Stress of a College Student and Ways to Manage It
We’ve all been there; “I’m so stressed”, “I have so much to do”, “I just need all the work to be over”, “I don’t have time for everything”, and much more direct quotes from students just like you. Stress is inevitable to a college student. All students have deadlines and expectations to uphold; so perceiving the impending as stress is impossible to avoid. However, not all stress is bad. It can keep you on track and feeling accomplished, so the question to answer becomes how do we manage stress to be a good addition to our college lives. There are many ways to turn the negatives into positive affirmations like: “I finished that project and it looks so good”, “I am doing a good job”, “I can handle the workload”, “I am happy”. Take a look at the article, along with a couple of videos and a test at the end, to learn what stressors are present in your life and how to manage them.
The weekly build-up of papers, tests and assignments is not seen by any other group of people other than college students (Ross, 1999). Stress can be found in many areas of student’s lives, however; the main categories of groupings include just four: academic, time/health, self-imposed and economic (Sajid, 2017). The reported subcategories of these groups include stress that was found in events such as expectations from family and teachers, test scores, GPA requirements, jobs, internships, life changes including moving, vacations or breaks, disrupted sleeping and eating habits, work load, increased responsibilities, social interaction including finding a potential life partner, unclear assignments, uncomfortable classrooms, pressure to earn a degree, and much more. The list goes on and on for what could impact a college student and their stress levels. The specific term for this long list of events is called stressors. Stressors present themselves every day to students. It is important to note that the individual’s personal perception and ability to handle a stressor results in the intrapersonal amount of stress they report feeling (Ross, 1999).
The amount of students attending universities across this nation and, more importantly, this world who report stress-filled emotions is unparalleled. A study done in 2017 in Pakistan found that 75% to 80% of their students at the largest university had moderate level of stress, and another 10% to 12% reported severe levels. This stress can lead to concentration difficulties, dissatisfaction, health problems like upset stomachs, performance impairment, fatigue including difficulty sleeping, headaches, short tempers and irritability included in behavioral problems and psychological mishaps. (Sajid, 2017). In the States, one in five students reported experiencing mental distress. When asked if certain situations made them feel overwhelmed, almost 90% of all participants responded yes to those previously marked “stressful” events by proctors. What is concerning to those trying to help and the overall management of this profound stress is that only 21% of those participants sought help from formal services including the ones given by college departments including counseling services or university nurses. 64% reported not using any source of support, with that be friends, family, relaxation events, etc (“Students”, 2013).
Check out the video below to see what Rutgers University has found from their study of stress and how the counseling department is helping:
There are formal stress management programs in place across the country in many colleges and universities. It is recommended to have a multi-component program in place for students to effectively handle their stress from the suggestions of professionals. Especially one that caters to specific stressors, which can be identified beforehand thanks to surveys which can now be electronic (Ross, 1999). An example of one was stated in the Journal of Counseling and Development. It was an 8-week program that had one session each week for roughly 20 students, more or less each session presented. The program roughly looked like the following:
Session one: Student are taught all about stress from the development, psychology and physiology components, definitions of related and how it manifests including both mental and physical.
Session two: Students are trained in progressive muscle relaxation which is a program designed to relax the muscles in your body one by one.
Session three: A teacher of cardio and aerobics comes to teach specific exercise programs that may be beneficial. Cardio forces one to relax when it is over with deep breathing and is healthy for the heart which counteracts the effects of stress.
Session four: A yoga instructor comes to class; again to teach specific programs that may be beneficial.
Session five: This was specifically focused on the short term management including breathing activities and hobbies to de-stress.
Session six: Students completed team building activities to teach students that communication, trust and teamwork can help manage stress.
Session seven: Student stimulated a day in college and learned time management.
Session eight: The last session was devoted to discuss and evaluate the past weeks (Rubin, 1986).
The effectiveness of programs like this one was astounding. After the programs, in the evaluation period, students took another survey to determine different aspects impacted by stress. These surveys found that anxiety levels decreased as did anger levels. Neuroticism, which concerns unstable emotions, decreased thanks to team building and time management. They also found that heart rates decreased in both rest and active stages which is good considering cardiovascular health (Iglesias, 2004).
