Study Stress? Create a profile to cope!
Study Stress Profiles
We are continuing on this month’s theme of study stress with a new activity: creating your Study Stress Profile!
The last few months of the year can be a busy time for high school and uni students. With exams and assessments picking up in the coming months, our community holds a lot of knowledge about coping with study stress!
This activity will involve creating your study stress profile; a tool for how you cope with study in stressful times of the term/semester/trimester!
Let's make a study stress profile!
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
Tell us a little bit about your studies
What do you enjoy about your studies?
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
Set a goal for managing study stress!
Want to talk to other students? We have a discussion for high school students here, and university students here!
@Jess1-RO This is a great activity!
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment.
Sometimes I study for way too long without taking breaks.
Tell us a little bit about your studies.
I just completed my undergraduate studies in business administration majoring in human resources management and psychology. Currently I'm taking a break from studying and trying to do more practical work to gain experience and life skills before starting my postgraduate studies in clinical psych.
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I like that you can mostly choose whatever you want to study at university, usually without too many restrictions or prerequisites.
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
- Cannot concentrate well.
- Eyes feel strained or tired.
- Feeling lightheaded or drowsy.
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
- Intermittently go and play piano every half an hour or so.
- Scheduling time periods for studying and relaxing/doing leisure activities.
Set a goal for managing study stress!
- Go to the library to be able to concentrate better and be in a comfortable, non-distracting environment.
Have trouble remembering school related content
And study a lot but still can't remember
I have failed my all 3 of my Math tests so far from 1 mark
Everything else has been pretty goo ATM though
I am currently setting my goal to study an extra 20-30 minutes
Hope all is well
Hey @Dyl, that sounds like a great goal. A good way to make sure we can acheive our goals is to set them using the SMART method. 
If we were to set you a smart goal around your study, what would that look like?
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I'm studying psychology and currently completing my research project
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I love psychology, I find it fascinating and I'm hoping one day I can help people!
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
I start to feel very irritable. Little noises will set me off and everything feels too hard.
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
Using the Smiling Mind app to do a quick meditation when I feel myself becoming irritated (yes, I do close my eyes and meditate in public, even on public transport).
I also like to take a bath where I just chill out if I have time.
Set a goal for managing study stress!
I'm going to set a SMART goal
I am going to spend 10 minutes per day this week organising my uni on my Todoist account in order to have a detailed plan of action for each day. Each night I will spend review my to do list and cross off task I have done and reprioritise for the next day.
Very much appreciated.
Hi everyone, I am loving reading through the study stress profiles 
Learning so many new ideas to manage my own study stress too! Get ready for a lonnggg post, here are some things that stood out to me in your profiles! 
@Esperanza67 I really like the idea about talking to others about study stress. Particularly someone who can relate to the experience of study stress! So important to vent it out or brain dump sometimes 
@Bananatime04 It sounds like study time is also competing with a number of other important priorities in your life at the moment. I definitely agree with you about taking regular breaks, it can make a huge difference. Would love to hear more about your stress toys, there might be other people here who can add these to their list of strategies too!
@May_ I love this: "Reminding myself that is it okay and normal to not be able to fit everything in"
@Claire-RO Walking away from study and coming back at a later sounds like a really good strategy to manage study stress! Come back with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective
@not-an-otter it sounds like there is a real sense of achievement that you enjoy about studying I would love to hear how you go with working on time efficiency too- any tips you find helpful I am sure our community would love to learn from!
@Bee Congratulations on finishing your course- such a huge achievement to come out the other side of the study tunnel I really loved your goal: "try and look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on the details.". Such good advice for study, and life in general! I think this also ties into what @May_ mentioned about it being okay to not fit everything in; if we focus on all the details sometimes we spend so much time that we miss other important aspects of life!
@Dyl All the study gifs are AMAZING! Love the variety of different reactions to study!
@drpenguin I really love your gif choice too! It is so easy to completely lose track of time and get stuck in the study time loop!
@MisoBear SMART goals are a fantastic suggestion! Chilling out with Smiling Mind meditation sounds like a great balance. Also love that you are using your travel times for self care too- great use of this time!
