Author: Hope G
Editor: Ricky M
It’s officially fall which means that it’s officially midterm season! Understandably, this is an incredibly stressful time for students and often this stress could lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Instead of considering drugs, we will be covering some healthy ways to help deal with your school stress as well as different ways to help reduce your stress!
Using Drugs to Relax is a Myth?
Often, when we are stressed with school we can find ourselves resorting to drugs as an outlet to “relax”, but according to the Jed Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps tackle emotional health in teens as well as working on suicide prevention, “chronic drug use can result in paranoia, depression, anxiety, aggression, hallucinations, and other problems”. So while one might think that turning towards drugs is an easy outlet to cope with their stress, it can actually do a lot more harm and increase stress levels.
Healthy Coping Mechanisms
In terms of healthy coping mechanisms, fixing your sleep schedule is a key component. Oftentimes, increased stress can lead us to sleep deprivation, and this only hurts us more. Making sure that you are sleeping for a healthy amount daily is key to helping solve stress issues. According to health.gov the benefits of getting enough quality sleep include “reduce stress and improve your mood [and] think more clearly and do better in school and at work”. It is clear and scientifically proven that fixing your sleep schedule will reduce your stress, which is incredibly important being a college student!
Another way to help deal with stress is to listen to music. Listening to different types of music can therefore affect your mood. This means that when you listen to more upbeat music that can then improve your mood and reduce your stress! According to verywellmind, “students can harness the benefits of music by playing classical music while studying, playing upbeat music to ‘wake up’ mentally, or relaxing with the help of their favorite slow melodies”. Music is proven to have multiple cognitive benefits like helping to calm yourself down as well helping to stimulate your mind, which is a huge help when it comes to studying!
Exercising is also another great way to help reduce stress as a student! Creating a workout routine, whether be going to the gym or simply going for a walk outside! Exercising has many proven health benefits and as a student it’s incredible to prioritize a time for physical activity! TimelyMD states that “exercise is also effective in reducing fatigue, improving mental clarity, and enhancing cognitive function. After physical activity, the brain produces feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins that act as natural painkillers”. Exercise is a great outlet for students experiencing high levels of stress!
There are so many more healthy ways to help deal stress as a college student, but here are some starting points if you’re looking for a place to begin! Feel free to check out any of the websites linked within this article for more information on ways to cope with stress!