HOW TO AVOID STRESS IN COLLEGE!

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First: What is Stress!^[2]

• Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events.
• It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness.
• The events that provoke stress are called stressors.
• The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones.
• This natural reaction is known as the stress response.  

Second: What Stress Does to Your Body!^[3]

1. Increased possibility of heart disease
2. Acne, eczema
3. Muscle pain, spasms
4. Tension headache    
5. Excess weight or decreased weight
6. Tendency toward fainting or nausea

Third: The Tips to Avoid Stress in College!^[4]

• #1: Plan! A planner is the perfect way to avoid stress in college. A planner is so important because it helps you to remember all the assignments you need to do. This is especially important if an instructor assigns a project that won't be due for a few months. This way you could break the assignment down and plan to do small portions of the assignment each week
• #2: Learn to Say No: wonderful way to avoid stress is to learn to say no. This isn't the easiest thing to do, but if you're a student who also has a full-time job, you'll be strapped for time. This means you will have to learn to say no to some parties, after school activities, etc. To avoid in college, you must learn what your priorities are and learn to say no to things that are low on the list.
• #3: Schedule Free Time: To avoid stress in college, you must schedule free time for yourself This means that there must be a time of the day where you can just kick back and watch TV or listen to music. If you spend all of your time doing assignments and working, you will quickly become stressed and irritable
• #4: Don't Overbook! One of the worst things college students can do is overbook. It may be tempting to take on two jobs to earn an extra hundred dollars each week, but what does this do for your stress level and your assignments In order to avoid stress in college, you must have a schedule that allows you enough time to complete things properly 
•  #5: Plan for Emergencies! As a college student it may be hard to find time to plan for emergencies, but it must be done in order to avoid stress. For example, when you sit down and plan out your week, do not put everything off until the last minute. There could be a point where something happens and you aren't able to finish what you had planned for that day. The best thing to do is to plan on completing assignments at least two days before they are due. That way, if something happens, you still have time to finish the assignment

Fourth: Behaviors That Will Help Your Stress Level!^[5]

• Emotional Wellness: This involves attending to your own thoughts and feelings, monitoring your reactions, and identifying obstacles to emtional stability.

• Intellectual Wellness: An active mind is assential to wellness because it detects problems, finds solutions, and directs behavior. You never stop learning.

• Interpersonal Wellness: Being able to develop and maintain satisfying and supportive relatoinships.     

• Spiritual Wellness: Sets guiding beliefs, principles or values that give meaning and purpose to life.

• Enviormental Wellness: The livibilty of your surroundings.

Fifth: Who is most vulnerable to stress?^[6]

• Stress comes in many forms and affects people of all ages and all walks of life.
• People with adequate social support networks report less stress and overall improved mental health in comparison to those without adequate social contacts.
• People who are poorly nourished, who get inadequate sleep, or who are physically unwell also have a reduced capacity to handle pressures and stresses of everyday life and may report higher stress levels.
• Children, teens, working parents, and seniors are examples of the groups who often face common stressors related to life transitions.

 Video of Stress: