Deep breath, we can get through this. Life is hard enough as it is. Finals are right around the corner and every student is feeling it. On top of that, there are other things to worry about like relationships, family issues, extracurricular activities, work, as well as financial woes. According to the mtvU AP 2009 Economy, College Stress, and Mental Health Poll, 3 in 5 students report having felt so stressed they could not get their work done on one or more occasions.
Most stress is actually positive and serves as a motivator; however, like most things, too much stress can have negative effects. Low energy levels, sleep troubles, and appetite issues are among the most commonly experienced symptoms that can indicate emotional health problems. In 2009 on the National College Health Association Assessment, 26.8 percent of students at UMB reported stress as a factor that affected their academic performance.
Stress is necessary for life. You need stress for creativity, learning, and your very survival. It is only harmful when it becomes overwhelming and interrupts the healthy state of equilibrium that your nervous system needs to remain in balance. When the nervous system becomes unbalanced as a result of stress, it is important to produce a relaxation response that leaves the body calm and focused. This may sound hard, but there are many ways to achieve this relaxation response without spending a dime.
Meditation and specific breathing techniques have been used for centuries to keep the mind and body calm and centered. Yoga is a familiar concept that exercises the mind and body through seated meditation, breath work, and flowing postures. With its quiet, precise movements that draw your focus away from your busy, chaotic day, yoga is a proven stress reducer. The Beacon Fitness Center offers various yoga classes free to students with a membership during scheduled times. The Interfaith Campus Ministry also offers two types of meditation classes: circle time and Zen, that are free to students and no prior experience is required.
If your schedule is too packed and you have no time to reduce your stress through organized meditation or yoga, Android and iPhone smart phones offer apps that provide instructed breathing techniques for you while you’re on the go. Breathe2Relax is an app that allows you to learn and practice this skill on your own while also providing information on the effects of stress on the body which you should become familiar with. Tactical Breather teaches you how to gain control of your heart rate, emotions, concentration, and other physiological and psychological responses that happen to your body during stressful situations through specific breathing techniques. Many of the techniques taught in this application were provided with permission by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman from his book On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace.
Stress is something that will never go away because most of the time it is used as a motivator. When the nervous system becomes overwhelmed, psychological and physiological consequences can arise. It is important to understand what your body and mind are going through as well as to know ways to handle these affects before they get too serious. Meditation, yoga, and proper breathing techniques an easy and FREE ways to reduce stress and get your mind and body under control so you can kill it on finals, live happily ever after with your sweetheart, and have enough money to get by.