How Cambridge MBA students manage stress and wellbeing

Recognising the reality of intensity

The one-year MBA format is uniquely challenging. Students are immediately immersed in a fast-paced environment where academic deadlines, networking events, consulting projects and recruitment processes often overlap. Add personal pressures such as being away from family, financial considerations or the weight of career change and the cumulative stress can feel overwhelming. 

Cambridge Judge Business School recognises that acknowledging this intensity is the first step in managing it. The Business School has built comprehensive support systems that help students develop resilience, maintain perspective and use stress as a catalyst for growth.

“An intense year can be incredibly rewarding when students feel supported”, says Shamiso Barnett, Head of the MBA Programme. Our responsibility is to create an environment where students can thrive academically and professionally, while also learning how to look after their mental health – skills that will stay with them long after the MBA.

Understanding stress: not all pressure is bad

Central to the programme’s approach is helping students distinguish between productive and destructive stress. Dr Helena Kim, an executive coach and cognitive behavioural specialist who works with MBA students throughout the year, emphasises that we need optimum stimulation to feel motivated and prepare for action. It only becomes a problem when there is not enough, too much or chronic stress.

When wrestling with stress, we are often dealing with the fear of inadequacy. In the face of a real or perceived threat, we fight for our sense of significance, power and control. Understanding this can help shift from trying to eliminate stress to learning how to respond more effectively.

Busting common myths

Many books deal with stress management, yet misconceptions persist. One myth is that everyone experiences and manages stress the same way. Consider being stuck in traffic: some people react with rage and frustration, whilst others feel merely annoyed. The difference lies not in the situation but in how we choose to respond.

Another myth is that stress itself is to blame for our pain. Research suggests it’s often not the stress that’s painful but our refusal to accept what’s real or true. Accepting what we can or cannot control may help us stay grounded.

The language we use matters

How students talk to themselves impacts their ability to manage pressure. Words create thoughts, thoughts link with emotions and emotions make up mindset to dictate behaviour. 

Training the mind to ask moving questions helps. Instead of “I am so stressed out”, try asking “What’s one small thing I can do now that can help me move one step further?”

Structured support throughout the year

Cambridge Judge provides structured support through regular action learning sessions led by Dr Kim. These small group sessions tackle specific challenges MBA students face throughout the academic year.

Topics range from helping introverts thrive in group settings to understanding when perfectionism becomes counterproductive, from developing emotional intelligence to learning self-coaching techniques. The sessions provide practical tools students can use immediately.

Individual differences in stress response

Coping mechanisms for stress may be linked to personality type. Extroverts and external processors, people who tend to think and talk simultaneously, need to talk out their stress with others. For introverts and internal processors, socialising over lunch can drain them. It may be more helpful to have cave time to read or keep a journal.

For both, social contact is vital. These social connections release oxytocin which increases our ability to emotionally cope.

Building resilience

Resilience is one of the key factors in getting back on track. It isn’t about managing stress but having belief in your ‘bounceability’ – regardless of what life throws at you, you trust yourself to bounce back. This ability is the major difference between people who fail and stay down and those who can sustain success.

How you react to and recover from stress takes practice to become a doable habit, where you will see you are bigger and stronger than the stress.

A sustainable approach

The toughest part about stress is that it feels counterintuitive to take a break when things are piling on. Your body is ready for a break but your mind thinks you should push through. Pilots and athletes are required to recover between assignments and rigorous training to sustain top mental and physical performance.

Cambridge Judge’s approach to mental health reflects a fundamental understanding. The MBA is about developing the whole person – building resilience, self-awareness and the capacity to lead effectively under pressure. Through comprehensive support embedded throughout the programme, students can fully engage with the transformative opportunities the MBA offers whilst building the foundation for long-term success and wellbeing.