It is no secret that one of a college student’s biggest stressors is, in fact, the aspect of school itself. While the foremost purpose of college is to go to classes and receive a higher education in the field of your choice, it is still very important to find time to incorporate different stress relievers that suit you, your lifestyle and your interests.
Unfortunately, the reality of college life is that sometimes there is just not enough time for activities of that sort.
Serena Valente, a junior studying communication sciences and disorders, said she finds herself stressing out a lot more about school and her workload due to the fact that she doesn’t have a whole lot of time to do what she enjoys most.
“I’m taking 20 credit hours, so that’s all I’ve really been doing with my life and I barely have time to breathe because it’s taking away my social life and gym time,” Valente said. “Gym time is what makes me relax, so not being able to go to the gym because of school is what stresses me out the most.”
Despite the demanding schedule of a college student’s life, it is imperative to find time to take part in doing the things that make you happy.
According to research done by students in the Harvard Medical School, there are five straightforward tips that one can use to help get rid of high stress levels: staying positive and laughing, meditation, exercise, unplugging from technology and small things like taking a warm bath or partaking in a favorite hobby.
While there are many notable mechanisms that help to alleviate stress and have been proven by scientists and researchers alike, sometimes it is more beneficial and enjoyable to hear about what other students, in a close proximity and just like yourself, are doing to help lessen the pressures of being a student.
Stazi Fitzroy, a senior studying international business and marketing at OU, enjoys going to Ping with a good friend of hers to alleviate her stress.
“Whenever everything gets to be too much, I have a go-to person that I can go to Ping with. She’s been teaching me Muay Thai, which forces me to focus on something that’s completely unrelated to classes,” said Fitzroy.
Liz Sekeres, a sophomore studying health administration, has a couple of different methods that she likes to use to de-stress on a long day.
“What I like to do to destress is either go to the gym or binge-watch my favorite Netflix series. Even though both are kind of polar opposites, they both help in their own different way,” Sekeres said.
Brooke Mauro, a junior studying finance and management, also has a few different activities that she enjoys to help lighten the mood of a stressful day of classes and life’s crazy happenings.
“To destress, I like to go to Ping, take a walk around campus, or even head to a coffee shop with a friend.”
While some of these mechanisms that other OU students use to cope with their daily stress levels may not be for you, it is important to know that there are many other ways in which one can go about alleviating tension caused from the pressures of being a college student.
Find something you enjoy doing, and then find the time to do it; I promise you, it’ll pay off.
Bri Shaniuk is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. How do you handle the stress of classes? Let Bri know by emailing her at bs714714@ohio.edu.
