While it is fun thinking about all the exciting parts of studying at LSE, it must be addressed that being a student can be quite hard at times. There will almost certainly be moments where we get overwhelmed with a large workload. I have definitely been in several of these situations myself but over the years I have developed a few strategies to help get through stressful times.

Do something else

Unless it is absolutely unavoidable and you are working tight before a deadline, my top tip when you are stuck on something is to leave it, sleep on it, and do something else. Of course, it is best to take your mind off studying completely when you’re stressed but this advice can also be implemented when you’re very busy. Sometimes, simply switching up which module you are working on allows you to give your mind a rest about a particular topic you might be stuck on. From my experience, I have almost always found it easier to come back to something with a fresh mind.

Talk to a friend or family member

When you are feeling stressed, it can be comforting to talk to someone and hear about what is going on in their life. Talking to someone for a while will probably make you feel better, even if it just takes your mind off things for a while. Whoever you’re talking to will probably also encourage you to keep going.

Take some time off

As already mentioned, I understand that it is not always possible to take time off, especially when you are working towards deadlines or studying for exams. However, it can be nice to try to take a couple of hours in the evening off to find time for relaxing activities. I personally also like to make plans for after I am done with my work, for example after a big deadline. This gives me something to look forward to and gets me through that last bit of studying.

While these strategies are very simple, I know from my own experience that when you are in a stressful situation, you don’t think of doing the simplest things, which makes it even more important to hear them often. For one last piece of advice, I like to remind myself that stress derived from studying is always temporary. The deadlines will pass, and you will be able to move on and relax.

If you do face any sort of issues during your time at LSE, you can find out about all the support in place here.