Gsu Esl. Essay College-Student-Have-Too-Much-Stress-Final

College Students and Stress

Stress – just this one word may be enough to frighten many people. Nowadays, “stress” has become a popular term for people to describe their life. Stress affects most people in some way; not only workers but also college students have to live with stress every day. Beside of attending in a college, many students also have a part-time job which helps them pay for their tuition and essential needs. If students do not manage their time well, a day of students can be a messy situation between studying, working, doing homework or assignments, and hanging out with friends. As a result, most students become overwhelmed and stressed. It is possible for college students to use some significant solutions, such as changing lifestyle, using cognitive – behavioral therapy, and relaxing, in order to manage stress and have an enjoyable in college,

The National Institute of Mental Health (n.d.) concludes that “Stress can be defined as the brain’s response to any demand,” or based on Merriam-Webster Dictionary, stress refers to a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in life and work (n.d.). According to The America Institute of Stress (n.d.), two-fifths of Americans have become more stressed than they were five years ago, and one-fifth of people experience extreme stress. In addition, The University of Maryland Medical Center states that acute stress can cause dramatic changes throughout the body - almost all body systems (immune system, sensory organs, the heart and blood vessels, and brain) are put in a condition that gets ready to face perceived danger (2013). If people have repeated stressful situations or chronic stress, they might have some physical and psychological problems. Specifically, stress increases the risk of heart disease by 40%, the risk of heart attack by 25%, and even the risk of stroke by 50% (The American Institute of Stress, n.d.). For students currently attending college, the primary causes that result in stress are the respects of good grades, relationships, career choices, and financial problems.

First, changes in daily life are a possible solution to the problem of stress. A healthy life including exercise, healthy food and enough sleep is a critical component to any stress-reduction program. In the first place, students should spend at least 30 minutes doing exercise every day. According to The University of Maryland Medical Center (n.d.), an exercise in combination with stress management techniques is a useful distraction from the stressful event, for exercise helps students release their pressure and refresh their mind. If students do not like to follow the same boring exercise every day, they can find some exciting, challenging, satisfying activities that build up their interest such as yoga, sports, or dance. In addition, healthy eating plays a crucial role in students’ abilities to deal with stress. As The University Health Center has claimed, a balanced diet lets students stay focused, energetic, and healthy during stressful times (n.d.). Avoiding the use of too much sugar and caffeine should also be considered. Although these things give students energy in the short-term, they contribute to the adverse effects of stress on the body. Finally, spending enough time sleeping helps students decrease the effects of stress on their mind like losing memory or losing control of emotions or behaviors. Changing lifestyle is a good start for students facing the stressful time of studying; however, it requires students to manage their time effectively. Unless students create a well-organized schedule, it is hard for them to finish all things which they need to.

Meanwhile, according to The University of Maryland Medical Center (n.d.), students also can use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) - a process which includes some simple steps - in order to reduce stress. First, students have to identify sources of stress by noticing activities that put pressure on energy and time in daily life; positive experiences which produce a sense of accomplishment or make students feel refreshed mentally or physically also are needed. After that, students can shift the balance from stress-producing to stress-reducing activities. It is hard to eliminate stress entirely, but students can use various ways to reduce its effects like listening to music, taking long vacations, making time for recreation, or even owning a pet. Also, sharing and discussing feelings in many ways not only reduces stress but also maintains the relationship with emotional fulfillment. It is not necessary to have a direct communication; students can express their feeling by writing a poem, a journal, or a letter which is never sent. Lastly, keeping perspective and looking for the positive are considered as one of the possible ways to reduce tension and achieve the goal. To illustrate, if students have a presentation and feel nervous about it, they can envision a favorable result, then create a specific plan to achieve the outcome that students want, and after that think about some situations that initially seemed negative but ended well. These steps help students have a good preparation and decrease pressure about the presentation. Nevertheless, CBT just becomes successful when students pay attention and are patient for it. Since the consequences take a long time to be effective, CBT only helps students solve chronic stress. If an immediate result is needed, using humor is a recommended choice. The University of Maryland Medical Center demonstrates that “Laughter not only releases the tension of pent-up feelings and helps a person maintain perspective, but it also appears to have actual physical effects that reduce stress hormone levels” (n.d.).