@statuscaring "Self-care, self-care, self-care!!!!" Yes! So important I would love to hear what sorts of things you will be doing to prioritise self care this trimester? We've seen a few people in this activity mention competing priorities and trying to fit so much into the week- it sounds like you have recognised that for you self care is also about not trying to do everything
That is true, right now I know I'm spending too much time focusing and
worrying about details when taking a step back to look at the bigger
picture would be more helpful for my mental health and overall wellbeing.
(Email reply)
@Jess1-RO this looks so cool!
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
(sooooo much procrastination)
Tell us a little bit about your studies
Right now i'm nearly finished with my honours in psychology! My thesis is due in about a month so it's getting pretty busy! 
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I'm really liking how we're studying current topics in science and current research! A really cool look at what's happening in academia right now rather than 10 years ago, you know?
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
- muscle tension
- can't concentrate
- brain is like a soggy sponge and won't absorb anything
- easily frustrated/irritated
- prickly skin
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
- getting up a getting moving! seriously, just going for a walk around the block for 15 mins takes me from 8 to 0 on the aggro scale haha less likely to mutter angrily at my notes
Set a goal for managing study stress!
Start early! Not necessarily get things finished sooner, but just start them ASAP so that they don't build into a seemingly insurmountable task in my head 🙂
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
This!!! Because there is just so many things racing through my head at the moment and the mental to-do list just keeps piling up and up.
Tell us a little bit about your studies
Just like @ecla34 I am also finishing up my psych honours project with the thesis due in about a month (ahhhh scary thought). I want to apply for a clinical psychology masters program for 2020 and continue on the psychology path!
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I actually enjoy learning about psychology because obviously the brain is super weird and cool and interesting! It's also been nice this year at uni because our cohort is a little smaller so I've been able to get really close with some of my peers.
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
Like the GIF above I will have a million things racing through my head and find it particularly hard to relax, especially trying to quiet my mind so I can get to sleep at night. I know that it'll all be over in about a month but for the moment it is all-consuming.
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
I honestly need some better coping strategies, this is one thing I'm pretty shocking at! I try to go for walks as study breaks to get some exercise and fresh air, but I don't do it often enough because I feel guilty about 'wasting valuable study time'. My housemates are good support though and it's nice to just talk and debrief with them over a cuppa at the end of the day.
Set a goal for managing study stress!
Goal: do little bits of study everyday to make the workload seem not so big!
Thanks for the tag @Jess1-RO! So important and so relevant for me right now.
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
At the moment...
Study is a huge trigger for me, for both anxiety and depression. I've been really struggling recently, but I'm slowly managing.
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I major in literature and psychology, and am hoping to go further in the neuropsychology field after 4th year. I'm currently third year, only doing one subject at the moment since I had to drop the rest due to anxiety/depression. Ideally, I would have completed my fourth year this year, but now I'll have to wait until 2021. It's been really tough, but I'd rather get through mature, healthy, and confident than not at all, or to do it poorly.
What do you enjoy about your studies?
A lot! I'm passionate about all of it. I love almost every book we read in literature, and I love analysing everything (which is part of why I struggle -- I have no idea when to stop researching when I start! Once I seriously contemplated paying $50 to gain access to an article so I can use it as a reference for one sentence. My OCD goes crazy). I love the theories of psychology and learning about what has worked and what hasn't, and understanding the weird, pink squishy organ that pilots us.
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
I don't eat, I don't sleep. I get nauseous. I stay up all night researching, go to sleep confident then wake up to a panic attack because I know I have to write. I have brain fog and nothing I write makes any sense. I can't focus on anything, or relax. I have thoughts of self harm.
Not the best feeling.
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
I really have no idea, I feel like I've exhausted all avenues and nothing really has been working for me. But I love to go on walks, and set myself some breaks to play with animals/ reax in the bath, do some meditation, etc. I have to learn to be kinder to myself.
Also, uni psychologists tend to be really helpful. I've only had one appointment but they've understood the pressure I'm going through!
Set a goal for managing study stress!
Be kinder to myself, and take it one step at a time.
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I finished my psychology honours studies in 2017 and have spent last year and this year gaining psychology-related experience before applying to clinical psychology courses (which is taking up a lot of my time right now). I was shortlisted for an interview last year but didn't make the final selection. I'm hoping that I'll get in this year now that I have a lot more experience. I've also done a lot of short courses and other things that have taught me practical skills, such as a cognitive-behavioural course, a crisis management course, a first aid course and a course about how to help and communicate with drug users.
