Stress Coping Strategies

Proven Strategies to Beat Stress in Language Learning

 

Between stimulus and response, there is a space where we choose our response.

Stephen Covey

⏱ Reading time: 2 minutes

You read about recognizing the signs of stress in your body and mind in our article here. Now the question remains, what should you do about it once you recognize it? We’re hoping this article gives you some ideas. Before we jump into those, a quick reminder: 

Stress is normal

Stress affects everyone, not just new language learners. One experienced Arabic professor emailed the following to students whose stress indicators he’d been measuring to help them grow in self-awareness about their own stress responses:

You may be interested to know that I just had a painful encounter connected with language learning. I’m at the STARTALK Fall Conference in Orlando. We were all asked to attend a session where we learn some of a language we don’t know. I picked Hindi. I thought the woman sitting next to me and with whom I practiced was Arab but with a very good ear and memory. MUCH better than mine. I so much wanted to know what my H[eart] R[ate] V[ariability] and skin conductivity were. I was really stressed.

Since stress is going to be a part of your experience, learning how to effectively cope with it can help you stay in control of your language learning. In a paper on stress in language learning, Dr. Abdulmuhsen Ayedh Alqahtani and Dr. Saad Shajea Alajmi suggest:

1. Language learners should shift their paradigm with respect to stress; stress is normal and can be dealt with in productive ways.
2. Positive stress can help maintain challenge, commitment, and perseverance.

Know what works for you, and have a plan!

Although everyone experiences stress, what helps people cope with stress varies from person to person. Regardless of how you choose to cope, it’s helpful to have a plan ahead of time so you know how to deal with stress when it comes. One student said: 

The gym every day was the best way to deal with the frustrations for me, as well as just taking a little personal time at the end of every day. If I was frustrated or stressed, I found that taking a step back for 15-30 minutes and then getting back at it was very effective for me. When I tried to just push through, I realized those feelings would become magnified.

Another said:

Think in advance and plan out several plans of how to cope. For example, I need alone time and escapism. After the long school day and soul-crushing experience of trying to talk to people every day, I personally NEEDED alone time. My roommates got a gym membership for the same purpose. You have to plan this before you go and give yourself options. When you feel discouraged, find something you can do and stick with that for a little bit, and then make sure you go back or find a new study pattern/strategy.

So how do you handle stress in a healthy way? It’s important to take action so that your stress doesn’t build up and start to paralyze you. There are a multitude of techniques that you can use to mitigate stress, including:

Short-term:

• Slow, low breathing every hour for a few minutes
• Quick body scan to prevent tension build-up
• Stretch out your neck, arms, and legs
• Close your eyes and take a mini mind vacation to a relaxing place or peaceful memory
• Use an app for a 2-minute meditation
• Change stress-inducing thoughts to stress-reducing thoughts

Long-term:

• Eat nutritiously
• Exercise
• Sleep (critical for memory function)
• Ask for and allow help 
• Balance work and play
• Meditate and/or be mindful
• Create boundaries
• Make time to socialize and enjoy relationships with family and friends

Some of these things may seem intuitive, while some of them might seem too easy to really make a difference. But if you try them, you might be surprised at the difference they’ll make in helping you be proactive, stay on top of your stress, and make the most of your language learning experience. 

One student began his study abroad experience with significantly less experience and preparation than his fellow students, but he was intentional about striving to manage stress well. Read how he got through a tough week, during which concerns about his future began to weigh heavily on his mind:

“This week was the hardest week in the program for me…. [T]he stress and anxiety built up from the stresses of life… [and] made me sick and [made it] difficult to go to class or do much at all. Frankly, I was quite crippled by it. What helped was the paced breathing and just getting back to work. The breathing helps to control my stress and anxiety at least for a small amount of time and then getting back to the grind is what helped me this week…. I am excited to feel that I have control over the end of this program and I just need to remain c[al]m and keep working.”

This student faithfully followed his program director’s coaching and far exceeded everyone’s expectations in the end. Having dealt with such difficult feelings before, he now feels that the techniques he learned on the study abroad have prepared him for the stress he encounters in his demanding professional life.

The Main Takeaway

Be prepared to be stressed! Decide for how you’ll deal with stress as it manifests throughout your language learning journey. These skills will help prevent stress from keeping you from achieving your goals and mastering your language.

Sources:

• https://brightspotcdn.byu.edu/97/d2/e4cc9e244fcdb509fb31536b4ab7/stress-management-biofeedback-ppt-may-2019-1.pdf