Stress happens to be the reaction of your body to any challenged posed to you. In college, feelings of anxiety and stress become a usual part of life due to higher demands than high school. The work turns out to be more challenging and the pressure of performing becomes more intense. It is natural to have increased levels regarding stress in college, as they may actually be better for you and encourage you towards growth and change.
However, it is critical to recognize burdening levels that can go out of your control. If stress exists for a dangerously extended time period, they can pose a risk to your health. College students are the most vulnerable group of people who are affected by stress. For the major issue of college homework, many smart college students are hiring essay writers but there are many other factors that are responsible.
It may not seem like it, but maybe, you do not even realize you have an issue. So, how can you recognize signs of distress? The following section might help you in the correct manner.
Symptoms of stress in college students
When your body experiences stress, it releases hormones which make your brain more alert, increase your pulse and tense your muscles. It is the flight or fight response of your body that is essential to the survival of humans and helps you deal with any perceived threat. Problems occur when your body remains in the same state even after the danger is over. It can cause grave health problems with emotional, behavioral, physical and cognitive indications of the effects of stress on your body due to stress. The following enlisted questions can help in determining if you are in stress:
- Do you have trouble concentrating?
- Have you started worrying more than before?
- Have you missed classes lately?
- Do you feel overwhelmed often?
- Do you have less patience than before?
- Has there been a change in your sleeping or eating habits?
- Do you become angry and feel irritable quite often?
- Have you stated avoiding activities that you actually enjoyed?
- Is it difficult for you to remember the deadlines or complete your assignments timely?
- Do you have headaches, nausea, heartburn or muscle aches frequently?
If you answer yes to all the above questions, it is not necessary you are headed for total burnout, but it might be wise to check in with yourself. If you feel stress is taking a serious toll on you, talk to an expert.
Sources of stress
Anything that changes the natural balance of a body becomes a cause of stress. Evidently, everyone reacts differently to things, so what might be bothering you, may not be a source of trouble for another college student. Here are some common sources of stress in students of college:
- Academic anxiety: The increase in academic requirements in college can prove to be quite stressful for most students. Those who scored well in their high school are also known to struggle as only academic ability does not guarantee victory in college. Many students tend to feel the pressure of achieving certain results for maintaining a scholarship along with parental demands.
- Homesickness: Finding a good college near home is difficult for many students. So, they have to move away from their homes to study in good colleges. Being on your own as a first-time experience like that becomes daunting for many. Adaptation to a new place, roommates, social situations and food causes lots of stress as being responsible is the only option available.
- Finances: Money management is a major challenge for students as well as new adults. During college years, many students wish to or have to contribute to their studies through their savings or income. In the process of making sure they possess the funds for covering their college expenses, they take on a good amount of distress. Balancing between homework, classes and jobs, very less time is left for them to relax and unwind.
- Future plans: Questions about what is to come next after college stays in the mind of students as they gradually reach the end. Worries about paying back huge student loans, not finding any job or obtaining a non-likable job loom largely. It turns into anxiety from choosing the right life or career path.
Tips to reduce stress
The key to doing well in college despite everything is to know how to handle college stress and keep yourself calm. There are many ways to maintain a good and healthy balance at college and manage your levels of stress well. Consider the following tips for doing that:
- Develop skills of time management: It is never a wise decision to race the clock. You should manage your responsibilities and leave time for relaxation and rest too. Try to make a schedule, create a list of things to do priority wise and say no if you start getting stretched thin.
- Exercise regularly: Physical activity is a great way to relieve yourself of stress. It can help in working off the built-up tension and give you a well-being sense. You can do any activity that you might and stick with like bike riding, going for walks, going to the gym, garden puttering or playing sports.
- Healthy diet: Having a crazy college life can lead to eating irregularly and in a hurried manner. But eating junk food often can mess up your body reserves and energy levels. Try to be ahead of your plans and have certain snacks ready for yourself. Focusing on meals that nutritionally balance can help in maintaining overall good health.
- Avoid procrastination: Procrastination is the perfect recipe for unending stress. Be in charge of your schedule, break down your projects into parts and assign yourself a date for staying on track.
- Get proper sleep: Sleep deprivation affects your ability to learning and concentration. Your decision-making skills can also be affected along with you being lethargic and ill. Give yourself proper rest for best performance and less stress.
- Drink wisely: It is important to remain hydrated. Drinks with caffeine and alcohol must stay within limits if you really want to improve your lifestyle. Remember, there is better liquid than water on earth.
College is the next step to educational fulfillment and a way to guide yourself to the best path. However, extra burdens of assignment and essays can make it more monotonous than fulfilling. It can increase your stress levels high. There are services available for students so that they can focus their attention on more important aspects of the college education, while their assignments are taken care of professionally. There is always a way to cut off stress. Choose wisely and make the most out of your college life, rather than stressing it out.
