Introduction
Stress is part of adult life. When students transition from high school to college, they also transition from childhood to adulthood. This means that a lot of responsibilities come with adult life. Everyone feels stress, but how they handle it defines how much they allow Stress to take control. People try to avoid stress at all costs, but it finds that it is not that easy. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with stress or anxiety (Kassymova et al., 2018, p. 51). Students must learn how to deal with stress and anxiety, even if some circumstances drive them over the limit. This paper focuses on the effective ways of coping with stress and anxiety for university students.
Causes of Stress among university students
There is a misconception that college students are not under great pressure. You’ll be done if you just show up to class and pass the tests. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. Students’ lives can be impacted by stress, which is common among college students. According to the American Psychological Association, 45% of college students seek counseling for stress (Valera-Alberni et al., 2018, p.253). Anxiety and depression are common side effects, and the ones listed above. The following are the major causes of stress in university students:
Financial status
Every student worries about money. To pay for classes, repay student loan debt, and maintain a low standard of life, they are concerned about how they will make ends meet on a tight budget. Stress over money is felt even by students whose parents are footing the entire bill for education. When it comes to paying for college, most students don’t want to be a financial burden on their families. This might lead to a student feeling terrible about spending their parents’ money, so they seek additional financial help.
Academic Stress
It is easy for students to become overwhelmed by the requirements of just one lesson. Most professors expect their students to do their readings and homework and study for tests. Other requirements include writing research papers and journals and participating in extracurricular activities outside of the school day. To get an idea of how difficult it may be for college students, increase these activities by four, five, or six more classes. The lecturer isn’t the only source of academic stress, however. Some of this is due to kids’ inability to manage their time well, while others are attributable to the students’ parents or guardians.
Family stress
Parents trying to help their children sometimes put their children under unneeded Stress. Putting unrealistic expectations on them may be seen as good by those close to them. However, this can lead to an increased level of stress as well. It’s impossible to have a perfect family. An overabundance of tension can result from the many flaws in your family. Divorce, financial difficulties, and a lack of communication among family members can all cause Stress for students (Yu et al., 2018, p.23). Many college students strive to satisfy their parents, even though their parents reassure them that they are delighted with them no matter what they achieve. It is an inherent need to demonstrate to parents that they are not squandering their money and to make them proud of their children.
Managing Stress and Feeling Anxiety Among University Students
Mindfulness
A lot of research has been done on mindfulness in the past few decades. According to recent studies, it provides numerous health benefits for both the body and the mind—some of the most significant health advantages inkling improving mood and reducing Stress. Mental well-being may improve as a result of mindfulness training. Mindfulness training and antidepressant medicines both worked equally well; according to one study, practicing mindfulness can reduce stress and its negative effects. Blood pressure is lowered, your immune system is strengthened, and many other health benefits are achieved. Therefore, mindfulness is an effective way of managing stress among university students.
Physical activities
Maintaining a healthy mental state is facilitated by regular physical activity (Mattioli et al., 2021, p. 357). For example, research shows it is highly effective at reducing fatigue, increasing alertness, and improving overall cognitive performance. When one’s energy or capacity to focus has been sapped by Stress, this can be very beneficial. When the brain’s many nerve connections are affected by Stress, the rest of the body is also affected. Alternatively, your mind will improve if your body does. Endorphins, brain chemicals that work as natural painkillers, are released in the body due to physical activity, and better sleep, as a result of this, lowers stress levels. Researchers say that regular aerobic exercise can reduce stress, improve and stabilize mood, increase sleep quality, and promote self-esteem. After just five minutes of cardiovascular activity, anti-anxiety benefits can start.
Get Help
It is healthy for students to seek help from friends, neighbors, and peers. This will improve their ability to cope with stress and improve their quality of life. According to a study, college students with more emotional support from their significant others perform better academically (Baik et al., 2019, p.278). It’s a good idea for students to share their successes and failures to ease the transition into college life.
Create a schedule
Students should plan their time wisely to have enough time to study and complete their assignments. Students may need more time than you anticipate; it’s best to estimate their study time generously to avoid having to work all night and incurring the consequences the following several days.
Conclusion
The best thing for the student is to find what causes their Stress and then find an effective way to manage it. Students can better manage Stress with a well-rounded way of living and various coping mechanisms. Stress-inducing situations can’t always be fixed, but shifting your perspective on them might be helpful (Reddy et al., 2018, p. 535). Stress can cause significant sickness if it is not addressed. If you’re having trouble coping, you should seek professional assistance. Stress can be reduced by releasing emotional burdens. Student stress and despair can be alleviated by taking this step. Providing students with a confidential hotline can assist them in taking their own lives.
References
Baik, C., Larcombe, W. and Brooker, A., 2019. How universities can enhance student mental well-being: The student perspective. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(4), pp.674-687.
Kassymova, K., Kosherbayeva, N., Sangilbayev, S. and Schachl, H., 2018, September. Stress management techniques for students. In International Conference on the Theory and Practice of Personality Formation in Modern Society (ICTPPFMS 2018) (pp. 47-56). Atlantis Press.
Mattioli, A.V., Sciomer, S., Maffei, S. and Gallina, S., 2021. Lifestyle and stress management in women during COVID-19 pandemic: impact on cardiovascular risk burden. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 15(3), pp.356-359.
Reddy, K.J., Menon, K.R. and Thattil, A., 2018. Academic Stress and its sources among university students. Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal, 11(1), pp.531-537.
Valera-Alberni, M. and Canto, C., 2018. Mitochondrial stress management: a dynamic journey. Cell stress, 2(10), p.253.
Yu, B., Funk, M., Hu, J., Wang, Q. and Feijs, L., 2018. Biofeedback for everyday stress management: A systematic review. Frontiers in ICT, 5, p.23.
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