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Melanie Mendoza

Professor Cassel

English Composition 2

08 Mar 2021

What effective methods reduce stress in college students?

The one thing most college students think about is whether they should drop out. College

students are known to always be stressing. College is hard and it can take a toll on your mental

health. Some students forget that there are effective methods to help reduce stress. What

effective method reduce stress in college students? There are several methods available to

students that they can try and see if it sticks.

Stress in college students has been studied and surveyed. Colleges try to give students resources

and tips to help reduce stress by teaching them the fundamentals of organization and time

management but at the end of the day school is stressful. There is work overload and being a

full-time student takes up most of your time. It can be extremely stressful for students with part-

time/full-time jobs that have to manager their time and juggle many obligations at once. When

you get overwhelmed and must have assignments done by certain due dates and you must finish

that 12-page report by 11:59 pm, your body and mind will create tension and this tension will

continue to create stress. There are two types of stress: acute and prolonged stress and chronic

stress. Stress, mentally, can lead to physical effects on you body like fat storage, salt retention,

suppression of sex hormones, agitation, irregular heart rhythms, and more. There are physical,
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emotional, and mental affects from stress. “Chronic stress is thought to contribute to excess

inflammation throughout the body that plays a critical role in the onset and progression of stress-

related disease, along with elevated levels of the hormone cortisol.” (Miedzuin and Czabala

“Stress Management Techniques”) What can you do to reduce my stress at such a stressful time

in your life? How do you juggle school and work, and keep up with friends/ relationships? How

do you manage your stress?

When told to manage stress you are usually given breathing techniques and told to make time for

yourself. That is easier said than done. There are so many different techniques but to break them

down into categories would be a good way to go. First category is physical activity. Physical

does not just mean vigorous exercise, this could mean yoga, hiking, etc. Getting your body active

boosts your energy and you feel more motivated. In the article by Miedzuin and Czabala, “Stress

Management Techniques,” it is stated that “Some of the new studies [10] emphasize, that

physically active students have better stress management level than those not active,” ad that

aerobics is the most popular exercise, alongside with fitness. The article, “12 Lifestyle Habits to

reduce Stress” by CNN Wire, goes to support that “Engaging in regular physical activity is a

great way to help manage stress and strengthen your immune system, too. Aerobic exercise,

which increases heart rate and the body's use of oxygen, boosts levels of endorphins, which work

directly on opiate receptors in your brain to reduce pain and boost pleasure.” Physical activity is

one of the major methods to reduce stress that can be effective.

Second category is creative activities like: listening to music, reading, artsy activities (painting,

coloring), finding a new hobby, enjoying nature. “Upbeat music may be helpful as a mood

booster, while slower music can help to quiet your mind, relax your muscles and release stress.”

(CNN Wire, “12 Lifestyle Habits to reduce Stress”).

Stepping away from the problem and working through your tension and emotions is another

management category. Try to be more optimism and pull yourself away from the negative

thoughts and the negative conflict that you are stressed about. This is where breathing techniques

coming as well as relaxation, self-affirmation, meditation, and bringing awareness to self. Look

at your situation and see how you can work through your emotions and thoughts. “Meditation

(connected to contemplation) – it requires focusing on reflection, leading to the better

understanding of one’s thoughts.” (Miedzuin and Czabala “Stress Management Techniques”)

Reflecting and understanding your own thoughts can help figure out stressors and how to work

on not triggering them.

Another category is taking care of your body. Eat healthy and clean food, stop with the fast food,

and try some clean restaurants. Work on body hygiene like going and taking that 30-minute

shower that includes shaving, exfoliating, relaxing in the water, taking a bath. Eating omega-3

fatty foods can reduce stress. “Foods like salmon, trout, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and

herring are a rich source of stress-busting omega-3 fatty acids known as DHA (docosahexaenoic

acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).” (CNN Wire, “12 Lifestyle Habits to reduce Stress”).

Cut back on the caffeine if you can. Caffeine is what keeps most college students going through

the day, but high amount of caffeine can boost your cortisol levels and intensify effects of stress

on the body (CNN Wire, “12 Lifestyle Habits to reduce Stress”). Antai-Otong in her article,

“Creative Stress-Management” had stated that adequate rest and sleep (8 hours of sleep) is an

example for physical renewing activities, in this case taking care of your body.

Next category is solving the problem. Solving problem techniques of this category include

concentration on solving the problem, analyzing, and planning actions. (Miedzuin and Czabala

“Stress Management Techniques”) Do that homework assignment you are putting off or face
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your stress but resolving the issue you may be currently stressed about. You will not be stressed

anymore about it if you just do it. Conflict management is a way to problem solve and grow

within yourself. “Major steps in conflict management include: (a) identify the problem, (b)

express feelings freely, (c) explore options, and (d) evaluate the results.” (Antai-Otong, “Creative

Stress-Management Techniques for Self-Renewal”) This method can help better your

interpersonal relationship as well as stressors in your life.

Last category is support. Nothing feels better than a drink after a long day (for some). Nothing

feels better than to talk to someone or to just have a support system. This category includes

hanging out with friends, talking to family, reaching out to a specialist, or talking to your church.

Get more socially active when you are stressed. Go on a date or plan one. Having your

significant other by your side can help reduce your stress. Reach out to family to reground

yourself when you are feeling lost. And if all those methods do not work or are not possible

seeking a specialist like a therapist or psychologist or even a mentor from church can help loads.

“Being isolated can cause an increase in cortisol levels, Messer explained. "Humans are meant to

be social, it's through our social connections that we keep our stress levels down," she said.”

(Farrington, “Stress and what you can do about it”). Going through stuff alone can make you

more stressed because you are not having social connections that can keep your cortisol levels at

a low rate. “Support of others is aimed to strengthen the person as well as make people to be

aware of the possessed resources and limitations which are important in dealing with difficult

situations.” (Miedzuin and Czabala “Stress Management Techniques”)

There are so many different things you can do to reduce stress as a college student. Now that you

have all these techniques, try putting some into effect. See what works for you and what does

not. If you are having trouble on how to do something or these techniques did not work, the
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Internet can be your best friend on how to find some more information and more in detail

activities. College is hard and nobody wants to stress.

Works Cited

“12 Lifestyle Habits to Reduce Stress.” CNN Wire, 8 Feb. 2021, p. NA. Gale In Context:

Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A651128343/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=a6ae425d. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

Antai-Otong, Deborah. “Creative Stress-Management Techniques For Self-

Renewal.” Dermatology Nursing, vol. 13, no. 1, Feb. 2001, pp. 31–39. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=4171108&site=ehost-live.

Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

Farrington, Jan. “Stress and What You Can Do about It.” Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader

Publication, Jan. 1996, p. 6. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A17944046/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=e5e99908.

Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

Miedziun, Patrycja, and Jan Czesław Czabała. “Stress Management Techniques.” Archives of

Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, vol. 17, no. 4, Dec. 2015, pp. 23–30. Academic Search

Complete, EBSCOhost, doi:10.12740/APP/61082. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

“Stress.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Oct. 2019,

www.apa.org/topics/stress. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.