Jasmine's top tips for balancing your studies and your wellbeing

Undergraduate ambassador Jasmine, shares her top tips on the importance of maintaining the right study/lifestyle balance.

University can be an exciting, bustling, and fun environment in which you will want to participate and fully immerse yourself in all these experiences; however, at times, this can become daunting and even stressful, taking a toll on your mental health. Therefore, balancing your studies and well-being is crucial, prioritising self-care and mental health at university.

Work smarter, not harder 

Organising your time is essential to keep productive, as well as making sure you schedule in time to relax and unwind. One way in doing this is to synchronise your WBS calendar to your calendar on your phone or laptop. You can spot gaps in your timetable which you can pencil in times for studying on campus, meeting friends, or even relaxing. Seeing your availability on your calendar can make things less stressful because you can take one day at a time. 

Differentiating your work and relaxation time is crucial for a practical weekly plan. Furthermore, distinguishing between routine, enjoyable, and essential activities is something which Warwick Wellbeing Student Support Services recommend that I follow because it enables me to make sure I have a balance between working hard to achieve my goals while doing things I enjoy. 

Additionally, I like to make a to-do list daily rather than weekly, so I can focus on smaller tasks that I find less daunting and stressful. This leads to my next tip of starting small. 

Starting small 

At university, it is easy to get distracted by big deadlines, assignments and exams in the upcoming terms and feel overwhelmed and apprehensive. Therefore, instead of focusing on that ultimate goal, I believe in focusing on the smaller and more achievable goals, supporting this end deadline, furthermore, concentrate on each week’s asynchronous tasks or seminar preparation to support my studies. 

Moreover, using this technique, I remain focused on the individual tasks I need to complete and set ambitious yet realistic goals that I can achieve throughout my day and week. Additionally, when you complete these tasks, you need to recognise your achievements and hard work and reward yourself by doing things you enjoy, such as dinner with friends.

Stop

From time to time, it is important to re-evaluate how your time management suits your needs, have you got the balance right or do you need to change things up? It is essential to review your working hours to ensure you have enough self-care time. Self-care takes many forms such as emotional, spiritual, social, and recreational self-care, creating a holistic well-being of yourself. 

Get outside 

A crucial element of finding a balance between your studies and well-being is by taking breaks. There are various methods and ways to spend your breaks, such as socialising with friends and family, doing your favourite sport, or just unwinding alone. 

One of the simplest yet effective ways to spend your breaks can be walking, which is proven to reduce stress levels, boost energy and lower blood pressure; all benefits which help improve balancing your studies and well-being. 

The University of Warwick is a campus-based university situated amongst beautiful countryside, providing many tranquil walks around surrounding lakes, fields, and trails. Therefore, there are plenty of green spaces to explore and unwind; the fresh, crisp air and tranquil surroundings are perfect for mental clarity and reflection. My favourite location for this is the peaceful lake next to the WBS building, an ideal place to walk between study sessions! 

Even though taking breaks may make you feel less productive, the differentiation of time between relaxing and studying makes your study sessions even more effective! 

You’re not alone 

Lastly, finding the balance between your studies and well-being can feel isolating, but I can assure you this is a normal part of university life and that you are not alone. 

Suppose the stress or anxiety of university becomes too much. In that case, it is essential that you do not suffer in silence but reach out to the incredible well-being services here at Warwick University. The Warwick Wellbeing Services provide guidance and support to all students to help support students in their university lifestyle. 

Reflecting on my tips for balancing well-being and studies, it is not an easy process, and it is an entirely individual and personal journey which may change throughout your course however, I hope the tips I offered help make this journey easier! 

If you would like more advice regarding balancing your university lifestyle or would like to see the wellbeing resources available at Warwick please see here.