College Is Stressful, But Learning How To Deal With Stress Can Really Save Your Mental Health | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

College Is Stressful, But Learning How To Deal With Stress Can Really Save Your Mental Health

You're not alone.

79
College Is Stressful, But Learning How To Deal With Stress Can Really Save Your Mental Health
Trinity Tew

To begin, you should know that I am taking seventeen credit hours this semester, and I am a freshman. School has never been difficult for me, so I assumed that because one hour was orientation and one hour was lab, I was "technically" only taking fifteen hours, which many people do. At first, it wasn't an issue at all.

Now that I've had one test and one quiz in the two classes that I'm not strong in, I'm starting to realize how big of a mountain seventeen hours is to tackle.

I'm stressing.

Not to mention, I'm taking French, which I haven't taken in over a year, and I don't remember all of the conjugations. Of course, I could mention more stressors, but there is no reason for me to list them all. You understand.

Ironically, two of my classes have been focusing on stress management and mental health. I've been learning strategies on how to reduce stress and pointers to look for to understand when I get stressed and what my triggers are.

Until recently, I was listening, but I wasn't really hearing it because it wasn't applying to me.

Now, those lessons are applying to me. Furthermore, last week I went to a Mental Health Coloring Day event on campus and had to write a paragraph on the event. While writing the paragraph, I was looking up some statistics on mental health, stress, and college. The numbers are depressing (no pun intended).

I encourage you to take the time to look at some of those numbers yourself. But needless to say, we need to raise awareness about mental health; stress, anxiety, and depression are crippling and they are very real. I am nowhere near my "breaking point," but I am still feeling overwhelmed right now and I definitely need to start making time to unload and de-stress.

Take this article as your sign. This is me telling you that you are not alone, because the vast majority of people around you are dealing with stress too. This is me telling you that it's not good to just push it down and "deal with it" because ignoring it is not a solution...it's pulling the safety pin from a grenade. This is me telling you that you need to determine your stressors, think about why they are triggers, and start developing a plan with different ways to de-stress. Color in a book, listen to music, work out, hang out with friends, watch TV. Do something that will take your mind off of what's stressing you.

But, you also need to develop a plan on how to deal with it. Don't just hang with friends instead of studying for a test you don't want to take. Figure out a way to deal with that stress effectively and make it more manageable next time. Stress is inevitable, ignoring it is not a solution, and devising a plan of management and maintenance is crucial. Just because you might not think your stress or anxiety is "bad" does not mean you shouldn't ask for help. Get a hold on your mental health before your mental health has a hold on you.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

3312
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons Why Sisters Are The Best

Who could be a better friend than your own sister?

2068
sisters
Taylor Hooper

I can barely remember back when I was the only child. Most would say it’s because it is extremely difficult to remember things as a toddler but I would say it's because I was bored until my sister came along. My mother always says how important the "sister bond" is and with every year that passes I realize how right she is. Instead of writing a novel about all of the wonderful things there are about having a sister I decided to list a few of them instead.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Adult

You're gonna make it after all.

3462
how to adult
Twitter

It is the time of our lives that we are beginning to enter the adult world and most of us, if not all of us, have no idea what we are doing. It's like starting a video game, but skipping the tutorial. We're all just running around aimlessly hoping we accidentally do something right that moves us along the right path. Now that graduation has just happened, or is right around the corner for some of us, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to take care of ourselves once we are on our own.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

7 Signs You're A Starbucks Addict

I'll be the first one to admit I'm addicted to Starbucks.

1900
drinking coffee
Tumblr

If you’re anything like me, you love a good cup of coffee. My coffee always comes from Starbucks; I refuse to drink it from anywhere else. Over the years, it’s become one of my biggest addictions. So, if you are aware that you’re a Starbucks addict as well, or maybe you need to check to see if you’re an addict, here are seven ways to tell.

Keep Reading...Show less
people  in library
Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

College involves a whirlwind of emotions, whether it’s from the stress of an assignment (or twenty), or from fighting with your roommate. It can be overwhelming at times and it’s important to take a step a back and calmly think things over. Maybe gain some perspective. The following aren’t foolproof tips and may not apply to you, but I was able to find success with them (hope you do too!)

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments