Taylor Bembery
Associate Editor
Students constantly deal with the stress of everyday interactions, whether it’s with our peers, professors, work and even family. But as the end of the semester approaches, this stress can sometimes be overwhelming.
According to WebMD, stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. However, we all know that stress is a normal part of life.
But do you know that long term and untreated stress issues can lead to many different health problems? One of the most harmful conditions is depression.
Depression is a mental disorder characterized by a pervasive and persistent low mood which is accompanied by low self-esteem and by a loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. This condition can be fatal.
I know some of you may think alcohol, tobacco, or drugs will help you relieve your stress. Unfortunately, instead of relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state and cause more problems.
I have several recommendations for students who are trying to relieve stress: meditation, physical activity, getting enough sleep, laughing, and having balanced nutritious diet. Most of these things are free and only will take a few minutes out of your day but will make a big difference in your stress levels.
Courtney Walker, a freshman English major from East St. Louis, Ill., said that when classes start getting further into their curriculum and homework load gets heavier she feels very stressed.
“Being confused about how to complete assignments, not getting proper help when I ask a teacher to clarify and having conflicting scheduled assignments is really stressful for me. I know when I’m under stress, my temper gets very short, I tend to snap easily and I get headaches,” said Walker.
One of the easiest and most effective stress relievers is physical activity. Physical activity involves anything that requires you to move your body. Students can participate in activities like dancing, bike riding, running, and walking.
The reason staying active is so important to relieving stress is because it releases a chemical in your body called endorphins. This chemical is also known as “the feel good” or the “happy” hormone.
Rod Wilson, a facility manager and fitness expert at the Walter Payton Fitness & Wellness Center at JSU, gave more insight on the importance of endorphins.
“When your body becomes to rest, your body releases endorphins inside of the body that combats stress. We have daily stressors that come out, once your body secretes them dopamine and other natural growth hormones actually tries to fight that stress off. However if you’re not being proactive of producing more of those feel good hormones, stress will over take your body,” said Wilson.
Wilson added that students should be involved in physical activity everyday if they have time to help keep those stress levels low.
“Your body is going to give you what you give it. If you lack physical activity you might suffer from some stress related issues,” said Wilson
So as this semester draws to an end and things may seem overwhelming, keep calm. And remember that you have options and resources available for you on campus. The Latasha Norman Center for Counseling can help with issues of stress and depression. Give them a call at 601-979-0374 or head over to the Walter Payton Wellness & Fitness Center and sweat your problems. But most importantly, keep calm, it’s almost over.
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