We are together! 3 tips for International Students to Overcome Stress Effectively

3 Effective tips for International Students to Combat Stress 

It is never easy to be an international student. Although I have been at UQ for about 9 months, I sometimes still feel difficult to live here by myself. I am taking mostly level 3 courses this year, so the academic part gives me a lot of stress. In addition to this, I need to put more tiny but important things into my schedule, like groceries, laundry and cleaning. Also, I sometimes feel difficult to blend into the talk when people start talking about the local bands or sports ardently.

However, during the tough times, it makes me reflect a lot on how mental health. Therefore, I have read through credible sources, to sum up, these most effective 3 tips to overcome stress.

1. Taking a Deep Breath
This is the best way to combat sudden anxiety. You can stop for a moment and spend a few minutes taking a deep breath. According to a Journal article, it can effectively regulate the autonomic nervous system after an acutely stressful situation. It stated that by using the diaphragmatic muscles for breathing for numerous sessions of at least 10 minutes, the ANS is shifted towards the parasympathetic tone, resulting in relaxation.

2. Doing exercise
This method will not be unfamiliar to you. Walden University illustrates that endorphins, the body’s well-known “feel good” hormone generated by the brain and spinal cord and responsible for emotions of joy and pleasure, are increased by physical exercise. By encouraging the creation of neurohormones like norepinephrine, which not only enhance cognition and mood but also clear thoughts muddled by stressful experiences, increasing your heart rate can cure stress-induced brain damage. Exercise also makes the sympathetic and central neural systems of the body interact with one another, enhancing the body’s capacity to handle stress.

3. Journaling
Journaling refers to free-style writing on paper. You can record anything that happened in a day, future planning and emotions. According to CNET, In a Pennsylvania research on anxiety sufferers, writing positive journal entries for just 15 minutes a day considerably lowered the level of stress. It also mentioned that it helps people to concentrate on the positive aspects of their life rather than the stresses and anxieties they experience. It pointed out that their anxiety levels significantly decreased over the course of many weeks as a result of them concentrating on positive factors in a journal post.