Congratulations to everyone who has completed their studies or is finishing up on their thesis! That year was so stressful and hard for our cohort, although some had better supervisors than others, which made it more manageable.
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I love learning about topics that I'm actually interested in and motivated to learn more about compared to school. I also love learning about practical applications of psychology and techniques that help people.
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
It's hard for me to tell because sometimes I feel as though I am always stressed. One of the signs is when I have hardly any time for myself. I used to get panic attacks and find that I get really perfectionist with the work I do. Another sign is that I find myself declining invitations to go out because I'm too busy studying.
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
If I'm struggling with an assignment, sometimes I find that doing something else or leaving the house for a bit can help refresh my mind and get me back on the right track. I also try to gradually complete assignments rather than doing them all in one sitting.
Set a goal for managing study stress!
I want to develop a better sleep schedule and do things to manage my fatigue so that I can have more energy if I get into a course.
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
I couldn't pick 1. But these 2 feel relevant.
1. I feel like most of the information I learned and did spun around in my head and is now archived someplace within my brain. Sometimes trying to access it, it's like I'm lost in a haze of memories of the topic.
2. That's a wrap because my Course finish date was August 1st 🙂
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I finished my Cert 4 in Accounting & Bookkeeping through TAFE online. Studying online meant I had a LOT of flexibility in my learning and pace, which was good, but at times hard because I had to often find a fair bit of learning content myself as some units were information poor.
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I think I enjoyed playing around with fake businesses the most. What I mean by this is creating the financial documents for fake businesses which would be marked by the teachers. I had to create documents both in an accounting program and excel (I have now come to appreciate and like excel after using it so in-depth!)
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
- I would tell the program off I was using, or I would tell the assessment off.
- I couldn't walk away - when I get stressed over a problem, I tend to say I give up, but then 5 minutes later I'm back at it trying to figure it out. I don't tend to comprehend the "Take a break and come back later" notion - Whooops
- Thinking ONLY about the study
- Not being able to enjoy other things - because my brain was so full
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
- Take breaks! - YOUR BRAIN WILL THANK YOU!
- Don't try to do too much in one hit, schedule smaller sessions
- Schedule in something fun after your study session.
Set a goal for managing study stress!
I currently don't have study stress but I have work stress, so my goal is going to be to try and look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on the details.
Loving this thread so far @Jess1-RO!
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
Enough said.
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I mean, I'm still only in high school so I'm not at uni or anything but school still stresses me out a lot. I do all the core subjects (I'm in year 9 so things like maths, english, science etc.) but I have also picked the subjects I want to take for next year which is what I'm mostly looking forward to (psychology, photography and media).
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I enjoy my studies (sometimes) because once I'm finished with all my homework I feel super smart like I can do anything and it's all good. I also love studying the things that I enjoy, because I am actually motivated to learn and be taught.
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
When I'm stressed about school I tend to fidget and pace a lot as well as increased respiratory rate and heart rate, loss of concentration and difficulty falling asleep. i try not to get too stressed, but sometimes it's unavoidable, so I should probably get a bit better at managing stress.
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
1. Get as much done at school/uni/tafe where it is often easier to focus and less distractions
2. Ask a teacher or friend for some help. There's no shame in asking questions when you're stuck on something
3. Work in small blocks and take breaks every 20 minutes for example. This will help for staying focused and not getting burnt out.
Set a goal for managing study stress!
My goal for managing study stress is to try and get more done at school and be more efficient with my time.
I honestly think this GIF best describes me with studying..
About my studies:
The person being dragged is me and the person dragging me is other things (not study). I feel like I get pulled away from studying because of my schedule.. with gymnastics every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4-8 after school which finishes at 3, I don’t get any time those days to do any study as by the time I get home, eat, have a shower and do that stuff it’s like 10pm and I can’t stay up late because I have school the next day. Now I have an addition to this.. I got a job on Friday, Saturday and Sunday till 9:30pm so I miss Fridays training meaning I can’t miss anymore that week and I don’t have the weekend to study! I have Tuesdays and Thursdays but Tuesdays I’m now going to my dads after school and Thursdays I have to take my dog for a walk because otherwise he can’t get out of the house. As a result of this, I do all my study at school!
