As a new semester starts, so does the stress of the school year. Soon students will feel the full impact of their busy schedule and make efforts to keep on top of everything. It is important to remember that no one is alone in their anxiety for the coming school year. A 2011 survey of students at the University of Alberta has confirmed that 51 percent of students have felt heightened anxiety during a given semester.
It becomes ever important to ensure that your mental wellbeing is not being jeopardized. If feelings of anxiety become severe, there are resources on campus to counsel students and help them with their problems. The counselling services in Brock Hall offer drop in appointments every weekday to all students to meet with a counsellor and discuss their concerns.
It is also important not to limit yourself to the university counselling offices if you have concerns. Through cmha.ca it is easy to find multiple mental health organizations in the Vancouver area to help with problems arising at school.
University is a very difficult time for many people. The prime age for one’s mental health is in development from 10 to 24. Remember to be able to take a step back from the stress of school to relax and keep yourself happy.
The Australian National University has published a simple list of effective means to combat school stress without seeing a counsellor, though by all means if the problem persists seek help. The list ranges from breathing techniques to organizational strategies, though the most simple and easily attainable point is to laugh. The article clearly states that a simple means to alleviate the tension of school could be to remember what you found fun in the past, and prescribe yourself to doing that activity.
I highly encourage anyone who is having troubles with the stress of the school year to try and follow the steps laid out by the Australian University article above. Though some of the of the methods will take a lot of practice (I have personally been working on number 9, however I still cannot get it quite right). With these techniques we can hope to better manage the school year.