College Stress

 There are numerous causes of stress for college students. From working through challenging academic courses and to balancing schedules, to taking care of a family and a job in between, it’s easy to sometimes get overwhelmed. However, if you’re feeling this way, don’t worry—experiencing stress as a student is normal, and there are a lot of ways to manage stress in college and beyond. Learn about the effects of stress for college students, and tips for overcoming them. 

Physical effects of stress :

When you have too much stress in your life, it can start to manifest itself in external ways. How stress affects the body varies from person to person, but the common physical effects of stress are:

Low energy level

Headache

Stomachaches and nause

Insomnia

Chest pain

Frequent colds or other illness

Shaking or sweating hands.

To cope with stress, it’s important to first understand what your personal triggers are, so be sure to note when any of the above symptoms take place so you can find ways to manage them.

Psychological effects of stress

While stress has several physical indicators, it can also manifest in more internal ways. The psychological effects of stress include:

Depression

Anxiety

Problems with cognitive functioning (being unable to concentrate or learn as well as you normally would)

Changes in behavior, such as being irritable, angry, hostile, frustrated, or withdrawn.

The mental effects of stress can be more common, but they are often more difficult to identify. It's important to listen to friends and family if they say you haven't been acting like yourself so you can be more aware of your stressors and how to overcome them. 

Combatting stress

It’s normal to experience a certain degree of stress as a student, but the next time it starts to feel like too much, try the following tips for combatting stress in your everyday life. 

Maintain Healthy Diet

Be sure to exercise.