Understanding and Managing Study Stress

Study stress is a widespread problem, with the majority of Australian university students experiencing at least some level of excess stress (Papier et al., 2015). Given the distressing and often counterproductive nature of ‘getting stressed out’, it is easy to wonder why we are so prone to feel this way.

Among the hormones involved in our body’s reaction to stress is Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which is responsible for stimulating the adrenal glands to produce cortisol - The primary stress hormone. Amino acid sequences similar to human ACTH are found throughout the animal kingdom; not just in other mammals, but also in amphibians, reptiles, insects, mollusks, and marine worms (Nesse et al., 2007). It may be a stretch to say that a worm can feel stressed, but this overlap in biochemistry demonstrates the ubiquity of fight-or-flight responses. We use reactions such as stress to maintain vigilance and avoid errors.

However, the kind of prolonged stress that we often experience in modern environments, such as at work, school, or university, is clearly a maladaptive biproduct of our capacity for fight-or-flight responses. Along with the emotional toll, stress among students is also a risk factor for lifestyle issues, such as poor diet.

Given how destructive stress can be, it is important to learn how to manage it.

• Planning: Knowing how much study you have to get through before each deadline is important for making tasks feel more manageable. Even if writing out a list of everything you have to do increases your stress level initially, it will help in the long term.

• Retain a sense of normality: Whether you are in the habit of going out with friends, playing sport, or reading for pleasure, working on an important assignment or studying for an exam should not completely overturn your usual routine. We can all see the wisdom in deciding not to go to the pub the night before an exam, but forgoing your usual activities entirely can do more harm than good emotionally.

• Sleep: In line with retaining normality, a good night’s sleep is essential. You may feel as though putting in an extra 2 hours of late night study will provide more tangible benefits than an extra 2 hours of sleep, but the evidence shows that healthier sleep schedules are associated with higher marks (Estevan et al., 2021). Sleep deprivation also puts you at much higher risk of excess stress (APA, 2013). As the effects of sleep deprivation can be subtle and varied, it is not always obvious how much harm it is doing, hence why quotes about getting enough sleep can sound like trivial platitudes. However, you sometimes have to try these things before you see the benefits.

• Getting started: Get started however you can. Even if it is just fixing up a few references, it is easier to get stuck into a task that you have been plugging away at than it is to get back to a project that you have been avoiding completely.

• Sitcoms and scented-candles: Ok, not necessarily those examples, but it is important to embrace the things that make you feel relaxed.

References

APA. (2013). Stress and sleep. American Psychological Association (APA). https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/sleep

Estevan, I., Sardi, R., Tejera, A. C., Silva, A., & Tassino, B. (2021). Should I study or should I go (to sleep)? The influence of test schedule on the sleep behavior of undergraduates and its association with performance. PLOS One, 16(3), e0247104. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247104

Nesse, R. M., Bhatnagar, S., & Young, E. A. (2007). Evolutionary origins and functions of the stress response. In Encyclopedia of Stress (2nd ed., Vol. 1). Elsevier Inc. https://websites.umich.edu/~nesse/Articles/Nesse-EvolStressResponse-2007.PDF

Osmosis from Elsevier. (2025, October 27). Adrenocorticotropic hormone [Online video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5cq7Nt1xj4

Papier, K., Ahmed, F., Lee, P., & Wiseman, J. (2015). Stress and dietary behaviour among first-year university students in Australia: Sex differences. Nutrition, 31(2), 324-330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2014.08.004