A Different Kind of Student Stress

How to Protect Emotional Wellbeing in an Uncertain World

As a professional stress management coach, I work with students on challenges relating to establishing a new routine, meeting multiple deadlines, and managing time. These challenges are evergreen, but as the mental health crisis on our college campuses grows, with more students diagnosed all the time with anxiety and depression, I am seeing a different level of student stress.

“The number of things that our students are struggling with are a reflection of the campus cultures they come from and the social realities that we all deal with,” observes Gary Glass, Director of Counseling and Career Services at Oxford College at Emory University, in the podcast Beyond The Campus Counseling Center.

Countless outside factors can impact student well-being: Lingering effects of the pandemic, contentious national politics, fears about global warming and gun violence, the daily wear and tear of dealing with racism and other forms of discrimination and bias — and that’s just a partial list!

Whether or not they have a mental health diagnosis, increasing numbers of college kids report feeling scared, sad, unsafe, lonely, or helpless. Shockingly, a study of 12,000+ currently enrolled students found that 69% of those surveyed had considered leaving school because of emotional stress.

The good news: There are many things you can do as a college student to protect your emotional well-being during this time of collective stress.

What Is Stress?

The human stress response, an amazing mechanism for safety and survival, is activated when our brain perceives a threat. The confusing part: Our brains can’t decipher levels of threats. Feeling overwhelmed in college is registered in the brain the same as jumping out of the way of an oncoming car.

Some amounts of stress are necessary to study productively, maintain motivation and accomplish tasks, but the negative effects of stress can disrupt daily living and thriving. By understanding more about the science of stress and what is an actual versus a perceived threat, students can learn to effectively manage the pressures of college. They can become more aware of what aspects of college life (and life in the world at large) are intimidating and frightening and learn to relax and observe those thoughts. They can monitor distractions, seek balance in their life outside of class, and effectively manage time. All of these deactivate the stress response.

Disrupting Stress

As you embark on a new semester, here are tried-and-true approaches to help you disrupt the naturally occurring stress response along with essential mental health tips.

Make a Study Schedule

Write it out, draw it, color it, mind map it, keep it visible. Include:

Study breaks, sleep, stretching, deep breathing, hydration, fun activities!
1.5—2 hours of study per class, then break.
Switch classes for the next 2-hour study session (“chunk it”).
Use “backwards planning” if this works for you.

Optimize Study Habits

Pick the place you feel the most productive, calm (not cozy), and focused. Keep going to this spot for the next few weeks to train your body and brain for study mode.
What time of day/night do you study best? Start noticing when you are most focused. Use this time slot to prepare for your most difficult (and most boring) classes.
“All nighters” are counterproductive to proper brain functioning for recall, memory and focus. Cramming and last-minute studying induces panic.
Pay attention to time wasters: cell phone, friends, Netflix, podcasts. Be aware of what distracts you. When you feel your thoughts getting stuck, or wandering from the material at hand, bring yourself back into the “zone” by moving.

Hydrate and Nourish

Keep a water bottle with you at all times. Reduce or eliminate sugar drinks, caffeine and alcohol — Gatorade, energy drinks, teas with added sugar, and sodas included.

Foods rich in vitamins B and C, iron and magnesium (such as oranges, broccoli, avocados, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, berries, grass-fed beef, salmon and sunflower seeds) are helpful in reducing the effects of stress and strengthening the nervous system. Magnesium also helps in the production of serotonin throughout the day.

Attend to Self-Care

Attend to how often and how much you move your body. A short walk, jumping jacks or push-ups will suffice if you can’t fit in a work-out. Engage in a fun activity — frisbee, basketball, a dance or fitness class.
Brush your teeth an extra time a day. Get a haircut. Pamper yourself with some nice body lotion.
Take advantage of on-campus stress-reducing activities, often offered during exam periods: massages, pet therapy, food giveaways, games and crafts, etc.
Practice “4-7-8” deep breathing daily, and try “square breathing,” too. Use breathing apps. It only takes 10 minutes to engage your diaphragm and activate the calm part of your nervous system.
Practice mindfulness daily. This helps you be more aware of stressors (thereby neutralizing them). Learn to be still in a chaotic world; journal, go for a walk, rest.

Focus on Sleep Quantity and Quality

Sleep helps recall, memory, focus and concentration. Aim for eight hours each night (no less than seven). Try not to nap during the day, though!

LEDs stimulate the brain so turn them off at least 30 minutes prior to sleep. Keep a writing pad beside your bed and before bedtime write down your day’s accomplishments and tomorrow’s to-do goals.

Connect with Mental Health Resources

Explore campus counseling resources and support groups as well as community support programs.
Get familiar with convenient and affordable tele-health and coaching services that offer almost immediate availability. Put one or two on speed dial.
Active Minds, NAMI, YOU at College, and other student-facilitated mental health organizations all have chapters on campuses nationwide.
Talk to your peers. You’re not alone, and sharing your fears with others can help bring down the intensity of your feelings.
Make a list of crisis support hotlines — the universal crisis hotline for all mental health emergencies is to text or dial 988.
Invest in phone apps like Headspace, Calm, Mindshift and Gratitude.

Nurture Resiliency Skills

Establish and practice problem-solving skills (working through problems with logic, not emotion) and note your successes along the way. Acknowledge and eliminate perfectionist thinking. Allow yourself to fail; practice bouncing back. Look forward to change. Flexibly think. Look for the big picture when stressed.

Memorize These Mantras

I am thankful every day for the opportunity to go to college. I’m right where I need to be. With this comes tough times but I am tough enough and will be just fine.

I am on a journey and will embrace the valleys and the peaks. In four years, I will have grown exponentially and will contribute to society in ways I never imagined.