What I enjoy about my studies:
i enjoy the fact that I have to get everything done at school because I don’t think to myself oh I’ll do that at home.. I’m kinda forced to get it all done at school where I have assistance from teachers and I don’t waste time at school. I most prefer maths and science study but I get everything done for all subjects as I use lunch times when I need (today I used my lunch time to study for a maths test and I went good in it because of the study). Studying helps me keep things in my brain because listening to the teacher tell me stuff and knowing the stuff they say, are completely different things.
signs that I’m stressed from studying:
-I start shaking
-I rush things
-I get really hot
-I can sometimes have panic attacks
-I lose track of that I’m doing
Study stress coping strategies:
the number one thing I do to help keep my stress levels down when studying is taking a break every 20 minutes. So I do as much as I can for 20 minuets then I can listen to a song, go get a drink, have a stretch etc. it’s basically a reward for 20 minutes of pumping out as much as I can..
The second thing I use is a little stress toy that I fiddle with during that 20 minutes. I keep these in my pencil case 🙂
My goal for studying:
my new goal would have to be along the lines of finding ways to fit more study in at home so I’m not stressed about getting it all done at school.. like maybe giving the dog walking job to my mum so I can have more time and doing study on the bus on my way to dads.
Sorry if my answers are bad or written wrong or too short or too long.. I tried 😐
Love this activity idea @Jess1-RO 🙂
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
I couldn't choose just one!
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I am in my final year of a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) and Psychology. I've finished all of my psychology classes and am now finishing up my last placement and my honours. It's been a 6 year journey and I am on the home stretch 🙂
What do you enjoy about your studies?
Everything I have learnt throughout the course has been really interesting and I feel so privileged to be able to study at University.
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
- Not being able to sleep or relax
- Constant thoughts about to-do lists
- Headaches
- Shaking
- Not being as patient as I normally am
- Tiredness
- Feeling like my head is 'full'
These tend to happen as the semester comes to an end and all of my final assessments are due 😛
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
- Starting my assignments as early as I can so I can chip away at them
- Scheduling time for socialising, exercise and meals
- Using my diary to plan
- Debriefing with other students
- Practising gratitude
- Reminding myself that is it okay and normal to not be able to fit everything in
Set a goal for managing study stress!
@Jess1-RO I think planning a start and finish time for study is such a great idea - I'm definitely going to try to start doing that more often.
Oh yes I needed this thread right now
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
These show my never ending battle with always wanting to know more haha
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I am currently studying part-time a masters of not-for-profit and social enterprise, whilst working full time, so I am pretty time poor lately.
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I love gaining more knowledge and putting it into practice, my degree is really practical and the assessments are super interesting and challenging.
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
I procrastinate, often means I am dancing around my house instead of studying
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
I make sure I have breaks and exercise whenever I can as it helps me become more focused.
I have started giving myself a set time to do my study and plan things after so I have to be organised.
Set a goal for managing study stress!
When I feel stressed or I am not being productive, work away and come back to it later, staring at a screen for hours doesn't achieve anything but more worry.
I’ll have to wait until I have my laptop, because I can’t copy and paste on my iPad.
I’ll reply properly later.
@Bananatime04, your responses are perfectly fine! We all have different ways of responding to things. I like you ideas of studying! I still struggle with everything, and my teachers don’t teach the way you do. I’m just expected to know everything...
but study breaks are an awesome idea!
Loving this thread idea @Jess1-RO! ❤️ 😄
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
I chose this particular gif because my assessments are making me pretty exhausted at the moment and I'm kinda struggling to find the motivation to write my assignments :/.
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I'm currently studying an undergraduate degree in psychology with my Honours year being next year (yay for almost at the finish time, but yikes because it's Honours haha). I'm technically full-time but only doing three courses which I find it a bit less stressful than doing the usual four. Even though it has taken me longer to complete the degree because of it, I don't regret this decision one bit 🙂
What do you enjoy about your studies?
Like @Jess1-RO, the content in my psychology studies are super interesting
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?
