Aromatherapy can be effective to soothe the nerve. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Sweat it out

Apart from workouts, there are other ways to deal with stress.

Aromatherapy is an ancient practice for stress reduction developed by Buddhist monks and nuns. The fragrance of sandalwood incense and such herbs as lavender has long been associated with a calming effect.

New York University public relations graduate student Kong Youyuan burns incense in her dining room when she's exhausted from writing academic papers.

"I feel like I'm in an ancient Chinese temple when I smell sandalwood," the 24-year-old says.

"It melts my anxiety and puts me in the zone. It takes only two nights to finish a 16-page paper after using this therapy."

Mindfulness

Meditation has become increasingly popular at Chinese universities.

Tsinghua University assistant professor of psychology Li Songwei recommends a program called "mindfulness-based stress reduction".

MBSR was created by University of Massachusetts Medical School professor of medicine Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 and is backed by clinical research. It has been introduced in several Chinese colleges, including Tsinghua.

The method has been found to change brain functions in specific ways over just a few weeks, enabling the body to better respond to stress, insomnia and chronic pain.

"MBSR requires practitioners to focus on the current moment," says Li.

"The program allows the subjects to honestly observe their current anxieties－where they're coming from and how to dispel them. It offers many techniques to help people deal with their situations."