There are many reasons as to why students in university, college, or high school can get stressed/anxious about their grades. There are quizzes, tests, exams to write, assignments due, deadlines to meet and to top all that stress off, you may feel the need to get really good grades. I myself have struggled with this stress in the past and I know people that are still having issues with this.
It’s very common and lots of students have difficulty with this because life can be very busy at times. Maybe you have extracurricular activities, a loved one is sick and needs your attention, or maybe you have younger siblings who need to be watched due to parents working late, etc. When your education suffers, this often leads to stress or even depression which can be very harmful for your mental health.
Symptoms of depression include outbursts, feelings of worthlessness, loss of interests in activities you used to enjoy, having a reduced appetite, among others. As mentioned before, this can be harmful for your mental health, but over a period of time of dealing with the depression (and its varying severity), this can lead to physical problems.
For example, if you have loss of appetite, you won’t eat as much. If you don’t eat as much and you’re not getting enough nutrition for your body, this may mean you don’t have enough energy to get through the day.
Well enough of the negative aspects, I am going to discuss some strategies that have been helpful for me to improve your grades and hopefully have a positive impact on your mental health and overall mood.
1) Making a schedule
Although marking dates on a calendar may not seem helpful, if you ask me, it’s extremely helpful. Knowing dates beforehand and planning ahead is a great way to reduce stress. Back in high school, I often forgot when dates were due. This would severely affect my grades. Now that I plan ahead, I never miss assignments and my grades never suffer for something that’s very avoidable. We all know that sometimes life events happen outside our control, but there are some things we can plan in advance for.
2) Getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night (for ages 18-64) and sleeping on time
Getting 7-9 hours of sleep is crucial to life and school. Although those late nights may seem they have no effect on you, they cumulatively do. Waking up early in the morning and sleeping on time is an excellent way to improve your health and do great in school. Whether you are a morning person or a night owl, setting a schedule where you get enough sleep and managing your time wisely will have a positive impact on your mood and concentration (Government of Canada, 2019). Students who consistently sleep more than 6 hours per night tend to have higher GPAs than students who are sleeping 6 hours or less (UofM, 2021).
3) Achieving around 2.5 hours of physical activity a week
Getting around 2.5 hours of physical activity a week is very healthy and helpful. What I do to reach my weekly quota of physical activity is going on long walks and jogging. This can help clear your mind and can help with sleeping. Physical activity releases good hormones in your body called endorphins. Endorphins help you to feel body positivity so getting around 2.5 hours of physical activity every week is a win-win situation for you (WebMD). Choose an activity that you enjoy and makes you feel good! This will make it make likely that you will stick to your plan.
These are my tips to help with stress/anxiety with grades in school. They’ve helped me very much and I am sure they can help you too. Until next time, take care!
Sources for all information I found:
Government of Canada (2019). Are Canadian adults getting enough sleep? Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-adults-getting-enough-sleep-infographic.html
University of Manitoba (2021). Building healthy habits. Retrieved from https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/health-wellness/building-healthy-habits
WebMD. Exercise and Depression. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression#1
Government of Canada (2018). Physical Activity Tips for Adults (18-64 years). Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/physical-activity-tips-adults-18-64-years.html