Five Tips to Help Deal with the Stress of Sports, Academics and Recruiting

Stress is a part of life that everyone has to deal with, including student athletes. We all get to a point where we feel we have too much on our plate and don’t know what to do. The important thing is to not let it overcome you.Read on for a few tips to help you when your life feels stressful.

1. Do stress relieving activities

When you feel stressed, it can be very helpful to just take a few minutes time out to do an activity that calms you. Some ideas for stress relieving activities include taking slow, deep breaths, thinking calm thoughts, repeatedly tensing up and releasing your muscles, and exercising. Such activities help take your mind off of your situation for a few moments and will let you recollect your thoughts.

2. Talk it out with friends or family

Bottling up your stress and emotions can be very detrimental. Talking out problems with a close friend or family member is very helpful when coping with stress. You should always have at least a few trusted loved ones that you can talk to for support and help during stressful times.

3. Make time to have fun and relax

Sometimes it is very easy to get caught up in all the different aspects of your life. While it is important to stay on top of your game in academics, sports, etc., it is equally important to take some time out to do things you love to do. This can include socializing with friends and family, playing sports and games for recreation, reading, music, art, and whatever else you can think of that you enjoy doing.

4. Don’t procrastinate

This is one of the easiest ways to become stressed. When you wait until the last minute to complete a project or activity, the time crunch you face causes a great amount of stress. It will be so much easier and stress-relieving if you complete assignments in small doses over an extended period of time.

5. Be realistic with how much you can handle

Sometimes we take on too much of a workload to prove to ourselves and others what we are capable of. By taking on too many projects, not only do you become overly-stressed, but each project will not be as thorough because you have to concentrate on so many other things. You should pick and choose projects that you want to do the most. It is okay to say no sometimes.