More often than not, it’s the fear of not doing well on their exams that causes panic in students. What most students fail to appreciate is that freaking out and hyperventilating over all the things they haven’t done and need to do is incredibly counterproductive. There are certain methods that can be applied in period of both long- and short-term anxiety. A few tips for stress management will change your attitude towards study-related jitters completely.

Don’t overburden yourself:  Not only should you be giving yourself periodic breaks and taking the time to relax, you should never overwhelm yourself with the incoming or pending work. Remember that fretting almost never helps, so try to take one step at a time and don’t sweat the small stuff. Having a clear mind is probably the best solution and simple things like a walk in the park can do wonders for you.

Think actively: Whenever you find yourself succumbing to pressure, always try to become present in the moment and find ways to deal with the situation. See if something can be done to help you out of that state. For instance, if you are loaded with quizzes and assignments due the following morning, you can ask one of your friends to spare some time and help you with the preparation of the quiz.

Also, reduce the number of goals you have set out for yourself and learn to prioritize. Everyone has his or her own work capacity and you always try and slowly build up your workload. This can greatly diminish stress.

Learn to relax yourself: This might seem like rather vague advice, but, this is where the key lies. Remember that you can do your best in situations where you are as calm as you can be. The more you stress out, the more you panic. This can be achieved by changing the way you react to such situations. It could be a cup of coffee, a good book, or a conversation with an old friend.

Everyone has their own way of relaxing and you should always experiment to find what helps you relax the most. For instance, a friend of mine derives the utmost pleasure by painting when he gets stressed.

Be flexible: If you think that even after trying, you are unable to handle the stress of assignments and exams, then learn to accept the fact that maybe you need to change how you react to stress and try something new. This might involve completely overhauling your existing study schedule, and talking to your friends and family about what works for them and whether they can help figure out a plan for you.

Learn to manage stress: Often enough, you can control the amount of stress you’re likely to be under, but there will be times when a situation is invariably going to be high-pressure. The only way to learn how to manage this stress is to adapt to it and try to channel it in a constructive and positive way. You might even discover that you’re one of those people that does better under pressure.

What is important is that you learn from a stressful situation and try to identify what you could have done better. It doesn’t matter if you lose, as long as you continue to learn and adapt better to such situations. You can find more on how to help deal with school stress here.

Aside from these strategies, you should always try to eat healthy and sleep well. A disturbed eating or sleeping cycle further enhances stress levels. Moreover, it might be a good idea to visit the student counselor every now and then and seek valuable advice over study related stress. But always remember that your problems are as big or as small as you make them out to be.