Does the prospect of starting student life away from home fill you with dread" Dr Nerina Ramlakhan has some tips to help you cope and stay healthy at university
I’ve seen quite a few students at my clinic who?ve sought my help with stress and anxieties about getting into the right university and/or leaving home for the first time. A good place to start is to have a good understanding of what stress is (and what it isn?t). A simple definition is: stress is a state of physical imbalance caused when pressure exceeds your ability to cope.
So stress isn?t pressure. They aren?t the same thing. Stress is what physically happens in the body when we lose the ability to cope with the situation. The key is not to run away from pressure but to meet it head on with good robust coping strategies. These coping strategies are the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual choices that we make on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis that enables us to cope with life?s challenges. Here are some examples:
Physical ? Don?t neglect your physical health. You might have age on your side but your body and mind (and exam results) will protest if you?re not looking after yourself. Eat healthily ? and especially avoid skipping breakfast ? so that you don?t end up running on adrenalin, don?t over-rely on caffeine to fuel your brain, drink lots of water, exercise regularly, get good sleep and rest. All of these will give you the vitality and resilience to meet pressure head on.
Emotion...