Most college students see stress as a normal part of life, right up there with homework, exams, and ramen. They’re not wrong. Stress is normal—natural even—but too much can be a nightmare. If you feel your stress levels trending in the wrong direction, welcome to the right place at the right time! Sit back as we walk you through all you need to know about stress: what it is, what causes it, what you can do about it.
What is Stress?
You know it as the way you get when you’re under pressure or overwhelmed. But stress is actually your body’s natural response to danger. When your brain detects a threat to your wellbeing, it kicks into survival mode and, with a burst of adrenaline, prepares your body to stay and fight or run away.
Long story short: Stress is what it feels like when your body is trying to protect you from something.
What Causes Stress?
A million years ago, the cold and saber-toothed tigers. Today, anything can cause stress. Just ask college students: homesickness, transitioning to college, increased responsibilities, academic pressures, work pressures, social pressures, financial problems, roommates and living situations, personal insecurities, career insecurities, relationships, family issues, traumatic events, and let’s not forget mental and physical health issues.
Is All Stress Bad?
Not at all. In short doses, stress can save your life, help you conquer fears, and even give you the energy, focus, and motivation to get things done. It’s when stress overstays its welcome that it becomes “bad.” Chronic stress wears you out, impairs brain function and performance, and if severe enough, can seriously damage your health and quality of life.
How do I know when I'm stressed?
Stress affects everyone differently, but these are common warning signs:
- Physical: faster heart rate, rapid and shallow breathing, chest tightness, sweat, muscle tension, neck pain, shakiness, sleep issues, stomach butterflies, panic attacks.
- Mental: foggy thoughts, worry loops, difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss, forgetfulness, inability to reason or problem solve, indecisiveness.
- Behavioral: irritability, short temper, social withdrawal, nail biting, jaw clenching, teeth grinding, procrastination, restlessness, fidgety, hasty decisions, compulsive shopping, gambling, or eating.
- Emotions: anger, moodiness, poor self-esteem, uninterested, unmotivated, insecure, hopeless, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts.
How can I manage my stress?
There are many ways to manage stress, both before and during the storm hits. The key is knowing what works for you. The following strategies have proven to help students dial down stress frequency, duration, and effects. Browse, experiment, find your favorite ones.
Before Stress...
- Get organized. Students who organize schoolwork are less likely to feel stressed. Use a daily planner to keep track of assignments, quizzes, and exams.
- Manage your time. Create a study schedule, where you plan out your week’s activities and commitments. It helps you stay calm and feel in control.
- Eliminate stressors. Avoid taking on too much, learn to say “no," trim down to-do lists, and avoid stressful people and places when possible.
- Practice Self-Care: exercise, sleep better, eat better, stay hydrated, engage in relaxing activities, make time for friends and family. Take care of your mind and body, and they’ll take care of you.
- Get Social Support. Surround yourself with trusted people you can confide in, vent to, and who will check in on you.
- Unplug. TV’s and phones can feed us stressful information. Occasionally unplug. Skip news, avoid social media, have a tech-free lunch break.
- Help others cope. Helping others through stress sharpens your own coping abilities.
- Plan. Use this Stress Game Plan Template to plan out ways you can eliminate and reduce stress. Be creative but realistic. Make something that works for you and no one else
During Stress...
- Identify the cause. What triggered your stress response? What about the situation made you feel threatened? Is it a real or made-up?
- Think. Should [insert cause] be making me feel this way? Is it helpful?
- Keep perspective. What’s the worst thing that can happen? How important is this issue in the grand scheme of things?
- Reframe the issue. Look at the situation as an opportunity for growth.
- Refocus. Get clear on what you can and can’t control in the situation. Instead of obsessing over the things you can’t control, like someone else’s behavior, focus your energy on the things you can, like how you react.
- Practice positive self-talk. If your body believes you’re in danger, tell it that you’re not: I’m OK. I’ll get through this.
- Reduce uncertainty. Seek information or clarification to reduce any uncertainty that is stressing you out.
- Exercise. Aerobic exercise replaces stress hormones with relaxing ones (endorphins)
- Engage in relaxing activities. Take breaks, sit outside in the breeze, go for walks, meet a friend for lunch, dust off your instrument..
- Control breathing. Breathe in through your nose, hold it at the top, slowly breathe out through your mouth while repeating to yourself R-E-L-A-X. You breathe faster when your body thinks you’re in danger. Slowing down your breathing tells it you’re not.
- Write it out. Don’t avoid uncomfortable thoughts and feelings; write them out. No filter.
- Get Support. Talk to a friend, family member, Student Success Coach, or free UTSA Counselor at (210) 458-4140.