This week I paid the lovely people at the Health Center at Southern a visit. I wanted to know about some of the biggest health problem facing my fellow students (and myself).
I had the privilege of speaking to Dr. Stiles who gave me a lot of great information on the various ailments plaguing Southern's campus. However, the health issue I found the most interesting was actually stress. She informed me that stress can even cause heart disease and cancer! I am dealing with quite a bit of stress at the moment myself, so I wanted to know: What are the main causes of stress for college students and what can we do to help us relax?
Some of the contributing factors to stress are what you would expect, like pressure at work/school, financial problems, or conflicts with family/friends. On the other hand, she mentioned some stressors that I would not have thought of. For example, health problems, poor diet, lack of exercise, and even not having someone to talk to can all cause stress. (The last time I exercised was at least a month ago, so no wonder I'm stressed!)
We all become overwhelmed from time to time so, what are the best ways to alleviate our stress? According to the wonderful doctors and nurses here at Southern, we could meditate, take a yoga class, write in a journal, exercise, eat properly, communicate with those around us, and make better time management decisions. We have to first determine what the stressors in our personal lives are and then decide upon a fitting solution. At least one of the stress-relievers listed above can help you relax no matter what your problem is.
One question I wish I had asked the doctor is what the symptoms of excessive stress are. How do we know if we are over-stressed? I took at look at the Southern website (southernct.edu) when I got home and I found a little more information on this subject:
SYMPTOMS OF EXCESS STRESS
Unresolved stress can wear down your body. When you are under stress, your body is not able to react or function at full capacity. When this occurs, your immune system becomes compromised and you can begin to feel sick. Here are some common system of excess stress:
- Fatigue or exhaustion
- Tight neck and shoulder muscles
- Feelings of anger
- Feelings of anxiety
- Insomnia
- Headaches or migraines
- Forgetfulness
- Sadness
- Depression
- Hopelessness
- Colds or congestion
- Indigestion
- Poor appetite
If you are experiencing any (or all) of the symptoms above, you have to stop and fix yourself. We cannot live healthy lives when we are put under an immense amount of pressure all the time. Stress can cause serious bodily harm over long periods of time, so learn to relax and manage your stress now before it is too late.
No comments:
Post a Comment