Before personal stress management is addressed; it is important to understand that prevention of stress and coping strategies can be effectively installed at a young age. Skills needed to handle stress learned at a early age allow for teens and young adults to live with lower levels of perceptive tension as they encounter stressors in their growing lives. It is, however, never to late to learn these strategies. Parents should be teaching their young children problem-solving skills and how to apply these skills, along with the ability to regulate their emotions pertaining to experiences and self-control on a day-to-day basis. They can also teach their children conflict resolution and anger management skills, which are all needed to handle stress in this lifetime. It is important that parents give support and show their children the supportive environment that they have including their school teachers and staff, family, friends and other relationships. Being able to have open and honest discussions with children about real concerns will allow them to grow their perceptions of taboo subjects like stress. In growing through thoughts, words and actions, children will be prepared for the stress they will face and have a positive relationship with themselves because of it (Large, 1999).
Check out the video below for an overview on personal stress management tips and tricks:
Take a deep breath because even though there are stressors in life, there are also many ways to manage it. It is recommended from Purdue University that you do a couple things every singe day for stress, and the betterment of yourself, including eating well, exercising and planning the future. Nutrition is needed to fight stress and related illnesses. Avoiding high-fat and high-sugar foods sets you on the right track. Take it easy on the caffeine even if you are a college student. As we stated in the 8-week program, exercise also helps a great deal. This can produce endorphins which make one feel good and can improve sleep. All this and an organized schedule with prioritization can reduce stress levels (“Purdue”, 2018).
More suggestions include starting a new hobby and continuing it. Distracting yourself with little things can lead to happiness in this outlet. You can play sports, paint, draw, garden, write, watch movies, spend time with friends; the list goes on and on. Giving yourself positive affirmations can also improve stress levels. Changing old thoughts with new thoughts will lead to the belief in them. Saying them over and over can improve a day. Meditation and yoga give relief to stress as well. Deep-breathing can lower heart rates and allow the individual to continue on undisturbed (“Purdue”, 2018).
As we mentioned before, there are support systems in place to help you get through stress. Most students are afraid to ask for help, much less take the help given to them. Taking to teachers, friends, coaches, parents and professionals can not only calm yourself, but save your life in so many ways. Many students are turning to harmful management including drugs and alcohol for stress. This can only prolong stress and damage a students body (Misra, 2000). Seek help for anything you may be dealing with rather it be stress or more. Loras College has an amazing counseling department where you can get tips to managing stress as well as setting up recurring meetings with a professional or just stop into talk. Learn more at https://www.loras.edu/campus-life/counseling-services/.
Take the test on this website ( https://www.learnpsychology.org/student-stress-anxiety-guide/ ) to find out about your stress. After learning your score, read more of their student guide to managing stress.
References
Iglesias, Silvia I., Sergio Azzara, and Mario Squillace. “A Study on the Effectiveness of a Stress Management Programme for College Students.” Pharmacy Education March 2005 5.1 (2004): 27–31. Web.
Large, Rena. “Easing the Strain of Students’ Stress.” NEA Today Sept. 1999: 39. Business Insights: Global. Web.
Misra, Ranjita, Michelle McKean, Sarah West, and Tony Russo. “Academic Stress of College Students: Comparison of Student and Faculty Perceptions.” College Student Journal June 2000 34.2 (2000): n. pag. Web.
Purdue University Global. “The College Student’s Guide to Stress Management [Infographic].” Purdue Global. N.p., 17 May 2018. Web.
Ross, Shannon E., Bradley C. Niebling, and Teresa M. Heckert. “Sources of Stress among College Students.” College Student Journal June 1999 33.2 (1999): n. pag. Web.
Rubin, Donna C., and Charlyn Feeney. “A Multicomponent Stress Management Program for College Students.” Journal of Counseling and Development April 1986 64 (1986): 531. Web.
Sajid, Muhammad Bilal, Saima Hamid, Fazaila Sabih, and Aamnah Sajid. “Stress and Coping Mechanisms Among College Students.” Journal of Pakistan Psychiatric Society July- September 2017 14.3 (2017): 31–34. Web.
“Students under Greater Stress.” Therapy Today June 2013 24.5 (2013): n. pag. Web.