Whether in preschool, high school, or college, nearly every student struggles with falling into the trap of stress and anxiety; it’s a life that proves to be too much to deal with sometimes. Therefore we want to provide you with some tips on how to survive this unrelenting monster.

What is Stress?

There are two different types of stress.

• The first is called eustress. It is the stress that motivates you to do better, succeed, and achieve challenging goals.
• The second type of stress is called distress or toxic stress. It is the kind of stress that comes from being overworked, underpaid, or just plain exhausted.

How do you know you’re stressed?

If you’re unaware, you might not even realize that you have stress in the first place. However, if you want to be aware of when stress is becoming a problem, it’s a good idea to check your emotions and see if they feel out of control or if your physical reactions are going haywire.

Causes of College Stress

1. Living Away from Home

You may feel like you miss your family and home. They may be far away, but you can try to balance time with your friends and family. Parents can often come up with solutions that you might not think about. They’ll want to help if they can, and they should try because it could help you in the long run.

2. Academic Demands and Test Anxiety

Your workload or taking classes that you feel unprepared for may stress you. Learn how to deal with test anxiety. High anxiety can cause significant stress. You’ll want to study ahead of time so that it doesn’t get to be too much on exam day.

3. Finances

Financial support can be tough, especially during freshman year. Going through college can sometimes seem overwhelming, but if you’ve put effort into studying, that should make the financial aspects easier to deal with.

4. Post-Graduate Plans

Many people find themselves stressed because of the lack of direction they have post-graduation. You might be feeling anxious because you haven’t achieved some of your goals. Life seems to be settling down, and there is no excitement left in life anymore.

How to Survive Stress

• Get plenty of sleep: Eating habits can often cause stress. When you’re stressed, the last thing you need is to be struggling to eat or sleep. You need to ensure that you sleep and that your food is something that gets you going.
• Think positive: Sometimes, thinking about the good things might help you cope with stress not to overwhelm you. Embrace the positive aspects of your life.
• Always be honest with yourself: Try to be honest about how much stress is affecting you. Is it getting to be too much? Is it dragging on for too long?
• Have a stress outlet: Stress is only natural, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something to get rid of it.
• Engage in relaxation techniques: Stress is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to control you. You can also try to take a walk, exercise, or even go for a drive if that helps. If you feel like engaging in a hobby is a good idea, then do it.
• Talk to someone: Sometimes, talking to someone else can make you feel better and help you get things off your chest.

Conclusion

Stress is something that everybody goes through. However, the type of stress you feel may differ from others. Focus on what makes your life happy and try to avoid letting stress get in the way too often because it will only make things worse.