{"id":230,"date":"2021-09-03T00:36:25","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T00:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heymissy.org\/?p=230"},"modified":"2021-09-03T00:55:50","modified_gmt":"2021-09-03T00:55:50","slug":"the-college-students-guide-to-stress-and-overwhelm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heymissy.org\/the-college-students-guide-to-stress-and-overwhelm\/","title":{"rendered":"The College Student’s Guide to Stress and Overwhelm"},"content":{"rendered":"
The COVID-19 pandemic changed almost everything about the college experience, from the way classes work to extracurriculars. Zoom University became the new normal and many college students are now starting to deal with the long-term repercussions of this fast, evolving change. I\u2019ve seen many young people and college students come to me seeking help because they feel stressed to the point where they\u2019re in a constant state of anxiety and panic. Feeling a little bit of stress during your college years is normal, but it shouldn\u2019t be to the point where you feel like you can barely function. So, how do you deal with all of this constant stress and overwhelm?<\/p>
The official definition of stress<\/a> is \u201cthe feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure.\u201d Extreme stress is when you feel so overwhelmed to the point where you feel as though you can\u2019t think straight or can\u2019t function normally on a day-to-day basis. Like I mentioned before, there are good and bad types of stress. According to Verywell Mind<\/a>, good stress, otherwise known as \u201ceustress,\u201d is the type of stress we experience when we\u2019re excited about something. \u201cOur pulse quickens and our hormones surge, but there is no threat or fear.\u201d Good stress can happen when we\u2019re going on a first date, starting a new job we\u2019re really excited about, or seeing a friend we haven\u2019t seen in a long time.<\/p> On the other hand, bad stress is the type of stress most people are referring to when they say things like \u201cI am so stressed out right now.\u201d Otherwise known as acute stress, this type is triggered by events or quick surprises that need an immediate response. Acute stress triggers the body\u2019s stress response, but once we are no longer stressed about the event and\/or situation, our body returns to homeostasis and we feel okay again. Another type of bad stress is known as chronic stress<\/a>, which \u201coccurs when we repeatedly face stressors that take a heavy toll and feel inescapable.\u201d Staying in a stressful job, an unhappy home life, or constantly feeling overwhelmed with school are examples of chronic stress, and since we physically aren\u2019t meant to deal with this type of stress, we can start to see it have an effect on our emotional, mental, and physical health. <\/p> Feeling stressed and overwhelmed, especially in college, is something that\u2019s more common than you might think. The American College Health Association\u2019s Fall 2018 National College Health Assessment found that 63% of U.S. college students<\/a> felt overwhelming anxiety in the past year, and \u201c23% reported being diagnosed or treated by a mental health professional for anxiety in the past year.\u201d Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, feelings of stress and overwhelm as well as anxiety among college students has only gotten worse. The Jed Foundation<\/a> conducted a survey among U.S. college students regarding their emotional readiness for the Fall 2020 school semester and found that 63% of students<\/a> said their emotional health is worse now than it was before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This same study also found that 82% of students were dealing with anxiety, 62% had trouble concentrating, and 60% found difficulty coping with stress in a healthy way. So trust me, if you\u2019re feeling stressed and overwhelmed about school right now, you\u2019re not alone.<\/p> <\/p>Common Reasons of Stress and Overwhelm<\/strong><\/h3>