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College life is full of new experiences and anxieties. It can be the best of times and the worst of times. Meeting new people, learning, and being on your own are the best. Falling behind in class, pulling "all-nighters and final exams can be the worst.

 Sometimes the best of times lead to the worst of times. Students who spend too much time meeting new people and "socializing" find themselves skipping class, falling behind in assignments, and "bombing" exams.

Stress is a common and natural condition of our mortal existence. It arises through our daily efforts to achieve goals, relate with others, and adjust to the demands of living in an ever-changing world.

We often view stress as a negative element in our lives and seek to reduce or eliminate it. We forget that there can be a great deal of growth from learning how to deal with stressful situations. Our aim shouldn't be to completely avoid stress, which at any rate would be impossible, but to learn how to recognize our typical response to stress and then try to adjust our lives in accordance with it.

College is a particularly stressful time for most of us with the pressures of examinations, large amounts of reading, research papers, competition for grades, financial expenses, and social and career decisions. Students can effectively deal with stress rather than become discouraged and immobilized by it.

Each of us functions best at a particular stress level. When stress increases beyond that level, the effectiveness of our performance begins to drop. When we pass our peak of effectiveness we usually experience symptoms like forgetfulness, dulled senses, poor concentration, headaches, digestive upsets, restlessness, irritability and anxiety. The occurrence of these symptoms can alert us to take steps to reduce our stress so our effectiveness can remain at a high level.

 Some people have a "race horse" life-style and seem to thrive on intense activity while others prefer a "turtle" life-style and function best when their activity level is not intense. Trying to adopt a "turtle" life-style when we really prefer a "race horse" life-style, or vice-a-versa, can be stressful.

We need to trust ourselves as the authority on what is best for us. We should avoid comparing ourselves with others who seem to function with a higher degree of stress in their lives than we do. For example, we should register for the number of credit hours we think we can effectively handle even though our friends may register for more hours. Also, we should get the number of hours of sleep we need even though our roommates may function on fewer hours.

Here are several ideas that will help in your college stress reduction program.

First, and foremost, is getting enough rest. The basic health guideline for sleep is 7-8 hours per night. Unfortunately, the average college student sleeps significantly less than that. Some student health surveys indicate that most college students sleep less than 6 hours and many less than 4 hours per night. And, you know you can’t "pay it back." If you average 4-6 hours during the week, you can’t sleep 12 on Saturday and pay it back. In fact, sleeping more than 8 hours can make you feel more tired.

Another stress management health tip is to eat regularly. Many college students skip breakfast, or maybe go all day without eating. When your body is deprived of regular energy, it makes up for it by lowering your metabolism, or energy level. In other words, skipping meals does not help you lose weight or stay awake. In fact, it has the reverse affect.

The "quality" of food is also important. Snack foods (chips, candy, fast foods, etc.) aren’t necessarily the most healthy. High salt foods can cause excess water retention and eventually lead to high blood pressure. High sugar foods can cause low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia; which is associated with dizziness, tiredness, and fatigue. Well-balanced meals (like mom makes) and nutritious snacks, such as fruit, popcorn, and bagels are recommended.

Regular exercise is a necessary part of your stress ease program. Sports, games, and daily physical activity are essential in helping you stay focused and sharp. Daily exercise breaks during finals week are a must, even if you’re just taking a walk around campus to get away from the study area for a few minutes.

Avoid or moderate all substance use. Alcohol and caffeine are the most widely used and abused substances by college students. Alcohol use certainly does not contribute to your ability to study and retain information.

If you are going to drink alcohol (and you are of legal age), do so with a certain degree of intelligence. Drink only moderate amounts. Make sure you have a non-drinking designated driver. And, curtail your alcohol use a few days prior to major exams or projects. There’s no better recipe for failure than a hangover and a chemistry final to turn you into a college drop out.

Caffeine is widely used, especially around exam time. A pot of coffee and an "all-nighter" is still a fact of life at most colleges. But excess amounts of caffeine can lead to nervousness and forgetfulness. These are not traits that you would normally like to possess during an exam.

Remember to take time for yourself. Play a video game, watch a movie, talk with friends. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and totally stressed out, sometimes all you need is time away to relax and re-group.

“Attitude is everything.” What does that mean? The way you think about things can make all the difference in how you react to events. Have you ever noticed how the exact same situation can stress one person out, while it might not affect another person at all? This difference can usually be explained by the way that each individual thinks about the situation. Changing the way you think (a.k.a. cognitive restructuring) can help you manage stressors in your life. Here's how.

Each time something happens in our lives, the information about that event enters our minds. We then interpret it; we form beliefs about what the event means, why it happened or how it is going to affect us. While we can't always control the events that happen, we can control what we think about the event, which in turn shape our feelings about them.

Self-talk is an ongoing internal dialogue we each have. Oftentimes this conversation is overly critical, irrational and destructive. To reduce stress, instead of being your own worst critic, treat yourself with a gentle touch. Talk to yourself like you would a child who you care about very much.

Think about a stressful situation you experienced recently. Come up with both negative/irrational and productive/rational self-talk for the situation.

Example 1:

Situation: I have a huge paper due in two days.
Irrational self-talk: I'll never get it done. Why did I take that stupid class in the first place?
Rational self-talk: I've worked well under pressure in the past. I know I can do it again!

Example 2:

Situation: I came home to discover my roommate left the kitchen a mess.
Irrational self-talk: She is so disrespectful of me. Can't she think about anyone but herself?
Rational self-talk: I know my roommate has a lot going on. She would have cleaned up if she had time.

