Stress Management – College Student Kit

You’re a college student. You left home with mixed feelings – possibly joy and happiness. Now Dad and Mom won’t stay awake worrying until you come home at night. No boss. You’re on your own – free – independent!

… but you still have stress.

When it comes to stress management, university students may be society’s most neglected group. We cannot do justice here to every area of stress management college students need, but we offer a compact stress management college kit.

Stress Management College Kit – Part 1

Your stress management college kit begins with an understanding of a few basics about stress.

* Stress is your body’s response to any demands made on it.
* Situations or events that cause stress are called “stressors”.
* A detrimental stressor is called “distress”.

o “Di” means “two” in Greek. Think of double trouble.
o Distress can be emotionally disabling or physically crippling.

* A beneficial stressor is called “eustress”.

o “Eu” means “good” in Greek. Think of joy and laughter.
o Eustress can be pleasant, profitable, or healing.

When events or situations make demands on your body, your body will respond in distress or eustress. Your stress management college kit will help you distinguish, and even turn distress into eustress.

Stress Management College Kit Part 2

Financial demands are one of the greatest stressors for university students. Tertiary education is expensive, and involves much more than tuition, room, and board. Extras such as clothing, gas, books, and social events mean major expense. You may have to work part-time to meet costs. Job time steals time from academics and social life.

Your stress management college kit includes provision for this stressor. Park the car and walk. You’ll cut costs and increase stress-reducing exercise. Balance work time with other parts of college life. Laugh and smile at stress, releasing the beneficial chemical effects of eustress.

Stress Management College Kit Part 3

University studies make demands on you. First-year students tend to be shocked by differences between university and secondary school expectations. Too often, they discover those differences as stressors during the first round of testing. Stress management college style must factor in the stress of studies.

Plan and budget your time, leaving more than you think necessary for assignments. As you become accustomed to the demands of university study, expand or contract allotted time segments to fit your needs. If you still have trouble, seek help from a professor.

Invest in planning software, and use it consistently. Stay on track with its alarms. Carry a satellite planner when your computer is not with you.

Stress Management College Kit Part 4

In addition to the stressors of finances and studies, the stress management college students seek must address extracurricular overload. You want to join clubs that will add weight to your post-graduate “sum”. Fraternities or sororities attract you. Volunteer organizations, sports teams, music groups, and a host of other extracurricular activities call. All make demands and are potential stressors.

The rule of thumb for extracurricular stress management college style is to be selective. Relax. Take it slow and steady.

Your stress management college kit can include much more, but the key is to do all in your power to turn distress into eustress. It can require as little as a good, hearty laugh.