"Stress for me looks like a big wall that becomes so overwhelming I can’t climb it. When everything piles up it can become hard to even begin to tackle it – each new thing I have to do feels like another layers of bricks.

Over the years, I’ve learnt that I have the ability to scale that wall easily if I’m willing to just take the first step. For me, that first step is always writing a to do list and breaking big tasks into smaller goals for me to achieve. If I can make an essay plan, then writing the first 100 words to an essay becomes easy. After that, I always find it easier to write the next 2000 with the momentum!

Once you achieve a little bit, you get a little bit further up the wall until it’s conquered, taking it one brick at a time!"

"I get stressed when I have a huge workload on my shoulders but have little time to complete it all. I lose my focus and my thoughts dart from one thing to another. As a result, I can’t think clearly and the quality of my work drops. This makes me incredibly frustrated and puts me in a bad mood. 

When faced with stress, I take a break from all work and go for a walk whilst listening to some chill tunes! I particularly love walking in the park because the natural environment helps me clear my mind and soothes my worries. By clearing my mind, I can return to my work with a level head with an optimistic attitude.

If you find yourself stressing out, take a break and do something that you enjoy. Stress cloud’s your mind and limits your work output. Taking a break and coming back rejuvenated ensures that you can tackle your work efficiently and calmly."

"To me, stress is a character in our mind that oscillates between being our friend and being our enemy. When amiable, stress allows us to focus and get things done. Other times, stress may equate to disorganisation, disrupted sleep patterns and major anxiety. 

Too much stress clouds my judgement and fogs my mind. I end up hyperventilating, overreacting, overthinking and even crying. When you see “Stressed Monique” you see HUGE exhales, darting eyes, clenched teeth, large arm movements and shouting, “YOU GOT THIS MONIQUE. YOU GOT THIS.” 

I defog my mind by taking a step back from work to play piano, write in my diary, have “cuddle-time” with my little sister or have a glass of wine with mum while we listen to 70s music.  

Break down your tasks to smaller manageable parts and plan your week! If stress gets paralysing, never be afraid to seek help."

"Whenever I get stressed, I struggle quieting my mind. I overthink and magnify every small problem and deadline. I lose perspective and motivation. Everything just seems impossible to achieve. I put off watching lectures or procrastinate on the assignments because they seem almost too daunting to attempt. The irony is that starting them would made me less stressed, yet I end up too stressed to start!  

When this happens I usually go for a walk outside or play with my dog! I always try to leave the space that I’m in. It's almost as though I need to leave the stress in the room behind me and just step outside and escape! 

I find stepping out into fresh air and just controlling your breathing really helpful in calming yourself and putting things into perspective!"