1. Stress Management
MANAGE YOUR STRESS BEFORE IT MANAGES YOU!
Stress is just one problem that college students have to deal with. Short-
term stress can help students get a better grade, improve an essay, or go
after a job they really want. But if you don’t do anything about long-term
stress, it can hurt you. Stress has bad side effects, and more college students
than ever say they feel it for longer periods of time. Even though coursework
is often the main source of stress, other things, like family, friends, and work,
can add to stress and lead to bad academic and personal outcomes.
How does stress affect college students? What is stress?
Stress is the body’s response to how a person feels emotionally. Stress can
be caused by both good and bad things, like an upcoming wedding or the
death of a loved one. When you feel an emotion that makes you feel
stressed, your adrenal gland releases epinephrine and then cortisol.
Epinephrine is the hormone that makes you want to run away or fight. This
2. answer can save your life if you’re in a dangerous situation. Too much
cortisol, on the other hand, can hurt your metabolism, your memory, and
how your blood sugar is controlled over time.
Many students feel like they need to get rid of stress, but with all the
activities and responsibilities that fill a student’s schedule, it can be hard to
find the time to try new ways to relieve stress. These choices are easy, quick,
and relevant to a student’s life and different kinds of stress.
There are three kinds of stress:
Acute stress: This is the most common type of stress and is caused
by everyday things like waking up late, running to class, or getting a
bad grade. Most short-term stress goes away quickly and has little
effect on the mind or body.
Episodic Acute Stress: As the name suggests, this type of stress
happens when a student goes through a lot of short-term stress over
a long period. Migraines and tension headaches are two of the most
common signs.
Chronic, acute stress happens when a person can’t escape a long-
term stressful situation. For example, students having trouble in a
3. significant course may develop chronic, acute stress, which can cause
them to gain weight, not get enough sleep, and feel anxious.
Stress can also change how you sleep, eat, and exercise, which can
significantly affect your health. Almost half of the people surveyed by the
APA said they did three hours of homework every night on top of their day of
schoolwork and other activities, which makes sense. High school students
have to deal with a lot of competition as they take challenging classes, build
up impressive extracurriculars, study for and do well on college placement
tests, and make meaningful, life-changing decisions about their futures. At
the same time, they have to deal with the social problems that come with
being in high school. If a teen wants to go to college, the stress doesn’t end
once they are accepted. They have to make new friends, handle a more
challenging workload, often do things without their parent’s help, and deal
with the stresses that come with living more independently. In addition,
there is always an extra layer of stress in a romantic relationship. To succeed,
you must have tools to help you deal with the effects.
Here are some ways to deal with stress:
4. Breathe deeply into your stomach.
You can practice deep breathing between classes, lunch, and before
and after school. Put both feet on the floor and sit comfortably. Put
one hand on your stomach. Make sure that all of your muscles are
loose. Deeply breathe in through your nose until you feel your belly
rise. Hold this breath for 5 seconds, then let it out slowly through
your mouth, like you’re blowing through a straw. Make this pattern
over and over for 3 to 5 minutes. Try relaxing your muscles gradually.
The American Psychological Association says progressive muscle
relaxation is an excellent way to deal with stress and anxiety.
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down.
First, tense the muscles in your lower legs. Inhale for 5 to 10 seconds
while contracting these muscles, then exhale and let go of the
contraction. Hold this position of ease for 10 seconds. Next, move
your way up your body, contracting different muscle groups as you
breathe in and out. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds with each breath, then
let go for 10 seconds before moving on to the next muscle group. Do
physical activities regularly. Getting exercise or playing sports every
day can help reduce the effects of stress. Encourage your child to join
a sport or activity or do something active as a family in the evenings.
5. Recognize and accept all emotions
Turovsky says that kids and teens need to understand that coping
skills don’t mean they’ll never feel sad, angry, frustrated, depressed,
or anxious again. Instead, coping skills should help them notice these
feelings, name and accept them, and do things to make them feel
better.
Learn to talk about problems
Turovsky says parents and teachers should tell students to share
when they are tired, distracted, or too busy. Turovsky says that each
person’s coping skills may be different, but for most of us, they may
include talking to people we love and trust about these hard feelings.
Find a few people you trust to listen
Also, it’s important for students to have someone who will listen to
them without judging them. All students should find at least two
adults they can trust and talk to most of the time. This could be a
school employee, a family friend, a family member, a person from the
community who helps people, or a professional in mental health.
Stress affects everyone. But if you know how to spot and deal with it, you
can lessen the harmful effects and keep your child and yourself healthy
throughout the school year. You can deal with daily stress by caring for
6. yourself, eating well, exercising, practicing deep breathing, reaching out to
friends and family, and asking for help. However, if these things don’t help
and you or your child feels like their stress levels are getting too high, it’s
time to call a doctor. They can help determine if someone needs to be sent to
a mental health professional.