Healthy methods to relieve stress through academic year
Kavahn Mansouri
-Editor-in-Chief-
All students will eventually stress out; it’s this inevitable truth that comes with the package that is being a college student. Everyone has their limits and it’s good to know when a limit has been reached and what can be done to reduce stress.
Fitness instructor Shelly Ethridge teaches “Stress Management” where she helps students deal with stress through different relaxation exercises.
“The three main stressors for college students are money issues (budgeting financial aid and school loans), choosing a professional career, and time management (juggling school, work and social festivities),” Ethridge said.
Ethridge said she teaches many different tactics to help her students with stress.
“I teach many tactics, deep breathing and relaxation techniques, meditation, journal writing, music and art therapy, time management skills, nutrition and physical exercise,” Ethridge said.
Stress is defined as the importance or significance attached to a thing. Whether it’s grades, personal life or work students are bound to get tied up in a web of stress.
Ethridge said there is no perfect example of dealing with stress.
“It’s hard to pinpoint what is the most effective way to relieve stress because each student is unique. Students have different amount of stress levels and various types of stressors. The individual would have to first examine what is the cause of their stress and then determine the best stress-relieving approach.
“My personal favorite is a combination of music and relaxation,” Ethridge said.
Ethridge said students should stop procrastinating and start taking deep breaths from time to time.
“I would recommend to the students to manage their time well, do not procrastinate and stop, taking a deep breath every once in a while,” Ethridge said.
Ethridge believes that students have a higher stress level than others.
“Everyone is faced with stress. College students certainly have a higher stress level than normal because they are now in a transition period of dependence to independence. The realization that with the freedom of lifestyle choices come the responsibilities that goes with it,” Ethride said.
Ethridge said that during the holiday season, students’ stress heightens with their workload.
“Again each individual is different; however, studies suggest that around the holiday seasons the stress levels are heightened. It could be summarized as a lack of balance of the body, mind and spirit,” Ethridge said.
