The short self-study module covers ways you can determine what is causing your stress and tips to help manage stress and anxiety as a pharmacy student.
Anxieties, doubts, and worries are all part of normal life.
Experiencing an increase in these feelings when starting university is completely normal. After all, it’s a time of transition, filled with new experiences and responsibilities that although may be exciting can bring pressure and stress. These may include moving away from home, making new friends, managing studies and exams, and taking on financial responsibilities.
This can be especially challenging at the beginning of university life. However, many students find that as they begin to manage these areas more confidently, their worries and anxieties lessen, and they start to thrive.
For a significant number of students, these feelings can be more persistent and harder to manage.
Worry becomes excessive when it’s persistent, irrational and uncontrollable. Constant worrying, negative thinking and always expecting the worst to happen can take a toll on your emotional and physical wellbeing. It can deplete your emotional strength, cause headaches, muscle tension or other unexplained pains, make you restless, and reduce your ability to relax and concentrate effecting how well you can study for exams.
When you can’t get anxious thoughts out of your head and it interferes with your daily life, it’s time to take action.
There are steps you can take to try and manage your worries and reduce anxieties. You can train your brain to stay calm and look at life from a more balanced, less fearful perspective.
Talking about your worries with someone you trust, getting a good night’s sleep, interrupting the worry cycle by engaging in another activity such as exercise or connecting with others, and practicing mindfulness are all practical steps you can take to manage worries and anxieties.
The short self-study module below covers ways you can determine what is causing your stress and tips to help manage stress and anxiety as a pharmacy student.
Cover Slide
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Anxiety and Stress Management for Pharmacy Students
Before you begin.
Before you begin, remember:
• Be open and honest with yourself
• Treat yourself with kindness and respect
• Be present
• Enjoy it!
Opening task
Before you start, take note of what brought you to this self-learning module, and take a moment to notice any emotions or feelings you are experiencing right now.
What causes anxiety?
What causes anxiety?
One of the factors linked with feelings of anxiety and stress is a feeling of a lack of control. This might feel familiar to students who have had their classes and university experience severely disrupted by Covid-19.
Right now, it may feel like so many....
Right now, it may feel like so many things are out of our control, but one thing we can focus on is what we can control.
This can be things like when and how much you study, how prepared you are for exams, taking care of your own wellbeing and keeping in touch with friends and family.
This can be things like when and how much you study, how prepared you are for exams, taking care of your own wellbeing and keeping in touch with friends and family.
Take a moment to list 5 other things you can control in your life.
Take a moment to list 5 things you can control in your life.
So how can we keep anxiety at bay?
So how can we keep anxiety at bay?
Make time for wellbeing.
Make time for wellbeing.
Wellbeing practices are powerful ways of keeping ourselves feeling well, both physically and mentally. When we are stressed, wellbeing practices can fall by the wayside as we focus on things that feel more important.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Sleep is an essential ingredient to memory function, the immune system, and stress reduction. During sleep we take memories from recent memory networks and shift them to more efficient brain areas.
Be prepared.
Be prepared.
When you have exams or assignments coming up make a revision plan and start early. This can help you with both learning the material, and with reducing your anxiety and stress.
If you have an exam, be prepared in terms of logistics.
If you have an exam, know the logistics.
Find out where and when your exam is and familiarise yourself with the route to the location. Get to know the structure of the exam paper and what types of questions there will be. If possible, use past papers to help you feel comfortable.
Most negative thoughts...
We all think negatively sometimes, but it is important to notice when you are doing so and to address the negative thoughts.
We all think negatively sometimes...
Most negative thoughts are unrealistic and making them more realistic can help us to feel more in control.
It can help to imagine yourself at the test location, calmly and confidently tackling each question and using your knowledge to help you to pass.
Now is a great time to take a moment...
Close your eyes and visualise yourself in the exam room. Imagine yourself calm and in control, expertly answering a question that you have found particularly difficult to revise for.
Connect with others
Connect with others.
Meeting a friend or family member in person is so important for our mental health. There really is nothing like a face to face and eye to eye interaction. Being aware of current Covid guidance can help us to find ways to connect with others safely. Check out our resource on alternative ways to connect with others.
Drink enough water.
Drink enough water.
The brain is approximately 75% water and requires good hydration to function properly. Dehydration can impact short-term memory and the ability to recall long- term memories, so it’s a good one to watch out for when you are revising. Try keeping a glass of water nearby and keep yourself topped up throughout the day.
Move your body.
Move your body.
When we encounter stressful situations, the body releases stress hormones. Exercise can help us to reduce our stress hormones, as well as release the body’s “feel good” chemicals. Movement can improve both our sleep and our memory and increase energy levels throughout the day. So, it’s a winner all around!
Make small, positive habits.
Make small, positive habits.
Habit stacking can be really helpful during break times – why not focus on your breath and take a moment for mindfulness while the kettle boils? Or do a few press ups while you wait for your food to cook? Your brain will thank you when it feels refreshed and ready to take in more information.
Habit activity
Think about how you could use habit stacking in your life. How can you add a small new habit onto something that you already do? Make a list of three things you could try.
Ask for help.
Ask for help.
Your university may offer help for students who would like to learn more about effective study skills. There are people and organisations out there to help support you in your studies, so if you are struggling, please do ask for help!
Most people experience feelings of anxiety at some points in their life and is not uncommon. This page provides information about anxiety and where you can find support.
Listening Friends is our peer support service. This peer support service offers you the choice of speaking in confidence and anonymously to one of our trained volunteer pharmacists.
On this page you can find the definition of the five ways to wellbeing. As well as a self-study module with ideas on how you can implement them into your life to help manage your own mental wellbeing.
