Stress Affects Us All
As adults living hectic lives, it’s normal to feel stressed from time to time; it’s a feeling we all share to varying degrees, depending on our responsibilities and experiences. With bills to pay, busy schedules at work, and taking care of pets, kids, or even our parents, juggling everything happening in our personal lives makes constant stress seem like an expected part of life. But, if you don’t find ways to manage it, it starts negatively impacting your life.
According to Single Care, in an article on the 2022 stress statistics, 80% of U.S. workers reported experiencing stress on the job (American Institute of Stress). It also states that nearly half of all U.S. adults (49%) say stress has negatively affected their behavior (American Psychology Association, 2020.)
For people who work while also attending college, their stress levels also increase substantially in addition to any of their other responsibilities. In a 2018 AHCA Report, 63.4% of college students surveyed reported feeling overwhelming anxiety.
With this study coming out before COVID-19, the stress that college students are currently experiencing has increased.
College Students Dealing With Stress
After the past two years of the ongoing pandemic, people’s mental health has been drastically affected. According to a Best Colleges Survey, COVID-19 has escalated stress tremendously, with almost 44% of students worrying about their ability to enroll or stay in college.
“The survey also indicates that COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting underserved populations’ ability to enroll or stay enrolled in college — a fact that should alarm policymakers and college administrators.”
Among those impacted by the COVID-19, 81% of students agreed or strongly agreed they are experiencing higher stress levels. Combined with other adaptations forced by the pandemic, college students are more stressed than ever.
To learn more about how my fellow college students are dealing with stress, I interviewed two students from the College of Southern Nevada (CSN).
Christy Yip
Christy Yip, a sophomore at CSN, spoke about how frequently she feels stressed as of late. “I feel stressed quite often, especially when assignments and exams are occupying my schedule.”
Yip also says that she primarily stresses about her academic results and future path. “I’m worried about my future career as I’m not sure what I’m going to do when I graduate.”
I find it interesting to think about why people are taking cautious steps now. So many students, including myself, worry about the future and what it holds for us. With the pandemic continuing to have a significant negative impact on the outlooks of Gen-Z college students, Christy’s concern is understandable.
Throughout the pandemic, we watched people struggle to pay bills as costs increased and wages stayed the same. The “Great Resignation,” as it’s been named, has seen a flood of people leaving jobs that paid them below the cost of living and mistreated them in the workplace. As this happened across many different industries, from customer service and fast food to teaching and nursing, Gen-Z has not been blind to the reality of this situation. Memes of Starbucks employees with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in areas like science and engineering unable to find work in their area of study are discouraging. And that discouragement is contagious.
According to a survey by CollegeSurvey.com, only three in 10 college students feel confident about landing a job in their desired field after graduating. Fewer (23%) believe they’ll receive their desired salary after graduation. Like many people, nearly one in six students lost positions they had lined up before the pandemic hit. In this time of uncertainty, it’s expected and intelligible that students feel concerned about their place in the workforce.
Although all this uncertainty creates a lot of stress, we need to find the time and space to relax and take a deep breath. Lowering your stress levels is proven to better your mood, improve your sleep, and decrease your muscle tension. Everyone finds different ways to relieve stress, which led me to my next question for Christy. When asked about her favorite stress relievers, Yip said, “I talk with my family and friends, watch movies, and do something I enjoy.”
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Yazmeen Flores
Yazmeen Flores has studied at CSN for six years now. Like any other college student, she feels stressed almost all the time about numerous things.
“I get stressed about all the assignments I need to get done if I have time to do them, how long or how I should study for my exams, and if I can pass the class,” Flores said. “Most times, I stress about finding time to do homework and study when I also have a full-time job. Trying to find balance between school and work has been a struggle.”
Just like Christy, Yazmeen also feels frustrated thinking about her future. This includes thinking about career and family.
“I feel like it’s impossible not to think about your future,” she said. “Even when you think you may have your life planned, it can still be scary to think about your future, especially when life is unpredictable. You have to have backup plans as well.”
Every once in a while, it’s nice to take a load off and not always live in constant fear of worrying about things. It’s hard, but sometimes it can be the best thing for our health.
When asked about her stress relievers, Yazmeen said, “To relieve stress, I like to take time to myself or hang out with friends. When I’m away from “responsibilities” even if it’s only for a few minutes or hours, it helps a little bit. I also like to take myself on dates to coffee/boba shops to gather my thoughts or do some work. I find being away from home helps too.”
Stress: Who It Affects the Most
Humans can’t help but often think, “what’s going to happen next?” This is natural and quite impossible not to do. It’s a part of life to be anxious now and then since everything is unpredictable and stress levels are at an all-time high. With everything happening in the world at the moment, it’s expected to feel this way. However, stress appears to be impacting some age groups more than others.
An article on Very Well Mind explains how “Millennials are more worried about the future than any other age group at 40%. …Together, Gen Z and Millennials are most worried about negatively impacting the future of the world (32% and 29%, respectively).”
Among the causes of the highest stress and anxiety levels are fears about financial instability, political instability, family welfare, global warming, and recently, the current pandemic and any future ones.
What You Can Do to Raise Awareness
Everyone feels stressed from time to time, especially as we grow older and take on more responsibilities. A small amount of stress is fine now and then, but too much of it deteriorates our mental and physical health. Therefore, it’s essential to find balance within your daily life so that it won’t hinder you from living a happy life.
A lot is happening in the world that is largely or entirely out of our control. A big part of finding balance is focusing on the things within our control. So, here are ways to de-stress a little bit!
- Do something that makes you happy or take on a new hobby.
- Light that nice candle and enjoy a moment of peace.
- Spend time laughing with family and friends.
- Write how you’re feeling down in a journal.
- Listen to your favorite. Sing and dance.
- Move your body or exercise daily.
- Take a walk. Nature is beautiful.
- Talk to someone.
- Read a book.
- Meditate.
- Stretch.
- Eat healthily.
- Stay hydrated.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Play a musical instrument.
- Bake/cook something. Get creative in the kitchen!
- Wear the color blue or put blue objects in your room or office, as it encourages a powerful sense of calmness.
There are numerous ways to relieve the stress you’re dealing with. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a stress-free life. We are all human, and it is a part of life that we can’t escape from. Some topics we naturally worry about, like the future, of course. Since we cannot run from it, we must choose to figure out how we deal with stress in our daily lives.
The most important thing is figuring out what works best for you. Even one of the above activities can boost your serotonin levels drastically. Try incorporating some of these into your daily routine this month, and you will see a change for the better. Everyone is different, and balance is the key to living a genuinely happy life.
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