Stress Management

University Counselling Service

Heading - Stress Management. Subheading - University Counselling Service

What is stress?

Stress refers to the demands, pressures or forces applied to us and our perceived ability to cope with these demands. Stress is a normal condition and a part of everyday life.

Stressful situations for university students may include; meeting high academic demands, being in new social settings, being away from home for the first time, returning to study after a break, sitting examinations, financial restraints, finding a study/life balance, speaking in public.

Stress is not necessarily a bad thing. The stress response can help us keep ourselves safe, motivate us to action, help us focus and perform better. Positive management of stress can result in positive emotions such as enjoyment, satisfaction, enthusiasm and excitement.

Stress can become a problem when:

  • our stress levels are "too high" and stress stops us from doing what we need to do
  • we feel unable to cope with the stress
  • we experience chronic stress (i.e. stress is experienced over longer periods of time)
  • the stress response is triggered in situations where it is not helpful/ unnecessary

Find out more about stress levels and performance by clicking on the diagram below.

Stress Signs

Recognising signs of stress is vital for stress management. How do you know when you are stressed?

Changes typically occur in our body, thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Click below for examples of stress signs. Do any of these apply to you?

Many of these stress signs are due to the fight, flight or freeze response (FFF) being activated. When our mind perceives a threat or stress in the environment, it activates a chain reaction within the body to help us respond to threat. Learn more about the FFF response here.

Download your own stress signs checklist to help you identify and keep track of your stress signs.


To manage stress it is important to:

Heading - To manage stress it is important to:
  • Recognise early stress signs
  • Try to identify the causes of the stress (what is my mind telling me?)
  • Be proactive as well as reactive (i.e. have regular self-care habits)
  • Have a toolkit of stress management strategies to use flexibly to fit a particular situation (see below for some tools to manage stress in the body, in the mind and with behaviour)

Managing Stress in the Body

We can carry stress in the body without even noticing. Regular attention and care to the body can reduce chronic stress and increase resilience in the face of challenges.

  • Exercise regularly - include higher intensity exercise to burn off those stress hormones (e.g. gym, running, sport), as well as slower-paced exercise to stretch the body out (e.g. yoga)
  • Give your body the right fuel - eat a balanced diet daily, drink water, avoid excess caffeine and alcohol
  • Use sensory soothing (e.g. have a bath/shower, punch a pillow, snuggle a soft blanket, splash cool water on the face)
  • Learn and practice breathing and relaxation techniques

Managing Stress in the Mind

Identifying thoughts is a powerful tool for stress management. If we can identify what is causing the stress, this can guide what can be a helpful way to manage and respond to the stressor.

Often stressful events are experienced as stressful because of our interpretations/ beliefs. For example, some people are terrified of spiders, other people don't mind them, some people even like them. It is the same stimulus/ event but our personal perception then controls whether our stress response is activated.

Once we have identified our stress thoughts, there are several approaches that can be useful:

  • Problem-solving e.g. "I am worried I don't understand an assignment" so you look at the assignment information and talk to classmates or your lecturer
  • Thought testing and challenging e.g. "Everyone thinks I am stupid" - how do you know this? Is there any evidence? Try to encourage rational thoughts
  • Focusing our energy on what we can control and accepting what we can't control e.g. "When other people are rude to me, I am only responsible my actions"
  • Mindfulness skills to help thoughts come and go and reduce automatic responding
  • Compassionate and supportive self-talk e.g. "I am OK". It can be useful to think "What would I say to a friend in this situation?". Can you talk to yourself like a friend?

Helpful behaviours

14 min video: How to make stress your friend

Managing Stress and Doing Your Best Webinar

New to university study? Trying to find ways of managing the workload and your stress levels? Watch a session with the University Counselling Service on managing stress at university below.

There are plenty of phone apps that can help guide you in self care practice. We've picked a small handful below that you might like to explore:

If these strategies aren't helping and you are still experiencing high levels of stress, it can be helpful to talk it through with a professional. Below are some free counselling and support services available to you.

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