Don’t Get Stressed

Welcome, Class of 2014! Making the adjustment from high school to college can be a hard and stressful experience. A typical college student balances classes, work, friends, family and maybe even a boyfriend or girlfriend. Come mid-terms and finals, stress can overwhelm your entire life, because you want to strive to get good grades.

Some say that stress can kill you, but in all honesty, it can. Too much prolonged stress can lead to health problems including anxiety, depression, sleep problems, weight gain, immune system problems and heart conditions. When you are stressed, your body naturally releases adrenaline and cortisol. Together, these hormones send your body into emergency mode. Your heart will start to beat faster and harder, your blood pressure will rise, your breathing will become a lot quicker, your muscles will tighten and you'll feel your senses becoming sharper. It may have the same feelings as a panic attack.

So what do you do when you feel that college stress take over your life? If possible, drop a class or see if you can work fewer hours at your job. Try to postpone major changes in your life which can include starting a job or moving, and develop a schedule to help with time management.

Also, make sure you take care of yourself. Eat healthy foods, exercise for 20 minutes at least three times a week (which can include a leisurely walk around campus) and get enough sleep, which means between six and eight hours a night. Other ways to help during times of stress are doing something fun for you, listening to music, watching television or a movie, picking up a hobby or joining a club on campus.

If those don't help with your stress, another option is to go find someone to talk about it. Rhode Island College offers free help to those who need it at the Counseling Center, which is located on the first floor of Craig-Lee. The best part is that you don't have to wait for an appointment. Usually, a counselor will see you within a few days of first reaching out to them. Everything is strictly confidential, and they won't think you're crazy, either.

There is also an online program made for college students created by the Counseling and Mental Health Center at the University of Texas at Austin called "Stress Recess: Stress Management and Reduction." It is a guided program that helps college students deal with their stress and gives those students ways to reduce it. This online program can be found at www.cmhc.utexas.edu/stressrecess.

To the freshmen who are starting out their first year in college, take it easy and transition to this new stage in life smoothly. Don't take too many classes at first, and just enjoy yourself and get good grades. Join a few clubs and organizations – this way, you have an outlet for your stress. Plus, it's a great way to make new friends.

When the stress does arrive, just breathe – it will be over before you know it.