Dealing with stress

Do you find yourself suffering from memory slips, tense muscles, feeling tired, headaches, or trouble sleeping? These are just a few minor symptoms of stress, and let’s face it: college can be stressful, especially for first generation or low income college students.

The many stresses of college can influence your academic performance, social lives, and personal relationships. So, how do you deal with stress? Here are 8 tips to help you deal with stress:

Get to the source. Most people deal with the symptoms of stress and not the source. Ask yourself why you are having an emotional reaction. Once the source is identified, you can eliminate, bypass, or alter the stressor.

Practice energy conservation. Do what you can and don’t worry about the rest. Don’t do someone else’s work unless asked for assistance. Learn to work smarter, not harder. Don’t take on more than you can handle. Unfinished tasks are very stressful. Set reasonable goals.

Reward yourself. Do an easy task if you need a stroke of achievement. Allow yourself a small reward for a job well done. Being motivated is less stressful than depending on someone else for positive strokes.

Have a support base. Find someone with whom you can mutually share thoughts and feelings. Talk is good medicine for stress.

Develop a winner's attitude. Be positive about yourself and your choices. If something turns you sour, think about it and accept the results. Positive thoughts are not destructive to your mind and body. Negative thoughts promote illness.

Practice good time management. There are only 24 hours in a day—no more, no less. Work smarter, not longer.

Take care of yourself. Eat properly, exercise, and get enough sleep. You cannot cope with stress if you are unhealthy.

Learn to relax. Set aside special time each day just to relax. Whether it be 5 minutes or a few hours—try to relax!

For some easy-to-do ideas about ways to reduce stress, check out 50 ways to reduce stress in 5 minutes or less from our friend over at the Emotion Machine.

Remember, stress can take its toll in many areas of your life—and learning to deal with stress effectively promotes physical and psychological health and improves academic performance.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.