The 'S' Word

I want to talk about stress. For some reason, I feel like it's a bit of a taboo topic and I think this should change. My friends and I always say "Oh I'm so stressed at the moment", but then we agree and move onto talking about something else. I really want to change this. We all need to be more supportive of each other, and I think that talking about things which make us a bit uncomfortable is a really important part of life.

So, stress. That lovely little creature sitting in the corner that rears its ugly head around this time of year. I know for me, it has really started to kick in. Last week in particular, I had three pieces of coursework due in for moderation. For one of these pieces, I was writing draft after draft and my teacher just kept giving me more corrections. Although I knew what I needed to do to improve, it still felt disheartening and with D-Day fast approaching, I was getting more worried that I would never be happy with it!
(I did eventually get it finished, but at the time it seemed never-ending!)

On top of that, I have decided that I'm going to resit four of my exams from last year. If you'd have asked me this time last year, I would have told you that I wouldn't  be resitting even one. Although I probably don't have to resit to get the grades for my firm choice uni, I don't want to have any regrets. If not resitting an exam will mean I can't get the grade I want, then there's no way I'm not resitting. I want to give myself the best chance to do my very best. I want to open my results on 18th August knowing that there's nothing more I could have done.

My resit classes have begun this week - History on Monday and Wednesday after college and Lit on Wednesday lunch. Not only do I have the classes, I also have the revision for these subjects. As I've done these exams already, I feel like I'm not going in totally unprepared.

Luckily, I have a lot of things I do to help me chill out! Here are my favourite stress-busting activities!

1) Have a good rant

My favourite "victims" are my parents and best friends - That's what they're there for, aren't they?! Sometimes, just telling someone what's on your mind is the best way to clear your head. They'll be able to help you work things through, or even offer a shoulder to cry on if you need it.

2) Blast some music!

I love music. It's one of my biggest passions, and I seem to always be listening to music - whether its in the shower or on the bus, music relaxes me like nothing else. Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes seem to be the soundtrack to my life at the moment!

3) Get away from it all for a while

Whether it be going shopping with my Mum or having a gathering with my friends, sometimes all I need is to escape all the work for a bit. Going away and then returning with fresh eyes and a clear head can make the world of difference.

So that's me. What about you? I'd love to hear what you do to unwind. I'm really interested to see what would happen if we started a hashtag? Get in touch, either by commenting on here or by using #studentsvsstress on any social media and lets share some advice! I think we could start something really cool here!

Keep smiling everyone, and remember that it's all going to be over in four months!

Anna x

P.S. If you would like to vote for me as UCAS blogger of the month, you can do that here. Thank you!