Managing Stress While Attending College

College may be an exciting time in a young person’s life because it allows them to explore their freedom while still preparing for a promising future. It can, however, be a time of transition, growth, and change, which can cause stress among college students. While a small amount of stress might motivate students to improve their competences and skills, too much stress can be harmful to one’s health.

It might be difficult to balance homework, grades, extracurricular activities, sports, jobs, relationships, and a social life. Fortunately, there are a variety of techniques for college students to cope with stress and improve their academic performance. Continue reading to learn more about college stress and how students might cope.

Different Kinds Of Stress

Stress is a natural reaction to threatening or uncomfortable events. The adrenal gland releases cortisol and epinephrine when a person detects a threat or a big difficulty. Too much cortisol, on the other hand, might have a negative impact on one’s health.

There are three primary types of stress:

1. Acute stress: An impending deadline or large test can cause this type of short-term worry. It may feel intense at first, but it will pass.

2. Episodic stress: Taking on too much duty or being overworked might cause this form of stress on a regular basis.

3. Chronic stress: Chronic stress is described as a state of being stressed over an extended period of time. It’s the most dangerous sort of stress for a person’s health.

Signs of Stress

Unmanaged stress can cause headaches, impatience, a racing heart, a compromised immune system, difficulty sleeping, and changes in appetite. This can have an impact on a student’s academic achievement and interpersonal connections. College stress can also lead to other health issues like anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and sleep disorders.

How to Battle Stress at College

College students must learn to manage their stress so that they can achieve academically and have healthy, balanced lives. The following are some methods for students to cope with the stresses of college:

• Exercising can help you relax, improve your mood, and reduce your stress levels. Parking further away from buildings, taking the stairs, walking to destinations, and other simple ways to be more active around campus.

• Hobbies such as sports, journaling, painting, cooking, and drawing might assist students escape the stresses of college life.

• Be more mindful. Being totally present in the moment is what mindfulness entails. Mindfulness or meditation can assist to quiet the mind, enhance focus, and reduce the stress reaction in the body.

• When stress becomes too much to bear, it’s critical to get help from mental health professionals. College students can find healthy strategies to cope with stress by speaking with a mental health expert.

While college can be stressful at times, it is also one of the most gratifying experiences a young adult can have. Students can better prepare for problems beyond college by understanding stress and how to manage it in healthy ways. Please see the resource below for more details.