Stress:The Enemy

The list of student worries is never a short one: Tests, papers, illness, work, relationships among other things lead students to experience a high level of stress.
Personally, I have had to struggle with the difficult task of balancing homework from 7 classes, work and trying to maintain some semblance of a relationship with my boyfriend all semester. At this point it’s a struggle just to remember to set my alarm in order to make sure I climb out of bed and make it to class at the right time.
According to Questia Trusted Online Research, “if stress is not dealt with effectively, feelings of loneliness and nervousness, as well as sleeplessness and excessive worrying may result.” Obviously students don’t need to experience these additional things on top of the stress they have to begin with.
To avoid these unpleasant side effects students can engage in a number of stress relieving activities.
After asking several of my friends who happen to also be Sacramento State students what they do to relieve stress, there seems to be 5 things that most students think of when they think stress relievers.
The most common response that students gave as a way to relief stress is through exercise. Even if a person can only get away for a 30 minute walk, the benefits can still be great. Exercise has been shown to “stimulate[s] various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out,” according to MayoClinic. Not only does exercise make people feel happier, it contributes to a healthy lifestyle, which is one less thing that can contribute to stress.
The second most common answer was to manage time and money effectively. It is important for students to invest in a datebook or some other way to keep track of weekly assignments and work schedule. One student, Nikki Pottier, suggested a great way to keep track of expenses. She writes down what her income is every month and then writes down her expenses, with some simple subtraction she is able to see what money she has for shopping and going out with friends.
Another thing students cited as a way to relieve stress is by listening to music. Although several students wear headphones on the few minutes to their next class, listening to music for longer periods of time can be more relaxing. One of my friends said she listened to loud music instead of the usual classical music because the upbeat tempo actually helps her escape the stress of school.
As the semester starts picking up pace there are the mixed feelings of wanting it to speed up so I can officially say that I am a college graduate, but at the same time having so much to do that I wished there was more time. One thing I know for sure is that I will be trying these tactics out in the last weeks of the semester so that I don’t become totally overwhelmed.