Stop stressing silly, it's not good for you
The transition from high school
to college and the competition for
grades, relationships, career choice
and many other aspects of the college
environment can often be stressful
and frustrating for many students.
Reactions to various stressful situations can be determined by your current welfare. Someone who is always feeling overwhelmed, eating poorly and not getting enough sleep (aka the average student) will be less likely to carry an average stress load.
This is why it’s always important to be mindful of your own wellbeing, when trying to avoid stress. The right balance of sleep, food, exercise, work, school and recreation is crucial to bypassing a meltdown. Only take on what you can handle and utilize your free Fanshawe planner to keep track of due dates and organize study time.
The Facts
A Globe and Mail report surveyed more than 30,000 students throughout Canada’s Colleges and Universities. It revealed concerning results of the level of stress and anxiety students feel when dealing with their education.
Close to 90 per cent of students claimed that they felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year. Over 50 per cent said they felt hopeless and 63 per cent said they felt very lonely.
The report also captured a very grim picture on the issue of suicide amongst students, where 10 per cent had seriously considered taking their own lives in the past year.
Dr. Su-Ting Teo, director of student health and wellness at Ryerson University, brought up how some health issues students face are often overlooked.
“There is the perception still I think, in the public, that students have it easy ... I’m not saying that it isn’t that way for many students, but I don’t think people recognize just how much students have to juggle these days,” said Teo in a Huffington Post article. “Some of it is health, some of it is relationships, some of it is academics and finances, but what’s surprising is 55 per cent of students are actually juggling three or more of those issues at the same time.”
“Many of us are worried that the number of young people today experiencing mental health problems is on the increase. As a society, we need to be saying this is a crisis,” Dr. Jean Clinton, a child psychiatrist at McMaster University, told Global News.
If it’s starting to feel like you’re about to break, chances are you’re not the only one struggling. Young Canadians everywhere are suffering from rising levels of anxiety, stress, depression, suicide and one in five have a mental health issue. So don’t be embarrassed or neglect the use of the college’s free counselling and accessibilities services. They can help you break down barriers that you may be struggling with to help you achieve and get you back on track.
Stress Management
Relaxation techniques are extremely valuable tools in dealing with stress management. Meditation techniques make it possible for you to spend a short period of time in a state of profound relaxation, where both the body and the mind are at rest and the outside world can be forgotten about for a bit.
Technique 1: Practice sitting quietly for 15 minutes, with no interruptions and let yourself relax. Often, it is our negative thoughts and worries that create tension and un-needed stress. So you may also like to practice thought blocking techniques to cope with stress. This helps to block those disillusioning thoughts from entering your head.
Technique 2: Examining and focusing on a single object will help to distract your mind from grueling studying or a project for a couple of minutes to clear your head.
Taking little breaks from work WILL help and probably what saved me during my first year. Stop and have a 10-20 minute intermission from studying. Go for a walk, breathe deeply, call a friend, put on some favorite music or watch an episode of your favourite show!
As much as you may think you are just wasting time, taking breaks are key. By law, you have to take breaks at work, right? So why wouldn’t you treat yourself to some in the comfort of your own home as well.
Counsellors will also work with you to help identify and resolve any problems you may be having. You can talk with a counselor to learn more about how to develop these stress-reducing skills.
Whether you need help with stress management, substance abuse, dealing with a loss/death, depression/anxiety, eating disorders, anger management, assault/ abuse, relationship difficulties, school failure/underachievement, sexuality and suicide risk, Fanshawe offers professional and confidential counselling that is provided free of charge to students.
Stress is harmful when it is excessive. What people may not realize is much of the stress that we all experience can actually be helpful and stimulating instead of being disenchanting! The challenges of our lives tend to be stressful and nothing will change that. Besides, without any stress in our lives, good or bad, we would lead a rather boring existence.
Fanshawe Counselling and Accessibility offices can be found in F2010 and offers students a range of services for full-time students. Call 519-452-4282 or email counselling@fanshawec.ca to book an appointment.
