More than Five Ways to Reduce Stress for College students!

Feeling stressed in college? You’re not alone. 8 out of 10 college students report feeling high levels of stress. In this article, we will share some useful ways to reduce stress for students. We’ll also touch on the common reasons for stress in college students and how stress affects a person’s body, mind, and emotions.

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What is Stress?

Stress is a natural bodily response that occurs and has psychological and physiological consequences. Although human beings are designed to experience and react to stress, every person has a different threshold that they can healthily tolerate before it gets to be too much.

When stressed, the nervous system activates its flight or fight response through the release of hormones. The hormone surges eventually return to their standard baseline once the situation at hand has been evaluated.

However, in college, students may experience ongoing triggers of stress from various sources. As a result, the typical signs of stress may include:

• Trouble sleeping
• Chest pain
• Body aches
• Jaw clenching
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• High blood pressure
• Weakened immune system

Common Stressors for College Students

You may be wondering why so many college students feel stressed? It makes sense when you consider what’s at stake, a person’s future, hopes, and dreams.

Beyond having to manage their workload and pressure to do well academically, students may also be facing other external factors that impact their hormonal responses. For example, a common stressor for college students is finances because of the rising cost of college. If you fall into this category, take a moment to consider attending an online university like the University of the People, which is tuition-free. Or, check out these other ways to help reduce the financial burden of college.

Additionally, students may be facing family turmoil, roommate drama, or any other issues that appear in life.

Stress Management for College Students

Regardless of the cause of stress for college students, you’ve come here for solutions.

So, that’s what we are now going to share with you!

Take a look at some of these stress management tips for college students:

Get enough sleep

It seems like a trick solution, especially when your stress is part of the reason you can’t seem to get enough sleep. But, getting adequate sleep can work to reduce stress responses in your body. So, how can you achieve this? For starters, create a bedtime routine. To illustrate, this might mean turning off electronics an hour before you want to fall asleep. You can try a meditation practice or reading before bed to take your mind off of your thoughts and reduce your interaction with blue light waves, which can negatively affect your sleeping abilities. Another helpful practice could be to take a warm bath and/or drink herbal tea (i.e. chamomile) before bed, which both have calming effects.

Eat healthy

You may have heard that the mind is connected to the gut. This connection makes it easier to understand how food can affect your stress levels. There are even some foods that can work to improve your mental wellbeing. For example, bananas have a certain protein that is converted into serotonin, a mood-boosting hormone within the body. If you’re constantly experiencing a poor mood, it could be due to a mineral deficiency like selenium. But, don’t worry – eggs have this mineral and more, like healthy omega-d fats and calcium.

Exercise regularly

Exercise can prompt the brain to produce endorphins, which are happy chemicals that help your body offset the hormones produced from stress like cortisol. At the same time, exercise makes your entire body healthy, from your heart to your digestive system, which can also offset the undesirable physical consequences that stem from excess stress.

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Be organized

It may seem unrelated, but your ability to be organized can impact your stress levels. Think about it: If you are unaware that you have a big test coming up and you realize it at the last minute, you will be in a state of stress to cram and learn everything you need to in a short amount of time. Or, if you are disorganized and have to waste time looking for course materials, then it can also become stress-inducing.

Practice time management

Just like being organized is important, it also goes hand-in-hand with time management. Time management makes it possible to optimize your time and use it wisely. By being able to get more done in the same amount of time, you will be able to reduce feelings of stress.

Build a support system

Taking steps to reduce your stress levels doesn’t have to be a solo journey. In fact, asking for help can make a world of difference. Look to the support system around you to help alleviate stress. For example, if you are overwhelmed by familial responsibilities, see if another family can lend a helping hand. If you are worried about your future in terms of academics or a professional goal, consider finding a mentor.

Write your thoughts

The act of simply writing down how you feel can contribute to feeling better. By journaling, you may uncover the cause of your problems or even the solutions. Taking time to reflect also can allow you to notice patterns and better understand what situations affect your emotions the most. This way, you can develop the mental fitness to better manage your emotions and triggers, and in turn, your stress responses.