Stress

Stress is a normal part of life, especially during periods of transition and uncertainty. A certain level of stress is healthy and can be motivating. It’s when stress seems to exceed this level that it can become a problem. Contact your school’s health or counseling service, especially if thoughts of suicide are present.

College can be stressful for a variety of reasons:

Greater academic demands
Being on your own in a new environment
Changes in family relations
Financial responsibilities
Changes in your social life
Exposure to new people, ideas, and temptations
Discomfort with your sexual identity
Preparing for life after graduation

Excessive stress can sneak up on you over time, and you may not notice it until you begin to experience its physical or emotional effects. Fortunately, it’s possible to manage and maintain stress at relatively healthy levels by learning how your body reacts when it’s stressed out and monitoring yourself for these signs.

Figure out what stress-reduction techniques work best for you and use them whenever you start to notice the negative effects of too much stress. You can also check out the resources provided by your college for improving stress management skills.

If you think that what you’re experiencing is more than just normal stress levels, contact your school’s health or counseling service.

Fact or Fiction?

Stress is always bad for you.

FICTION: Properly channeled, stress can result in increased productivity and creative solutions to problems. The key is how we identify, manage and
reduce the stress in our lives.

Everyone experiences stress in different ways.

FACT: Each of us responds to stress differently. What is stressful for one person may or may not be stressful for another.

If you have no symptoms, you aren't stressed.

FICTION: An absence of symptoms of stress does not mean there is no stress in your life. Some people are better at hiding stress than others.

Stress is just a part of life and there’s nothing you can do about it.

FICTION: You can plan your life so stress doesn’t overwhelm you. Figure out what stress-reduction techniques work best for you and use them whenever you start to notice the negative effects of too much stress.

Understanding Stress

Excessive stress, if not addressed, can be a trigger for emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Stress causes physiological and hormonal changes in the body.
Adequate sleep, diet, and exercise can help to minimize the negative effects of stress.

What to Watch For

Changes in sleep patterns
Changes in eating patterns
Increased frequency of headaches
Increased levels of frustration and anger
Being more irritable than normal
Recurring colds and minor illnesses
Frequent muscle aches and/or tightness
Being more disorganized than usual
Greater sense of persistent time pressure
Increased difficulty in getting things done