Remember that you decide which self-talk you choose to listen to. Try to monitor your self-talk and replace negative messages with constructive, rational ones.
 

There are also a number of relaxation techniques that can help you manage stress and also improve your concentration, productivity and overall well being.

TO GET STARTED

• Find a quiet, relaxing place, where you will be alone for 10-20 minutes to do these exercises. The techniques work best if there are no distractions.
  
  
• Practice once or twice a day.
  
  
• Stick with the technique that works best for you. Not every technique will work for every person.
  
  
• Keep trying. Don't worry if you don't notice a major change immediately. You may need to practice for a few weeks before you begin to feel the benefits.
  
  
• Try one or more of the techniques described below.
  

PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION

This technique can help you relax the major muscle groups in your body. And, it's easy to do.

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Sit in a favorite chair or lie down
  
  
• Begin with your facial muscles. Frown hard for 5-10 seconds and then relax all your muscles.
  
  
• Work other facial muscles by scrunching your face up or knitting your eyebrows for 5-10 seconds. Release. You should feel a noticeable difference between the tense and relaxed muscles.
  
  
• Move on to your jaw. Then, move on to other muscle groups – shoulders, arms, chest, legs, etc. – until you've tensed and relaxed individual muscle groups throughout your whole body.

MEDITATION

This is the process of focusing on a single word or object to clear your mind. As a result, you feel calm and refreshed.

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Sit or lie in a relaxing position.
  
  
• Close your eyes and concentrate on a calming thought, word or object.
  
  
• You may find that other thoughts pop into your mind. Don't worry, this is normal. Try not to dwell on them. Just keep focusing on your image or sound.
  
  
• If you're having trouble, try repeating a word or sound over and over. (Some people find it helpful to play soothing music while meditating.
  
  
• Gradually, you'll begin to feel more and more relaxed.

VISUALIZATION

This technique uses your imagination, a great resource when it comes to reducing stress.

• Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
  
  
• Imagine a pleasant, peaceful scene, such as a lush forest or a sandy beach. Picture yourself in this setting.
  
  
• Focus on the scene for a set amount of time (any amount of time you are comfortable with), then gradually return to the present.
  

DEEP BREATHING

One of the easiest ways to relieve tension is deep breathing.

• Lie on your back with a pillow under your head. Bend your knees (or put a pillow under them) to relax your stomach.
  
  
• Put one hand on your stomach, just below your rib cage.
  
  
• Slowly breathe in through your nose. Your stomach should feel like it's rising.
  
  
• Exhale slowly through your mouth, emptying your lungs completely and letting your stomach fall.
  
  
• Repeat several times until you feel calm and relaxed. Practice daily.
  
  
• Once you are able to do this easily, you can practice this technique almost anywhere, at any time.
  
  

A major source of stress is people's efforts to control events or other people over whom they have little or no power. When confronted with a stressful situation, ask yourself: is this my problem? If it isn't, leave it alone. If it is, can you resolve it now? Once the problem is settled, leave it alone. Don't agonize over the decision, and try to accept situations you cannot change.

There are many circumstances in life beyond your control, starting with the weather and including in particular the behavior of others. Consider the fact that we live in an imperfect world. Know your limits. If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be changed at the moment, don't fight the situation. Learn to accept what is, for now, until such time when you can change things.

The mantra to keep in mind is three little words – Let It Go. If you can change something, then change it. If you can’t, Let It Go. Once you put this into practice, you’ll be surprised at how much stress is lifted from your shoulders. When we dwell on situations we cannot change, that’s when stress is emphasized. So if you can’t do anything about it, Let It Go!

Be mindful that excessive stress can lead to depression. Warning signs include:

• Sadness, anxiety, or "empty" feelings
  
  
• Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
  
  
• Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
  
  
• Sleep disturbances (insomnia, oversleeping, or waking much earlier than usual)
  
  
• Appetite and weight changes (either loss or gain)
  
  
• Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and worthlessness
  
  
• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
  
  
• Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering
  
  
• Irritability or excessive crying
  
  
• Chronic aches and pains not explained by another physical condition

If you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms listed above for a prolonged period of time – seek help!  Most campuses have resources available such as counseling to help stressed-out and depressed college students cope. Don’t let yourself believe that “it’s just the blues”. Sometimes feeling down can spiral out of control. There are many medications and solutions available to treat depression and make the sun shine again!

It is easy to fall into a "rut" of seeing only the negative when you are stressed. Some people have spent years "turning gold into garbage - the Midas touch in reverse."

When someone says "That's a nice outfit" the "garbage collector" questions whether that person "really means it.”  Your thoughts can become like a pair of very dark glasses, allowing little light or joy into your life. What would happen if each day for the next three days, you committed yourself to actively collecting (noticing) five "pieces of gold" from your environment?

Pieces of gold are positive or enjoyable moments or interactions. These may seem like small events but as these "pieces of gold" accumulate they can often provide a big lift to energy and spirits and help you begin to see things in a new, more balanced way – on the road to a less stressful life!

Each day find twenty minutes of 'alone time' to relax. Take a walk, write in a journal or meditate. Don't sweat the small stuff...always ask yourself if the issue at hand is worth getting upset about. If it isn't affecting your goal achievement, it may not be worth fretting over.

Humor and positive thinking are important tools in stress management. Most importantly, communicate! Talking to a person who you trust be they a friend, roommate, family member, professor, significant other or co-worker about issues of concern is helpful. We all need someone to listen

A huge part of taking control of your stress is to tackle it before it happens. Good study habits are important for effective time management. You may have been studying your whole academic life, but in college, things are different. Effective studying leads to an overall positive experience in your classes.

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