College life can be a drastic change from what you are used to at home. The sudden change of pace and location can indeed be overwhelming in the beginning. Your college courses and the amount of work you have to do will also increase exponentially in college, adding to your stress. If you are feeling this way, then don’t be too hard on yourself. Some amount of pressure is almost inevitable as you enter college. However, what matters most is how you go about dealing with it.

Thankfully, stress doesn’t have to be a regular occurrence in your life. There are things you can do to reduce or even eliminate anxiety. In this article, I will go over some of the things that helped me manage college stress. Read through and apply the tips to your own life and, I am sure you will feel better at the end.

Good sleep is severely underrated.

This has to be one of the most critical problems with students these days. We always hear about the health benefits of getting adequate sleep, but we rarely act on it. I have seen people complain about their lack of energy, lack of focus, and mounting stress. When I ask them how much sleep they get every night, the answer is usually around 4-5 hours.

4-5 hours of sleep daily is exceptionally harmful. Not only does it deprive you of energy the next day, but it also makes you anxious and stressed out. It is no wonder that college life is stressful for you if you go to bed at 4 am and wake up at 9.

I understand the temptation of staying up late, but you should only do that once every blue moon. If you are running late on a deadline, sure, stay awake till late than usual and get it done. However, if you keep doing this every night, you will mess up your biological clock and run into a whole bunch of issues.

A minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep is essential for the brain and body’s optimal functioning. Try to go to bed at a reasonable hour and get adequate sleep every night. You will see how big a difference it makes.

A healthy diet can do wonders.

This, again, is one of those things that all of us inherently know but avoid. Our bodies are incredibly complex, and we need healthy nutrients to power them up. College is notorious for cheap and quick foods like the whole “ramen” diet. People even feel this odd sense of pride, claiming that they survived college on ramen alone. I am sorry to break it to you but surviving on pizza, ramen, and vending-machine food is doing you more harm than good.

Ever hear of the old “you are what you eat”? I know clichés get annoying after a while, but some have a lot of truth to them. Mix up your diet. It doesn’t even have to expensive. Eat a couple of boiled eggs in the morning, cut down on the sugary beverages and fast food. Introduce vegetables and fruits into your diet, and you will see how much better you feel.

The problem with comfort food such as pizza and fast food, in general, is that they spike up your sugar levels, making you feel lethargic. To feel active again, you would then turn to caffeine, and this cycle continues. This is a perfect recipe for stress and may even cause more severe problems down the line.

Get moving in the morning.

Countless studies show that doing some form of cardio in the morning gives you energy and releases feel-good hormones. You don’t have to spend hours in a gym necessarily, although if you can, that’s good too. However, the main point is that you do some activity to get your heart pumping. This can be a 15-minute jog around the campus or skipping rope in your dorm.

Exercise has so many positive effects on your mind and body that I would need several pages to go through them all. It’s all been well-researched for decades now, and all you need to do is test it yourself. However, do keep in mind that it won’t magically solve all your problems the first time you do it. Consistency is the key to exercising and reaping the rewards.

You deserve a break now and then.

If you organize your week diligently, I can bet you that you will find at least a couple of hours to sit back and relax. Working yourself to death every day and not expecting any pushback from your mind and body is not a realistic expectation. Instead, find time for yourself and do what makes you feel good.

You can read a good book or watch some Netflix. Just be careful not to reward yourself too much and too often. It may divert your focus from studies and college-related work.

Meditation is a life changer.

I discovered mindful meditation a couple of years ago, and I wish I had found it earlier because it has done wonders for me. It may sound like some pseudo-spiritual activity to the uninitiated but believe me; there is nothing pseudo about it.

Many studies have been done on meditation and its efficacy. Time and again, it has been shown that it alleviates stress, anxiety, and depression. Here is how you do it.

Sit down in a chair or on the ground as you feel comfortable. Close your eyes, take a deep breath through your nose and slowly exhale. While doing this, you will concentrate on the air coming in and out of your nose. More specifically, the gushing sound it makes. You will try not to think and keep your mind “empty.” However, in the beginning, this will be difficult as thoughts will come flooding in, but every time they do, you will deviate your focus to the breath. Concentrate on the air going in and out through your nose, slowly and steadily.

Start by doing 10 minutes every morning and as you get better at it, increase the time. You have to do it consistently for at least a month to notice the effects. So keep at it.