For a lot of students, math is the subject that causes the most stress. If you haven’t done your homework effectively, it’s difficult to bluff on exam day. While a little stress can be helpful to push ourselves out of our comfort zones and reach new goals, too much can seriously harm our ability to learn and perform at our best. In this article we will discuss 5 effective ways to combat math homework stress, including the importance of sleep, setting a schedule, mindful breathing, eating sensibly and creating a designated quiet space to do your homework.
Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer. You spend a third of your life doing it. So how does this relate to stress and your ability to do your homework effectively? Well, it turns out that sleep plays a major role in the learning process by consolidating new memories and discarding unnecessary information (Like where you parked the car on the 17th April last year). Sleep also primes your brain to take in new information. Think of a good night’s sleep like hitting ctrl+s on your day, without it you’ll have trouble retaining the information you’ve been working so hard to remember.
What are some good habits that facilitate good sleep? According to sleep expert Matt Walker, Limiting alcohol and caffeine, waking up at roughly the same time each day (yes even on weekends!), limiting screen time at night and having a hot bath in the evening have all been shown to improve quality of sleep. Sometimes, in order to have more free time for sleep and rest you may need to use some assignment help service https://www.academicsa
Set a schedule
Student life can be overwhelming at times. Trying to juggle everything without a plan can be very stressful. Setting a schedule is a great way to alleviate the pressure of student life and boost your math grades. In the long run, the hard work will pay off. Being proficient at math can enhance your life in many different ways, from winning philosophy debates, to using a map whentraveling abroad with your friends.
An effective homework schedule includes set study times and learning goals, as well as break times and finish times. When it comes to stress, a well planned schedule can free up your mind to focus on the important things, instead of being distracted by the chaos of trying to fit your study into an already hectic week. In addition to your studying, it’s a good idea to schedule your down-time, whether you’re meeting with friends, going to the gym, or anything that makes you feel relaxed and ready to learn.
Practice mindful breathing
Stress and anxiety often go hand in hand. One time-tested method has been used for millennia to combat excessive stress and anxiety in highly stressful situations. There’s a thousand different schools of thought on mindful breathing, from yoga practitioners, to Wim Hoff. But what most of them have in common is the practice of bringing your awareness to your body while taking deep rhythmic breaths. Deep mindful breathing signals your brain to relax, reducing your heart rate and blood pressure which in turn relaxes your body and allows you to focus. You can find a great walk-through on the UK’s national health services webpage here.
Create a quiet spacefor math homework
If you’re trying to study in the living room while your little brother is crying and your dad is watching the game on his new surround sound speakers, you’re likely to be stressed-out and find it difficult to concentrate. Finding a suitable spot to do your math HW assignment is crucial if you want to keep stress provoking distractions at bay. In fact, our environments have been shown to influence everything from our moods and creativity to levels of stress and productivity. The best environments to study in are quiet, neither too hot or too cold, free from clutter and mess and full of natural light and fresh air. Summarizing, tidy your room, open the curtains and lock your door.
Eat a sensible diet
Your mum was right: diet really matters. The stereotypical student lives on a diet of instant noodles and fast food. According to the journal Nutrients, scientists have found a direct link between the consumption of fast food and stress levels in humans. So it would be a good idea to limit fast food consumption on days you plan to study.
In addition to what you shouldn’teat, there are a number of healthy foods you can include in your diet that will both reduce stress and boost feel-good endorphins like serotonin. According to webmd, Foods like whole grains, oatmeal, wholewheat bread and pastas reduce levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. If starchy carbs aren’t your thing, citrus fruits like oranges have been shown to reduce stress hormones by lowering blood pressure and strengthening the immune system. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines have been shown to reduce spikes in stress hormones while also combating depression and keeping your brain healthy.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, studying a complex subject like math can be very stressful. There are a number of factors in our daily lives that add to the pressures of study and make it difficult to concentrate and perform at our best. If you implement some or all of the five tips discussed in this article, you’ll have a giant head start on your peers. We can all help reduce stress in our lives by sleeping at least 7 hours a night, setting a regular study schedule, using breathing exercises to calm our minds, eating a sensible diet, and creating a designated space to do our homework.
Author’s Bio
Paul Calderon has been providing professional math help to students for over a decade. His hands-on approach and endless patience ensure he gets the best results for his students. Paul offers support to students of all levels in all topics of mathematics.
