to get at least eight hours of quality sleep every night to sharpen your brain functioning, enhance learning, boost your mood, and relieve your stress.⁶

4. Eat Nutritious Foods

Research shows a link between a high-quality diet, mental health, improved cognitive functioning, and reduced stress levels.^7,8 Moreover, some studies have suggested that a healthy dietary intake can slightly improve academic performance.^9,10

5. Move Your Body

Regular physical activity is proven to positively contribute to mental fitness, cognitive functioning, improved mood, and better sleep. Just 30 minutes daily of moderate-intensity activity (like taking a mindful walk in nature) can boost your mood, relieve stress levels, help you cope with academic rigors, and decrease your likelihood of developing anxiety or a depressive disorder.^5,11,12,13 When the semester gets hectic, time for exercise should be protected, not sacrificed.

6. Structure Your Schedule

Having too much on your plate and not enough time to tackle everything can lead to a great deal of stress. Try to efficiently structure your time and plan ahead to ease your stress and increase your academic success.

Here are some general tips to help you organize your schedule:⁴

• Analyze how you spend your time
• Identify time wasters
• Develop a realistic time-management system that aligns with your lifestyle
• Set specific goals
• Prioritize tasks and responsibilities
• Assign a certain amount of time to each activity, including schoolwork, chores, friends, job, and self-care
• Implement your objectives and commit to maintaining consistency
• Address procrastination if that’s a recurrent issue

7. Organize Your Space

Your environment can influence your mood and state of mind. Students may find it difficult to concentrate on schoolwork due to external factors like noise, interruptions, uncomfortable study areas, or disruptive roommates or family members.

Reduce your environment-related school stress by making these changes:¹⁴

• Identify the changes you need to make in your environment and address them
• Declutter and organize your study area to improve your attention span and encourage you to be more productive
• Eliminate distractions like the TV or your phone that can interfere with your ability to focus
• Communicate with your roommates or family members if they are a source of distraction

8. Practice Breathwork

Diaphragmatic breathing is the easiest and most effective method to elicit a relaxation response and ease stress. This basic self-soothing technique can be done anywhere at any time.^3,4,5

9. Utilize a Meditation Practice

Meditation reduces stress, boosts mood, increases concentration, enhances creativity, and promotes quality sleep.¹⁵ Students who meditate demonstrate less stress and increased resiliency and positive emotions. Evidence also suggests that mindfulness meditation can improve memory and ability to focus, too.¹⁶

10. Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is another great intervention to use for yourself. In this practice, you tighten various muscles and then relax them. It is important to go in a pattern from one muscle group to the next so that, by the time you are at the end, you can feel a sense of relief and calmness.

11. Make Something

Creativity and using your hands to make something can be very rewarding. It can give you a sense of empowerment and leave you feeling like you are capable even when you are stressed. Making something is also a great outlet for stress.

12. Spend Time Outside

Nature is very therapeutic, and spending time in nature can have positive impacts on your mental and physical health. Spending time outside helps us remember that we are part of something bigger and can give us perspective that we need, especially in times of stress.

13. Leave Time for Fun

Regularly reward yourself with something that is fun and brings you joy. It can be as simple as listening to music, taking a bubble bath, reading a book, getting a massage, or something well-planned like going on a vacation or trying a new hobby. Whatever you choose, stick with it. Doing so will keep you balanced, preventing burnout and promoting a healthy routine.

14. Reach Out to Those Around You

You don’t have to carry the burden of stress alone. Talk to a trusted friend, relative, fellow student, or professor. They can provide moral support or offer sound advice to make stress a little more bearable.

15. Access Organizations & Support Groups

If you feel you cannot connect with anyone, there are resources you can turn to, including community programs, places of worship, and non-profit organizations. You can also explore support groups, hot lines, and self-help workshops.

16. Find or Create a Study Group

Finding or creating a study group can give you an outlet to connect with people who want to do well and add the support of others. Study groups can be a great way to make friends and also feel community, helping you remember that you are not alone in the stress.

17. Don’t Rely on Stimulants & Other Substances

Using medications can sometimes be medically necessary for some students, but relying on them in times of stress and without proper medical oversight is dangerous. It can negatively impact how you respond to stress and also impact your physical and emotional health. Substances often used in times of stress (like caffeine, alcohol, etc) can become an outlet and can trigger dependency in the long run.

18. Contact Your Doctor for Chronic Stress

Discuss your levels of stress with a primary care physician (PCP). If necessary, they can refer you to a mental health clinician, counselor, or therapist. You may also want to investigate your school’s counseling center.^2,3

Know When to Seek Professional Help for School Stress

If you feel that your stress with school is interfering with your academic performance, impairing other aspects of your life, causing you to cope by using drugs or alcohol, or triggering periods of severe sadness, anxiety, or self-harming thoughts/behaviors, you should be assessed by a mental health professional.^3,12,13

School stress is common among the students, and college students are especially at risk for developing a chronic mental illness or psychological issue related to mood, anxiety, suicide, and addiction.^12,13

How to Find a Therapist

You may be able to access your school’s counseling center for assistance or a referral to an appropriate behavioral health service.² You can also explore an online therapist directory to look for a therapist who is the right fit for you.