SUGGESTIONS:

Helpful ways to cope with college anxiety and stress;

Many college students live with mental health condition, whether they have
generalized anxiety disorder, panic ,or are simply struggling with all life’s
demand. It can be helpful to understand that you are not the only one with
feeling of anxiety, Particularly when when social media can make it seem like
your alone. Below are the strategies to help you to cope with stress.

Eat healthy foods:

This sounds almost like a bummer, but it isn’t. What we are talking about here
is a diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein. The majority of the
time, you need to choose those types of foods. That doesn’t mean you can’t
have the occasional donut or potato chips, but what it does mean is that a diet
of fast food, processed foods, fried foods, high-fat and high-sugar foods should
be avoided most of the time. Did you know that a poor diet can increase your
stress levels? Over time, a nutrition-poor diet can lead to a host of issues,
including decreased cognitive function, weight gain, and mental and physical
stress. Eating healthy allows your body to be less stressed. If you’re wondering
what a healthy diet looks like, check out the “Choose My Plate” site by the
United States Department of Agriculture. You can even purchase dining plans
from Sodexo, which runs the Sub Connection, the cafes in Liesinger Hall and
the Walter H. Nolte Gateway Center, and the Tobin Dining Hall. You can even
see what’s on the daily menu at Tobin Dining Hall here. Also, don’t forget to
drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Exercise:
You may be surprised at how little you actually need to do to get some exercise
in. Even if you can’t give more than 10 minutes a day, that 10 minutes will help
release tension, up your mood, and help your body stay healthy. It’s a fact that
physical activity does and will improve your overall health and help decrease
your stress levels. At Casper College, you can work out at the T-Bird Fitness
Center or participate in one of our many intramural teams. What other ways
can you exercise daily? Park your car farther away from buildings, take the
stairs, bike, hike, walk to your destinations, jog, etc. Remember, your body will
fight stress better when you exercise, even a little bit!

Get plenty of sleep:

One of the first things that you may find yourself skipping is getting enough
sleep. Between classes, perhaps a part-time job, homework, and socializing,
you might think that missing a few Zzzz is no problem. However, one of the
best ways to ward off stress and keep your mind and body operating at peak
performance is to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. You’ll
find that getting enough sleep not only helps you feel and perform better, but
it also helps with your memory and ability to recall things, helps with tissue
repair and muscle growth, energy levels, and your ability to learn. Without
enough sleep, you can find yourself experiencing more stress, which can lead
to you not being able to go to sleep at night because you are stressed out! It
can be a vicious cycle. One way to overcome this is to have and keep a regular
sleep schedule. Try going to bed 30 minutes early and turn off your phone and
tablet. Instead, read a book or magazine. If you are still wide awake after about
20 minutes with the lights off, get up and do something calming and soothing,
which will allow your brain to calm down.

Manage your time and learn to say “no”

You can manage your time through organization and learning to say no.
Organization allows you to manage your time, and good time management is
one of the best ways to relieve stress. Purchase or make up your own day or
weekly planner, use a calendar — Google Calendar or Apple’s iCalendar are
both good — or a priority chart, whichever works best for you. Once you have
settled on the best time and organization management for you, be sure to stay
with it. Prioritize each item for the day or week and then assign an amount of
time for each, starting with the most to the least important. This can and
should include time for class and study, as well as time for work, family,
friends, and yes, even yourself. Be sure to make time for relaxation and what
interests you like a hobby or listening to music. And don’t forget not to take on
too much. This can mean saying no to the many requests for your time you
may get from others. We are often afraid to say no because we don’t want to
seem rude or selfish, we feel obligated, we want to please the asker, etc. If you
say yes all the time, or even most of the time, you can actually up your stress
levels. By saying yes, you are putting your priorities and obligations on the back
burner. But, at some point, you will have to go back to them, and if you end up
without enough time for your priorities and obligations, you are sure to get
stressed out. But you don’t need to be rude when you say no. Just let the other
person know that while you appreciate them asking you, you cannot take on
their request.

Practice Mindfulness
To practice mindfulness is to simply tune into yourself and be fully present in
the moment. Studies have shown that when a person is engaged in
mindfulness, their stress level is reduced. Students can sign up for a free four-
week, one hour per week Koru Mindfulness Course at the Casper College
Wellness Center. The course is specifically designed to provide college students
with “ … mindfulness, meditation, and stress management skills … “ Students
who have gone through the four-week training can feel calmer, more rested,
have greater self-compassion and slow down their racing mind. It is important
to note that you are less likely to be stressed when you are mindful of your
needs and learn to engage in self-compassion. Besides practicing mindfulness,
you can also induce relaxation through deep breathing, aromatherapy,
hydrotherapy, journaling, and positive thinking.
Remember, college students, like you, can experience stress for many reasons,
including new or additional responsibilities, new living arrangements and daily
schedules — which can also change eating and sleeping habits, harder classes,
meeting new people, etc. However, if you find that stress is still getting to you
even after trying these tips or are trying to treat it through alcohol or drugs,
you need to ask for help. Casper College provides several avenues for you to
pursue. Counseling services are housed within the Casper College Wellness
Center. Casper College’s counselors offer individual, couple, and group
counseling as well as consultations and crisis intervention. The Casper College
Student Success Center can help you find tutoring and study resources, career
services, and provide extra guidance, support or a helping hand. All of these
services are free and confidential.

How do college students reduce stress?

It is important to note that you are less likely to be stressed when you are
mindful of your needs and learn to engage in self-compassion. Besides
practicing mindfulness, you can also induce relaxation through deep breathing,
aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, journaling, and positive thinking

Other stress busting methods

Take your mind off it.do something you enjoy and that will distract you for a
while like listen music, reading, baking, or crafts.
Eat healthy and consume fresh food
Change your mind set. and adopt a positive attitude
Take a break from social media. Comparing yourself and your productivity to
others is a recipe for disaster.
Laugh. Laughing load actually increases oxygen and blood flow, which
immediately reduces stress.