I am a Stressed College Student

We all have times when we lack confidence and don’t feel good about ourselves.  College can be an exciting time, but also a stressful one.  It sounds like you are overwhelmed.  We are glad you are reaching out today; it is the brave and wise thing to do when you are looking for support.  And we all need some help sometimes.  Here are some stress-management tips to help relieve the pressure.

1.  Get enough sleep-7 to 9 hours a day.

2.  Eat Well-healthy foods, avoid junk food.

3.  Exercise-20 minutes a day, this will help reduce stress.

4.  Avoid unnatural energy boosters-they can dehydrate you.

5.  Get emotional support-vent your frustrations to a trusted friend, crisis counselor or a trusted adult who won’t be judgmentalor try to give lots of advice. Or seek the help of a professional counselor or psychologist.

6.  Don’t give up your passion-keep focus on your priorities and take it day by day, set up short term goals on a daily basis.

7.  Try not to overload yourself-learn to say “no” assertively and take good care of yourself.

8.  Breathe-deep, breathing exercises can help melt away the tension. Inhale slowly through the nose, hold the breath for a few seconds, then exhale through your mouth and repeat as needed.

9.  Get massages-if you are feeling frazzled, try putting yourself in a massage therapist’s hands.

10.  Reach out to your college counselors/advisors as they are there to give you support.

Going to college can put a lot of pressure on you.  Keep in mind, that you are not alone.  Using some of these strategies will help you reduce stress and soar through those college years.  Try some healthy coping skills to replace the negative once with; doing activities you enjoy, writing in a journal, listening to music, calling to talk with someone at our hotline.  We have provided a link to more coping skills ideas and encourage you to check them out: 99 Coping Skills.  It can take time to find the right coping skill for you and will not happen right away.  The important thing is that you can try new things.

We look forward to hearing back from you again.

Take care and stay strong,

Nicole, Counselor