My friend gets out of the elevator and makes it about ten feet toward us before she collapses on the ground. “I have two exams Tuesday, a research paper I have no time to do research for, the English paper I wrote just now isn’t even good…” and it went on. She was stressed. If we couldn’t tell by her speech, we knew by the way her eyes were red and almost teary, her body was fidgety, and her rambling indicated she clearly hadn’t slept.
We’ve reached a time where classes are real. Syllabus week is a distant memory and exams are happening every day. You are torn between spending hours in the Hillman (or Market so you can get multiple meals for one swipe) and going out to have fun. And every time you see someone working on something, you’re reminded of every single assignment you have yet to start. So yeah, you could say the stress is setting in.
College is the limbo between your childhood and your future. It’s natural to fear the future. The future is unknown. The unknown is scary. That’s fine, that’s normal. So, naturally, when we are studying for exams that we think determine our future, we are going to get nervous or stressed. One thing to remember is that everyone on this campus is stressed. Stress can surface in two ways: distress and eustress. What my friend exhibited was clearly distress. She was in a panic about all that she had to do. But even the people you’re jealous of, the kids on your floor who are out at all hours, are just experiencing a different form of stress. The anticipation they have for classes/assignments is received by their body as excitement instead of dread. Ever heard of nervous excitement? It’s like that. Eustress is a positive form of stress; one that we all experience in certain circumstances. We cannot control when we experience one type of stress over the other. But it’s important to realize that the two aren’t that different. Both are bodily reactions to some sort of challenge. Both are out of our control. And both cause us to react in different ways than we would if we were calm and had nothing on our minds. If you remember that the two types are really not that different, then you can see that everyone on campus feels the same way you do, and there are people to talk to if you’re overwhelmed.
Now, I’ll give just a few tips for if your stress is truly building.
1) Take a walk and keep your mind off of your work while walking. Either talk to a friend, listen to some music, or consciously occupy your mind with other thoughts.
2) Make a to-do list. When you write something on your paper, you may be able to hold on to it less tightly in your mind because you have the peace of knowing you won’t forget it. Also, you will receive the satisfaction of crossing things off as you do them.
3) Drink tea. I know some people don’t love tea but there are many kinds and tea can be very calming if you sip slowly and take in the fragrance and flavors.
4) Ask for help. As I’ve said, you aren’t alone here. So maybe you need a study buddy, a peer editor, a motivator to do your homework, or just someone to vent to. Whatever the case is, ask someone to be that person for you, so that you know you are not alone in your work, and someone else can help you to bear the load.
Stress is stressful but help is helpful.