Stress of a new year
Coping with the first day at a new educational establishment can be a very daunting and stressful experience for some. Not knowing any of the other students, worrying about the difficulty of the work, if you are up to the right standard, and not knowing where anything is or where to go, are just some of the things you may be thinking.
If you are optimistic about your first day and you focus on all the things you're looking forward to in the coming year, it will make the experience much less stressful.
Here are some handy tips to help you through the first few days:
1) Make sure you get into a routine of getting a good nights sleep and a healthy breakfast before days at school or university as this will help with anxiety and energy levels.
2) If you have to travel to get there, check the bus or train timetables and have one last check the night before so you know what time it will leave, and how long it will take you to get to the bus stop or station.
3) Everyone has experienced going to a new place for the first time at some point during their lives, so do not feel scared to ask for directions or help, most people you meet will have felt a little overwhelmed in their first few days too. Once you are settled in, when you know where everything is and you've got into the swing of things, try to get into good study habits as this will continue to help you more as the year goes on. If you are still nervous, plan fun things to do after stressful days, go to the cinema with friends or relax at home with your family. Remember everyone has been in the same position as you at some time, it is perfectly normal to be nervous.
4) During your academic career, there are a few tricks you can practice to help your mood, performance and confidence. Power napping for 20 minutes is a good way to rest and boost your motivation, exercise is not only good for keeping fit, but also reduces stress as well. If you only have a couple of moments, try a few breathing exercises or listen to some music that relaxes you, this will provide a couple of minutes break and calm you down, allowing you to reflect. At the end of the day you cannot control everything and sometimes talking to someone is the best thing to do.
If you want some additional help, or think these things won’t work, you could try hypnotherapy. It can help identify the root cause of the stress and anxiety you are struggling with, and can help produce a plan to address these problems in a manageable way. It helps bring to light and reinforce positive thoughts and qualities you have about yourself and your education. Furthermore, it can compliment and enhance the results of other stress and anxiety reduction techniques. All of this can all be accomplished by Sheila Granger's Educational Performance Practitioners.