Reactions to various stressful situations can be determined by your current welfare. Someone who is always feeling overwhelmed, eating poorly and not getting enough sleep (aka the average student) will be less likely to carry an average stress load.
This is why it’s always important to be mindful of your own wellbeing, when trying to avoid stress. The right balance of sleep, food, exercise, work, school and recreation is crucial to bypassing a meltdown. Only take on what you can handle and utilize your free Fanshawe planner to keep track of due dates and organize study time.
The Facts
A Globe and Mail report surveyed more than 30,000 students throughout Canada’s Colleges and Universities. It revealed concerning results of the level of stress and anxiety students feel when dealing with their education.
Close to 90 per cent of students claimed that they felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year. Over 50 per cent said they felt hopeless and 63 per cent said they felt very lonely.
The report also captured a very grim picture on the issue of suicide amongst students, where 10 per cent had seriously considered taking their own lives in the past year.
Dr. Su-Ting Teo, director of student health and wellness at Ryerson University, brought up how some health issues students face are often overlooked.
“There is the perception still I think, in the public, that students have it easy ... I’m not saying that it isn’t that way for many students, but I don’t think people recognize just how much students have to juggle these days,” said Teo in a Huffington Post article. “Some of it is health, some of it is relationships, some of it is academics and finances, but what’s surprising is 55 per cent of students are actually juggling three or more of those issues at the same time.”
“Many of us are worried that the number of young people today experiencing mental health problems is on the increase. As a society, we need to be saying this is a crisis,” Dr. Jean Clinton, a child psychiatrist at McMaster University, told Global News.
If it’s starting to feel like you’re about to break, chances are you’re not the only one struggling. Young Canadians everywhere are suffering from rising levels of anxiety, stress, depression, suicide and one in five have a mental health issue. So don’t be embarrassed or neglect the use of the college’s free counselling and accessibilities services. They can help you break down barriers that you may be struggling with to help you achieve and get you back on track.
Stress Management
Relaxation techniques are extremely valuable tools in dealing with stress management. Meditation techniques make it possible for you to spend a short period of time in a state of profound relaxation, where both the body and the mind are at rest and the outside world can be forgotten about for a bit.
Technique 1: Practice sitting quietly for 15 minutes, with no interruptions and let yourself relax. Often, it is our negative thoughts and worries that create tension and un-needed stress. So you may also like to practice thought blocking techniques to cope with stress. This helps to block those disillusioning thoughts from entering your head.
Technique 2: Examining and focusing on a single object will help to distract your mind from grueling studying or a project for a couple of minutes to clear your head.
Taking little breaks from work WILL help and probably what saved me during my first year. Stop and have a 10-20 minute intermission from studying. Go for a walk, breathe deeply, call a friend, put on some favorite music or watch an episode of your favourite show!
As much as you may think you are just wasting time, taking breaks are key. By law, you have to take breaks at work, right? So why wouldn’t you treat yourself to some in the comfort of your own home as well.
Counsellors will also work with you to help identify and resolve any problems you may be having. You can talk with a counselor to learn more about how to develop these stress-reducing skills.
Whether you need help with stress management, substance abuse, dealing with a loss/death, depression/anxiety, eating disorders, anger management, assault/ abuse, relationship difficulties, school failure/underachievement, sexuality and suicide risk, Fanshawe offers professional and confidential counselling that is provided free of charge to students.
Stress is harmful when it is excessive. What people may not realize is much of the stress that we all experience can actually be helpful and stimulating instead of being disenchanting! The challenges of our lives tend to be stressful and nothing will change that. Besides, without any stress in our lives, good or bad, we would lead a rather boring existence.
Fanshawe Counselling and Accessibility offices can be found in F2010 and offers students a range of services for full-time students. Call 519-452-4282 or email counselling@fanshawec.ca to book an appointment.