- Headaches
- Eyes drooping
- Hands, arms and/or legs shaking
- Feet constantly tapping
- Biting my nails
- Increased heart rate
- Rapid breathing
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
- Take regular breaks!
- Drink lots of water
- Plan out your study. I've learnt in a lecture recently that research shows planning (despite you not ending up achieving your plans) can significantly reduce stress!
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Introduce a reward system such that you reward yourself after completing a certain task
- Talking to other people about your study stresses. I find talking to my friends where we vent our study stresses reduces my own study stresses knowing that I'm not alone in my stresses. Does that make sense?
- Don't be afraid to contact your teacher/tutor/lecturer for extensions or extra help if you need it
- Make use of any school/uni counselling services if you need it. Also, take advantage of any disability support services available. I'm not sure about other schools/unis, but I'm pleasantly surprised by my uni's options for helping those with mental illnesses!
Set a goal for managing study stress!
My goal for managing study stress is to exercise and eat healthy more so that I become more refreshed and not as exhausted when it comes to studying time.
(Had to include Lizzo gif because I adore her ahaha)
Here is my study stress profile!
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I am currently studying my undergrad degree part time at Uni. I took a break from my studies this year and will be returning to study in 2020! That's why my study relationship gif is returning to work (study)!
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I love learning, and my psychology courses are super interesting. I never get bored with the content which is really important in helping me stay motivated.
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?:
- When I am spending more time on study without stopping for breaks
- When I get headaches or find my eyes feel sore
- When it feels like my brain is no longer processing the information I am reading
- When I find myself thinking about my study during other parts of my day when I am not studying
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
I find that if I have a healthy balance in my life I can manage my study stress. This looks like:
- Planning start and finish times for my study
- Taking regular breaks
- Exercising and ensuring I am eating well
- Building rewards or fun activities into the days I am working on assessments or studying for exams
- Taking ‘rest days’ when I need them
I’ve learnt that studying part time helps me keep a balance with my study, so I will keep up with that when I return to my studies.
Set a goal for managing study stress!
My goal for managing study stress is to build in a 'rest' day every week to allow my mind some time to recharge
Thankyou for this - I love this idea!
Pick a gif that represents your relationship with study at the moment
Tell us a little bit about your studies
I am almost at the end of my second year as a full-time psychology undergrad ! (yay only like 6 years to go! *facepalm*)
What do you enjoy about your studies?
I learn some of the most interesting things! Psych is just so relevant to everything in our daily lives, who we are, our interactions and how we understand the world - it's been really enjoyable! stressful.....but enjoyable!
What are the signs that you are stressed from studying/experiencing study stress?:
- When I don't feel like talking to anyone and just want to sit in the dark in my room watching netflix
- When I start crying out of exhaustion and stress
- When I find myself not enjoying the things I usually enjoy
- When my thoughts are constantly racing
- When i'm having a really hard time finding motivation
What are your top study stress busters/coping strategies?
- I usually am doing uni-work 7 days a week but sometimes i take a day off to just have some me time!
- I talk to someone i love about it or a friend who understands
- I use my casual work as a bit of an escape sometimes
- I try to use positive self talk as much as i can and not beat myself up over assessment results i can't change
Set a goal for managing study stress!
I want to bring some more work-life balance into my life starting next year, i'm going to cut down working 5 days a week at my casual job to probably 3 days. I realised work was not only taking time away from uni, but also leaving me too exhausted to be effective when I am doing uni work.
@reach804 that sounds like a really good way of maintaining work-life balance 😄
Tagging a bunch of people who might be interested in this one!
@ami-lee @CowboyBebop @Decal21 @dog_lover94 @drpenguin @happycat45 @Hozzles @Jane_Rose @katurian @lennycat2017 @lr8991 @Milkninja222 @MisoBear @mspaceK @queenP @reach804 @recharging_introvert @scared01 @skyedre @statuscaring @Tasi @tjayne19 @WheresMySquishy @Dyl @Maryhadalittlelamb @Asche @Bee @ecla34 @ErinsAntics @Esperanza67 @JanaG @letitgo @lokifish @May_ @mrmusic @N1ghtW1ng @Puppies026 @RevzZ@blobby @SomeoneNADJS @Tiny_leaf @Bananatime04 @xXLexi_Lou122Xx @not-an-otter
