The first Wednesday of November is recognized in the United States as National Stress Awareness Day. College students can use this holiday to identify and reduce stress factors in their lives, and to develop a self care regimen that will last throughout the year!
Carole Spiers, Chair of the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), founded National Stress Awareness Day. The purpose of the holiday is to create an opportunity for people to seriously talk about the elements of their lives that may seem overwhelming or hard to manage alone. The ultimate goal of Stress Awareness Day is to end the stigma associated with mental health in general, and encourage people to talk about their mental wellbeing freely and openly.
As a college student, intense amounts of stress can seem like a normal part of everyday life. However, taking on an impossible workload can have lasting impacts on any person’s mental health. This year on National Stress Awareness Day, try to find some self care practices that you can turn to when you need some time away from it all! These can be as scheduled and involved as you would like them to be. For example, joining a yoga studio or buying a subscription to a local gym can be a great way to relax and take care of yourself during the school year. If you need something more flexible, you might consider making a list of things that relax you, like having a favorite meal, taking a bath or shower, or partaking in a hobby you enjoy. Then, put your list somewhere safe where you can find it easily. When you need a quick pick-me-up later in the quarter, take a break from studying and try something on your list. Experiment and look around; there is a self care practice that will fit in even the most hectic college schedule!
Last year, National Stress Awareness Day 2016 generated over 180,000,000 comments on Twitter. This will only increase this year as Stress Awareness Day goes international! Use this time to speak up and speak out about stress, and add your voice to the movement with the hashtags #internationalstressawarenessday and #INSAD2017.