Stress and Burnout
By Crystal Abrell | Opinion Editor
Around this time of the year, when we just get back from Spring Break, the weather is warming up, and graduation or summer is approaching slower than we would like. We find ourselves staring out the window during our classes, instead of paying attention to the lecture going out more, instead of studying, and daydreaming about our summer plans.
What distracts college students? Distraction could be a form of coping with the stress a college student must endure. With finals coming, tests in every class, and responsibilities around every corner, who wouldn’t be burned out?
Balancing school and a social life, while trying to choose a career, who wouldn’t want to pull their hair out? Mild amount of stress can be beneficial, of course stimulating our motivation while enhancing performance. However, as our parents used to tell us, “too much of a good thing can be bad.”
Too much stress can be hard on the body and can affect students physically. I would say being stressed is like stretching a rubber band past it’s limit, keeping ramen noodles on the stove too long, or sticking a marshmallow Peep in the microwave. Something is bound to break, burn or blow up.
What is one best weapon against this stress? I suppose, learn more about your body’s response to stress and cope.
Our bodies have a unique way of perceiving threats. A threat can be anything from not knowing what to wear, to that test you’re not ready for. Once a threat is perceived, your body responds by releasing stress hormones. You feel like you are dying. Your heart pounds, your muscles tighten, blood pressure skyrockets, and you breathe heavily. Does this sound like the night you got pulled over for speeding?
Many symptoms can inform us we are overly stressed: headaches, frequent illness, sleeping problems, anxiety, constant frustration, and an unclear mind. Once a college student notices these symptoms, and can identify his or her stress level, the next step is management.
You could change your actual stress load: drop a class, set long and short goals, or even say “NO” more often. Take care of you physical needs before anything such as diet and sleep. My favorite coping mechanism is traced back to my childhood years, count to 10 or take 10 deep breaths.
We only have a few more weeks left of this school year . My roommate always crams her favorite quote down my throat every time I feel overwhelmed and I feel everyone should live by it; “No one said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it.”
