Student-Athletes Feel Pressure to Balance Their Timefrom doing what they love to do
Students-athletes face difficulty managing their stress as they must balance training and schoolwork. These young athletes can feel anxiety throughout their entire day and have the constant pressure to manage their time wisely for learning, but to focus on their sports as well.
However, there are ways to cope with your stress and find solutions ranging from getting more sleep to eating more nutritious food which can assist to these tiring schedules. Some people attempt to stay alert by drinking caffeine and relying on social withdrawal solutions, but these are actually among very unhealthy habits that students tend to use. Multiple experts such as The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have stated that “there is no proven safe dose of caffeine for children and adolescents.” Instead, you should reduce your stress levels by utilizingsettling with safer treatments.
One of these solutions is that you receive enough sleep. Many doctors recommend that teenagers should receive 8 – 10 hours of sleep, but when you are an athlete and get home late, sometimes it is challenging to sleep early. In order to fall asleep quicker when you finish your activities, Dr. Kristine Dilley, lead outpatient dietitian at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, recommends stopping caffeine intake six to eight hours before bedtime. The National Sleep Foundation has additionally stated that blue light from screens suppresses melatonin production, a crucial hormone for sleep regulation. Engaging with devices also keeps your mind active, making it harder to relax before bed. This claim is similar to the result that came out of the many research projects that the Harvard Medical School has done on this topic, stating that blue light from screens can disrupt sleep patterns by suppressing melatonin secretion. Getting enough sleep can help to boost your energy as well and motivate you in both your studies at school and your training of sports.
Another way to deal with your stress is by considering your lifestyle habits. Taking into consideration what kind of food you are eating and checking if you are getting enough nutrients are also a big part of solving your distress.
“Just as stress can affect nutrition, nutrition can affect stress,” states nutrition.org. Making sure that you eat enough whole foods, such as poultry, fish, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats like almonds, walnuts, and avocados, can also help.
Starting relaxing daily activities such as listening to music, journaling, and using breathing exercises will be a big help too. Using these exercises right before school and just listening to some music you like or doing a few things that you enjoy to do can additionally benefit your performance during the day. Learning to plan and making sure to prioritize important things over smaller things will help you to limit stress.
Being a student-athlete can be stressful but there are ways to ‘fix your distress’ and be rewarded with the result of being both an excellent student and an great athlete.