College, the time in your life when you have a little more independence, a little more money but a whole lot more work.

While for the most part you’ll sail through your college years, studying the subjects you love and creating new, long lasting friendships, there will be pressure points and times when the sheer volume of work and study pressure will feel overwhelming. It’s at those times when you need something more than your books to help you through.

We explore some antidotes to the stresses and strains of college life and how you can come out the other side calmer and ready to face anything life throws at you.

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Learn some top techniques

Mindfulness might be just a buzzword but this technique is a tried and tested way to help you cope with stress points in your life. If you’re someone who feels anxious or finds it hard to cope with pressure, then learning a few mindfulness techniques can really help.

Just hop online to find about guided breathing exercises, mindful meditation and how to stay in the present, keeping your mind focussed on calming thoughts and feelings.

These techniques can come in especially handy when you’re facing a tough paper in an exam hall and begin to feel anxiety building up inside your body. It does take practice though, so try out several techniques before settling on one or two that really work for you.

It’s also really helpful at getting you to sleep when you’re worried about what the coming day will bring. When you need to sleep and you’re stressed out, try a few breathing and thought exercises and you’ll be drifting off before you know it.

Be prepared

Like a good scout, get organised. Education bloggers will tell you the worst thing you can do is to add to your stress load so even if your files are all over the place or your notes make no sense, now is the time to carefully and meticulously go through everything. You are guaranteed to feel a whole lot better knowing where everything is and being up to date with your schedule.

If having too much paper is a real problem, spend an hour converting everything to digital and have it all stored electronically instead. Books can be transferred to an e-reader on Setapp, for example or any app that allows you to make notes in the margin, just like the paper version. Only this time, you’re less likely to lose it.

College life can be among the best years of your life but they can also be the toughest. Learning to balance study with all the activities that take place outside of class is hard but with a little organization, it doesn’t have to be impossible.

Fight stress and anxiety with breathing, mindfulness and meditation and start getting organised for a college experience that will rank as one of the best.  The techniques you put into practice now will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life.