How to Deal With Stress As A College Athlete

In the last few years, mental health is becoming destigmatized, and more and more people actually talk about it. More young people go seeking help, and there is a rising concern for the mental health issues of students. There are specific statistics that focus on college athletes, and the stress levels that they report are up to 43% higher than those of non-athletes. This is due to a combination of cognitive and non-cognitive efforts exerted every day.

Where Stress Comes From

These results are devastating as young people are devoting all of their time to the sport which can lead to:

• Sleep exhaustion,
• Low academic performance,
• Poor diet, and
• General fatigue.

Students may seek a solution for these issues in substance abuse or other unexpected behavior. Athletes also report that they have a hard time dealing with social relationships, the stress of keeping up with their athletic performance and academic expectations, and fear of disappointing their parents (failing after achieving so much).

Here, we’re going to talk about several ways to reduce stress levels for college athletes.

Talk

It may seem a bit silly, but sharing your problems with a friend does help with reducing the stress around it. Nothing good ever came out of bottling up feelings, so just share them with someone. Not necessarily asking for advice, just talking is enough.

Online tools

Try doing a bit of research on online tools which can help you with your tasks. You’ll be surprised at how much time you’ll save, and you’ll definitely feel that days are easier to concur without that specific task on your mind. Grab My Essay is affordable, and you get a free plagiarism report, so you can rest assured that no one will hand in the same report.

Time management

Create to-do lists! This way you can make sure that you have time for practice, homework, and some free time for you. Make sure to spread all your responsibilities over the week, and not jam them into two days. This way you will have more free time, to just relax on your own or spend time with friends and/or family.

Adversity

Expect differences in your results. There will be days when everything will go according to plan, and there are days when you will be off, and that is all right. This is completely normal, and it’s not worth stressing about. It is understandable that this will annoy you/your coaches/professors, but try to stay positive

Work in groups

When preparing for a test or an exam, try working with a group of friends. This way, you share all the work that needs to be done and help each other learn it. It’s much more entertaining than doing it on your own, besides, they may have some tips on ways that will help you learn faster or deal with stress during exams. Everyone has their own way of dealing with stress, and maybe you will find something that suits you better than the practices you’ve had.

Spend less time on social media

No matter how much we deny it, while we check our social media, time flies, and we don’t even notice it. Spending a lot of time scrolling on your phone can cause you to stress in a number of ways. For example, you can see a video of an elite athlete which can cause self-doubt. Try limiting your social media time, if it’s too difficult for you to do it on your own, there are apps that will turn off your wifi after you’ve spent a specific amount of time using your phone (of course, you set the timer).

Final Word

Even doing little things can help you greatly when dealing with stress. Mental health is still not an issue that everyone can talk about openly and freely. If you feel like you can’t share your issues with your friends or family, for whatever reason, seek help from a professional. Be sure that dealing with stress is not the same for everyone, and that it’s not a bad thing if you feel overwhelmed.

Author’s Bio- Charlotte Banks

Charlotte Banks believes in living simply and healthy. She practices sport regularly as it helps her clear her mind and prepare her for new daily challenges. Charlotte is a correspondent for a number of blogs and wants to establish a noticeable career in her field.