Five Simple Ways to Become Less Stressed

As the semester rolls on, students become more and more stressed. Things such as juggling class, work and a social life can be demanding and can negatively affect students well being and cause stress. Though stress is a natural response to the psychological and physical demands of life, it is not necessarily the healthiest way to cope. Fortunately if students make small positive changes to their lives they can help reduce their stress levels and hopefully find a way to make juggling all these different activities easier.1: Figure out what’s bothering you and talk about it.One of the most important things to do in order to manage stress is to figure out what is bothering you. Sometimes these things are obvious, for example, a major test you need to ace in order to pass a class. At other times it may be something you didn’t even realize bothered you, like a stupid joke your friend told that they hadn’t meant to be hurtful. “Students need to recognize when they have stress and that that this stress certainly affects all areas of life,” says Wendy Burnham, professor of stress management and director of the Wellness Center. The best way to let go of stress and sometimes even avoid future stress is to talk about it because it helps you let go of your frustration and regain your focus. 2: Take advantage of school programs:Lucky for students, PSU offers a ton of free programs to help students reduce and relieve stress. A few great places to combat stress on campus are the fitness center, the Wellness Center and the Counseling Center. The fitness center is one of my favorite places to go to let off some steam because exercise is a great way to reduce stress by releasing endorphins, relieving tension and keeping you both healthy and looking good. If running on a treadmill isn’t exactly your thing, the fitness center also offers several fun classes such as yoga, kickboxing, zumba and tai chi. Students who prefer a more holistic approach to their health can go to the Wellness Center where they can sign up for therapies such as massage, reiki, and acupressure or simply chill out in the relaxation room. Those who need to talk to someone about the stressors in their life can go to the Counseling Center and meet with a psychologist. There are many different kinds of students on this campus and it is great that there are so many programs to help students deal with their own individual stressors.3: Take care of yourself:Though the greasy pizza you walk by in the dining hall may smell so delicious it practically begs you to put it on your plate, eating unhealthy foods on a regular basis can hurt you in the long run. If students take small steps to take better care of themselves, such as opting for a salad instead of a plate of fries or sleeping a full eight hours a night, they could become healthier and feel less stressed.4: Manage your time and become more organized:One of the most common causes of stress is time management. Many students admit to being procrastinators, myself included, but not spacing out one’s work load can make a student feel overwhelmed because they end up having to do all their work at once. Simple things such as keeping a daily planner, making a schedule, color coding binders or using dividers could make studying much easier. “A good skill for time management is to be time efficient,” said PASS student advisor Phil Thompson. “A good way to be efficient with your time is to be more organized,” he added. “Being organized relieves stress and stress can slow you down when you are trying to complete a task so it is therefore more efficient to your time.” A great place to go to learn about more tips on how to better manage your time is the PASS center, located in the library where they offer tutors and help students manage their time more effectively and become more organized. 5: Ask For Help:Do not allow yourself to become smothered with stress. Ask for help if you’re feeling overwhelmed. If you are falling behind in a class talk to your teacher about it, find a tutor or ask someone else in the class to help you.