Introduction

When stress and pressure become too intense or overwhelming – or last too long – it can become a problem for your physical and emotional health, disrupt your daily life and have an impact on academic or work performance.

Here are some signs that the stress and pressure are having an impact on your wellness:

• You can’t sleep, or are sleeping too much
• You have no appetite or are eating too much even when you are not hungry
• You’re experiencing more headaches, muscle aches/tightness, more frequent colds and minor illnesses
• You keep taking deep breaths and feel slightly light headed when you think about everything you need to get done or think about a situation you can’t control
• You are frequently irritable, frustrated, angry, impatient and/or anxious
• You often find you can’t concentrate and therefore you can’t study, pay attention in class or get things done as effectively or as easily as you used to
• You often have the feeling that time is pressuring you
• The feeling of overwhelming stress lasts more than a few days

Again, it is important to remember that stress is a normal part of life, which can be full of problems and pressures. However, when you can’t relieve the stress and pressure you are experiencing and you feel like it’s more than the normal stress and pressure that goes with living life and being a student, there are many things you can do to help yourself and improve your frame of mind.

Next are things that you can do to help manage stress.

Take care of yourself

• Get enough sleep and exercise
• Eat a healthy diet
• Avoid the use of substances

Give yourself a break

Make time to give yourself a break – planned breaks can improve the quality of your work and study time.

• Take scheduled study breaks – for example, for every 2 hours of study, take 20-30 minutes off, or take 10 minutes off every hour if that works better for you
• Schedule time to be with friends – you can’t study or work 24 hours a day; a lunch break or walk with a friend will give your brain and body a break during stressful times
• Schedule time to exercise – physical activity promotes a sense of wellness and diminishes stress

Practice relaxation

Practice relaxation – find what works for you.

• Deep breathing exercises
• Meditation
• Massage
• Yoga
• Reading, writing, music and art are all forms of relaxation
• Play an enjoyable sport – walk, swim or go for a jog

Avoid drugs and alcohol

It might seem that drugs and alcohol help diminish the feeling of stress. But when drugs and alcohol are used as the solution to ongoing feelings of stress and pressure, they can make things worse by creating additional problems, mood disturbances and physical depletion.

Keep things in perspective

• Try to separate what you can control from what you can’t as much as possible. Let go of things you cannot control
• Try to see things as “glass half full” – if you expect things to go wrong, if you see things in a negative light, you are more likely to feel stressed
• Try to focus on your strengths and the positive things around you – don’t lose track of the things that are going well in your life

Talk it out

Talk to someone about your experience with stress

• Talk to family and friends – sometimes support, compassion and understanding are all it takes to help reduce stress and pressure
• See a medical provider to make sure you do not have a medical problem that is causing you to feel stressed
• See a counselor or go to your college counseling center to meet with someone and talk about your difficulties

If you try the above and still find that you are overwhelmed or if you do not currently have access to counseling through your school or community, reach out for help: SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Locator.

See also:

• What Kind of Stress is Good For You
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Stress and Coping