We have all had this feeling before. Our muscles go tense from it, our bodies feel drained, and our minds go crazy. Yes, the feeling is stress. According to Merriam-Webster.com stress is defined as, "A constraining force or influence as a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation (2011)." As a college student I'm faced with all kinds of different stress. As well, most of you probably witness a little stress in your life too. Having to cope with stress as a student is not uncommon. A recent MSN article reports that the Associated Press conducted research on college student stress at many colleges throughout the United States.
Once at university, new pressures develop as students have to learn to manage independently with finance, new environments, a different approach to learning and the loss of their childhood comfort zones.Along with many other problems, it has been said that the major source of stress for university students are debt and having too little money. Around half of the UK's students work part-time to help pay their way through university. Most institutions advise not to work whilst studying and that if it really is necessary, to only work a maximum of 16 hours per week.
The first main stressor is financial problems. Bills can become overwhelming. Especially when they just keep piling up. Most of us have student loans, credit card bills, rent, gas, electric, phone bills, and the list can go on. Also, with gas prices continuing to go up, cost for school going up, groceries going up, and pay rate going down, not to mention jobs all together are hard to find, stress can easily build up when financial burdens get the best of us, and coping with stress becomes hard when we don't have a good strategy to keep the stress in check.
For example, a student who has being suffering financially may take on a part time job in a bar to help pay the rent. This brings a new realm into the student's life; they are meeting new people with different focuses and pastimes. Some of these will be beneficial to the student but there is also the chance that these new people will cause more of a distraction from the students main focus; the degree. Not only this, the job will take over time in the student's life that should be used for socializing, resting or studying.
People often become stressed due to excessive demands of life. Learning time management skills, as well as learning how to say 'no', can really benefit these people.Take a long look at yourself and ask if you are excessively stressed. If you are then take action now. Whilst you are living in this state you are wasting your time here on earth. We are meant to be happy and healthy. You cannot get this time back, so you must act now. Look at areas in life where you can make small, but important changes. It might be reducing overtime at work, taking adequate breaks throughout the day, avoiding certain people or situations, or even getting a new hobby. See the importance in your own stress management, and take action. Your long term happiness and health depend on it.
The workplace is arguably the primary source of stress for most working people. From beating deadlines to dealing with co-workers, stress is part of the normal daily routines on the job. The intensity of stress varies depending on the type of work. Some jobs are innately more stressful than others, especially those that involve danger to life such as combat-related duties.
Young people dealing with the stresses of student life can also be prone to developing eating disorders as a form of coping. Anorexia, Bulimia and over-eating are all ways to exert control of life when everything else seems to be chaotic and out of hand. Again, this will only cause the student further difficulties. It is very hard to overcome eating disorders and the disease has a knock on affect on all areas of the person's life. Eating three meals a day and having a healthy diet is very important for a healthy mind and healthy body.A recent survey of student mental health showed a drastic increase in the amount of students suffering with emotional problems, anxiety and depression. More and more students are seeking counseling for their problems and 10% of those students are suicidal. It seems to be a very dark statistic but it is important to highlight the seriousness of the issue. For many people, student years are the times of their lives, but for those who find it difficult to cope, it can be very very hard.
Many of the debilitating and chronic diseases that plague humans today can be directly attributed to recurring stress reactions. Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are just some of the serious illnesses that could be prevented with the help of stress management.
It is important to make the most of the help that is available to students. There is extra funding available from charities and organizations that many students aren't aware of. For students who struggle with finance and have emotional difficulty there is a lot of help at hand. Student welfare officers, student counseling services and the students union are there to support all sorts of issues.
Stresses and problems aside, university life is over all very rewarding and very worthwhile. Skills learned and friends made at university shape lives and build careers. There are plenty of good times to be had despite the pressures.More advice on student lifestyle can be found on the Student Book website.Student Book is a website for prospective and current students. It offers a university comparison tool and a wealth of information on the ins and outs of applying to university. The site is also a guide to student life with advice on finance, welfare, study skills, accommodation and a lot more. These are helpful, relevant and entertaining articles aimed at students and future students.
[How To Coping With Stress]
Once at university, new pressures develop as students have to learn to manage independently with finance, new environments, a different approach to learning and the loss of their childhood comfort zones.Along with many other problems, it has been said that the major source of stress for university students are debt and having too little money. Around half of the UK's students work part-time to help pay their way through university. Most institutions advise not to work whilst studying and that if it really is necessary, to only work a maximum of 16 hours per week.
The first main stressor is financial problems. Bills can become overwhelming. Especially when they just keep piling up. Most of us have student loans, credit card bills, rent, gas, electric, phone bills, and the list can go on. Also, with gas prices continuing to go up, cost for school going up, groceries going up, and pay rate going down, not to mention jobs all together are hard to find, stress can easily build up when financial burdens get the best of us, and coping with stress becomes hard when we don't have a good strategy to keep the stress in check.
For example, a student who has being suffering financially may take on a part time job in a bar to help pay the rent. This brings a new realm into the student's life; they are meeting new people with different focuses and pastimes. Some of these will be beneficial to the student but there is also the chance that these new people will cause more of a distraction from the students main focus; the degree. Not only this, the job will take over time in the student's life that should be used for socializing, resting or studying.
People often become stressed due to excessive demands of life. Learning time management skills, as well as learning how to say 'no', can really benefit these people.Take a long look at yourself and ask if you are excessively stressed. If you are then take action now. Whilst you are living in this state you are wasting your time here on earth. We are meant to be happy and healthy. You cannot get this time back, so you must act now. Look at areas in life where you can make small, but important changes. It might be reducing overtime at work, taking adequate breaks throughout the day, avoiding certain people or situations, or even getting a new hobby. See the importance in your own stress management, and take action. Your long term happiness and health depend on it.
The workplace is arguably the primary source of stress for most working people. From beating deadlines to dealing with co-workers, stress is part of the normal daily routines on the job. The intensity of stress varies depending on the type of work. Some jobs are innately more stressful than others, especially those that involve danger to life such as combat-related duties.
Young people dealing with the stresses of student life can also be prone to developing eating disorders as a form of coping. Anorexia, Bulimia and over-eating are all ways to exert control of life when everything else seems to be chaotic and out of hand. Again, this will only cause the student further difficulties. It is very hard to overcome eating disorders and the disease has a knock on affect on all areas of the person's life. Eating three meals a day and having a healthy diet is very important for a healthy mind and healthy body.A recent survey of student mental health showed a drastic increase in the amount of students suffering with emotional problems, anxiety and depression. More and more students are seeking counseling for their problems and 10% of those students are suicidal. It seems to be a very dark statistic but it is important to highlight the seriousness of the issue. For many people, student years are the times of their lives, but for those who find it difficult to cope, it can be very very hard.
Many of the debilitating and chronic diseases that plague humans today can be directly attributed to recurring stress reactions. Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are just some of the serious illnesses that could be prevented with the help of stress management.
It is important to make the most of the help that is available to students. There is extra funding available from charities and organizations that many students aren't aware of. For students who struggle with finance and have emotional difficulty there is a lot of help at hand. Student welfare officers, student counseling services and the students union are there to support all sorts of issues.
Stresses and problems aside, university life is over all very rewarding and very worthwhile. Skills learned and friends made at university shape lives and build careers. There are plenty of good times to be had despite the pressures.More advice on student lifestyle can be found on the Student Book website.Student Book is a website for prospective and current students. It offers a university comparison tool and a wealth of information on the ins and outs of applying to university. The site is also a guide to student life with advice on finance, welfare, study skills, accommodation and a lot more. These are helpful, relevant and entertaining articles aimed at students and future students.
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