Many students go to school full time, and hold a part time job to earn money for school. Most students have about four classes, and each of the teacher’s of these classes gives an average of about an hour of homework each night; that averages out to four hours per night of homework, plus a part time job. School causes a lot of students stress because there are so many things to do, and so little time to do it. Stress is a normal part of everyone’s life; and is not a disease. It is not necessarily good or bad; however, reactions to stress can be harmful.
Lack of time puts the stress on many students, and causes students to often procrastinate because they are constantly trying to meet deadlines and they don’t have the time to work on their assignments. Many students feel their grades are important; they need plenty of time to work on their work so they can do good. I can relate to them because if I get a low grade I get disgusted because I put a lot of time and effort in doing that assignment. But I think that a lot of the stress from school is caused, not only by the teachers, but also from the students to do well.
Students put too much stress on themselves. A student just has to learn to manage their time well and just do as good as possible. Stress management involves the effort of that student to make emotional and physical changes. The degree of stress and the desire to make the changes will determine the level of change that will take place. If a student wants to change the amount of stress in their life, they have to be willing to work and manage their time properly, even if it means sacrificing hours from a job or a night out with friends to study for a test or write a paper.
Many students feel an increase in stress and anxiety when writing a paper, meeting a deadline, or studying for an exam. This can cause twitching, trembling, muscle tension, headaches, sweating, irritability, fatigue, and even dry mouth (Anxiety, Stress, and Tension). When talking about stress, there are many things that can influence a student. The five main topics that influence a student’s well being are attitude, physical well being, physical activity, support systems, and relaxation (World Book on Health, 235).
Attitude: The attitude of a student can influence whether a situation or emotion is stressful or not. A student with a negative attitude will often perceive many situations as being stressful, such as a simple two-page paper. A negative attitude is one of the main causes of stress, because a student with a negative attitude responds with more stress than a student with a more positive attitude. Physical well being: If the nutritional status of the student is poor, their body becomes stressed and the student is not able to respond to stressful situations.
As a result, the student can be more susceptible to infections. A poor nutritional state can be related to unhealthy food choices, inadequate food intake, or an erratic eating schedule. A nutritionally unbalanced eating pattern can result in an inadequate intake of nutrients. Physical activity: Inadequate physical activity for a student can result in a stressful state for the body. Physical activity has many physiologic benefits. A consistent program of physical activity can contribute to a decrease in depression and stress, if it exists. It also improves the feeling of well being.
Support systems: A minimal or total lack of support systems can be a sign of family problems or of social interaction in general. Social situations can be beyond the coping ability of a stressed student. Relaxation: When a student has no hobbies or means of relaxation, they may be unable to handle stressful situations because the individual has no outlet for stress. The student just constantly focuses on their schoolwork and nothing else. There are many ways to deal with stress management for students. All the ways deal with satisfying the needs of the five factors that influence a student’s well being.
The number one rule when dealing with stress is a student’s physical well being and the attitude of that student. To start with, the student must think positive. Positive thinking not only decreases the stress level in the body, but it also acts as a confidence builder. That student must make an effort to stop negative thoughts and think more towards positive ones. This changes the total mindset of that student. Instead of thinking negative thoughts about a test, the student needs to focus on doing well instead. Rule number two for a student dealing with stress deals with physical activity.
As far as physical activity goes, a student is encouraged to start an exercise program. Exercise is a major stress reliever. Exercising frequently is one of the best physical stress-reduction techniques available. Exercise not only improves health and reduces stress caused by unfitness, but it also relaxes tense muscles and helps to sleep; and students need a proper amount of sleep. Exercise has a number of other positive benefits such as: it improves blood flow to the brain, bringing additional sugars and oxygen, which may be needed when a student is thinking intensely.
Another benefit of exercise is it can cause a release of chemicals called endorphins into the blood stream. These give a feeling of happiness and well being; and the happier a student is, the more confidence they have in themselves, and the better they will do on a test. Rule number three when dealing with stress is nutrition. Nutrition plays a big factor when dealing with stress. The saying “you are what you eat” is a true statement. If a student eats healthy and nutritious food, then chances are the level of stress in their body will be lower because they will be more energetic and motivated to do things.
On the other hand, if a student eats unhealthy junk foods, chances are they will have a lot more stress in their life because they won’t have the motivation to do things. This is where procrastination plays a part in the student’s life. If a student is motivated, then they won’t have any trouble managing their time. Instead of waiting until the last minute, they will learn to gradually set aside some time to work on that assignment little by little. So a student under stress should eat foods that improve their well being. Foods from the food pyramid that contain carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit, and proteins are a great energy source.
Also that student should eat on a reasonable schedule and not skip meals. Many students are pressed for time and they’ll skip meals or just grab food to go; that’s not good for their body. Students need to learn to eat regular balanced diets to keep their bodies functioning properly. Rule number four when dealing with stress has to do with social support. A student under stress should make an effort to interact socially with people. Once in awhile a student needs to take time off from their schoolwork and go out with their friends.
It is important that a student interacts with others because it boosts self-confidence and helps maintain social stability in their lives. Lastly, rule number five when dealing with stress is using relaxation techniques. There are many relaxation techniques such as: listening to music, daydreaming, sleeping, writing poetry and many others. Also a student dealing with stress should take time out of their schedule for personal interests and hobbies. Students need to take time from stressful situations and do what makes them happy and have fun. It is also good to take a mini vacation from time to time.
This helps keep the stressful student’s mind off of things and allow them to retreat somewhere to think and relax. In conclusion, stress can be very harmful and have a lot of effects on a student’s body. Some stress is good, but a lot of it can be bad. The five ways a student can prevent and deal with stress can be very useful. The student dealing with stress just needs to relax and deal with their problems with ease, instead of making things hard on themselves. Things will fall into place; just have patients and life will be a lot less stressful.
