Are your professors piling too much work on you and making you feel overwhelmed? Are the pressure and stress just killing you? Reducing stress is key to staying healthy and sane on any college campus. With the high demands that Duke University places on their students, it is no wonder that stress levels here seem to be so high. Just last week my roommate was worried over 2 finals that she had in the matter of 2 days while some FOCUS students were under pressure to finish 4 papers due within 24 hours. High stress levels are a problem, especially for freshmen, who are not used to them. Wouldn’t you love to find a quick and easy way to reduce high stress levels?

While some stress has been shown to improve performance, it is also known that excessive amounts of stress can be detrimental to one’s health (Frazier, PA & Schauben LJ. 1994).  In particular, extreme stress can lead to disturbances in sleep patterns (Giesecke, ME. 1987) and alter eating patterns (Olivier, G & Wardle, J. 1998).  Above all stress can easily increase the frequency of headaches and often causes one to lose focus.  These side effects can lead to an inability to be productive and work efficiently and effectively, which consequently leads to more stress, becoming a vicious cycle.

This cycle can be broken with as little as a simple 5-minute exercise. The best way to stop the cycle is to utilize stress-relieving activities. In a recent study performed by Drs. Gloria R. Deckro, Keli M. Ballinger, Herbert Benson, and their colleagues at Harvard University in 2002, it was shown that activating the Relaxation Response (RR), a set of internal changes in the body that are the opposite of the “fight or flight” response, can help decrease unhealthy levels of stress. The relaxation response causes a decrease in oxygen intake and lowers heart rate while altering responses in the central nervous system.

            In their study, The Evaluation of a Mind/Body Intervention to Reduce Psychological Distress and Perceived Stress in College Students, Deckro et al. hypothesized that actively participating in mental health awareness courses and applying preventative measures actually helps to decrease stress levels in the typical college student. One hundred and thirty college students, 69% of whom reported excessive stress levels in their lives, were examined and then divided into two groups. The first group was asked to attend six 90-minute classes that discussed ways to reduce stress in their lives such as breathing exercises, guided imagery and yoga. Also, they were asked to keep a journal of the techniques that they used in their lives. The second group was not asked to alter their lives in any way. At the end of the study, it was found that those students who had participated in the classes displayed significantly lower stress levels than the other students. This suggests that learning ways to reduce stress and applying them can help students deal with high stress levels and extreme anxiety and can help them change their personal perception of stress.

            As a result of the high stress levels on college campuses nationwide, the study even recommends that colleges provide courses for students seeking help in reducing stress. Now there are 2 problems with this idea: 1) most colleges have not currently undertaken such measures, nor will they, and 2) the basis for most on campus stress is a general lack of time to complete assignments. If students are already lacking time, they won’t be able to make time for another class, even if it is supposed to help them relax. So the question remains “what can I do?”

There are several things that you can do to help reduce the amount of stress in your life. Yoga classes are offered at Brodie twice a month. Elliptical machines, bikes, or treadmills are available every day. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, head over to Wilson and take a swing at a racquetball or try out some new moves in one of the dance rooms. Now, I understand that these also take time, but everybody needs a study break. And even if you don’t have time to make it out to the gym, that’s ok. There are several things that you can do in your room. For example, ask a friend or your roommate to give you a massage, and then be kind and return the favor. Or if you like doing things on your own, try a few simple 5 minute breathing exercises. This was an exercise that was used in the Deckro study and effectively helped reduce student stress. Close your eyes…Breath in…Breath out…Clear your mind…Don’t think. Just relax… See? Don’t you feel better already? Even if you don’t feel an immediate result, this simple technique is one of many that have been proven to work to reduce stress. So, next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, try it for yourself and start on the path to being stress free.

 

References

 

Deckro, GR. Ballinger, KM. Hoyt, M. Wilcher, M. Dusek, J. Myers, M. Greenberg, B. Rosenthal, DS. & Benson, H. The evaluation of a mind/body intervention to reduce psychological distress and perceived stress in college students. Journal of American College Health. 2002. 50:6: 281-287.

 

Frazier, PA. & Schauben, LJ. Stressful life events and psychological adjustment among female college students. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling Development. 1994. 27:280-292.

 

Giesecke, ME. The symptom of insomnia in university students. Journal of American College Health. 1987. 35: 215-221.

 

Olivier, G. & Wardle, J. Percieved effects of stress on food choice. Physiological Behavior. 1998. 66(3): 511-515