"Wish we could turn back time to the good old days, when our momma sang us to sleep and but now we're stressed out." When the song "Stressed Out" by Twenty One Pilots came out I know a lot of college students could really relate to those lyrics. College is stressful, that's a given, but you can't give up. Everyone should survive, let no man get left behind. Here are some tips on how to deal with stress during college.
The I-R-M approach is a popular way to manage stress. It stands for identifying, recognizing and managing your stress.
Identifying Your Stress
Types of Stress
Personality Stressors - things that are specific to you, for example, the mind traps that we set for ourselves.
Private Life Stressors - when bad things happen in your home life or in your relationships with friends or a significant other.
Psychosocial Stressors - stress from your interactions with others.
Academic Stressors - college...work...need I say more.
Organizational Stressors - time management and procrastination.
Environmental Stressors - health concerns, classroom and study location concerns.
Recognizing Your Signs
Everyone is different but it is your responsibility to recognize your stress signals, to know when you are stressed out. Personally I get major headaches and I find that I can not concentrate on anything when I am stressed. I start not taking care of my body as well, which makes me more stressed.
Managing Your Stress
Ways to Get Over Stress:
Cognitive Restructuring
When you get stressed you have to change your outlook. Change the way you look at life to help the stressor not be as effective at stressing you out.
Psychosocial Adjustments
If your interactions with others are stressing you out then change how you interact with those people. Maybe you have to spend less time with someone or change up what you do when you spend time with them.
Lifestyle Adjustments
When you get stressed out you can start not eating regularly and not getting any exercise but things like that are important because not doing them will cause your body more stress. Change your daily activities to make sure that you are treating your body and mind right.
Situational Adjustments
If certain situations stress you out then try to change how you react to them. When the workload gets to be too much to handle, work on your time management skills and do not procrastinate so that you have time to get your work done.
Relaxation Experiences
When you're stressed out one of the quickest resolutions is to relax. Take a nap, read a book, watch a movie, do what feels right to you to take a break from what is stressing you out. This is the quickest way but it is not a permanent solution to managing your stress.
Even though college is a very stressful environment for most people, if you can identify the type of stress you are undergoing, be able to recognize your stressors and have a PPOA (personal plan of action) of how to deal with your stress, then you will be able to survive college.
