College life is universally considered to be the best years of a person’s lifetime. . What most people do not understand is that being a college student in this day and age comes with many stressors, including social, academic, financial and personal stressors. As a result, it can be extremely helpful to develop personalized methods of coping, learning what works best for you in stressful and anxiety-inducing situations is key. If you do not find healthy coping methods that benefit you, you may develop toxic habits.
A major cause of anxiety for many college students is social interactions. College introduces students to a world of new people. Most university campuses have thousands of students filtering through them every day. On an average day, college students come into contact with hundreds of different people. These interactions can vary from a simple hello to a full-blown conversation. Social interactions, no matter how small, can be overwhelming. The interactions that place the most burden on one’s mental health are interpersonal relationships. Interpersonal relationships involve effort and can be draining. Miscommunication and injured feelings are bound to occur if there is a lack of proper communication. In order to decrease social anxiety in your daily life, it’s beneficial to always be honest with the people in your life, establish proper communications, and surround yourself with people that make you feel good. Most importantly, set aside some alone time. . Being new to an independent lifestyle can be terrifying, and it is possible to latch on to other people in the same boat. That being said, it is important to set aside some time to simply hang out with yourself. Your mind will feel clearer, and you’ll feel recharged.
Another huge stressor in college is academic stressors. The leap from high school academia to college academia is large. You have to quickly learn how to incorporate autonomy, more time and effort into your studies. Struggling academically can bring about imposter syndrome and low self-esteem, resulting in anxiety, stress and even depression. It’s important to show yourself grace and to not beat yourself up over an issue that does not define you. Some good ways to approach academics in a non-anxiety inducing way include studying an appropriate amount, having proper time management skills, and finding things that excite you about school. Not procrastinating is the main way to avoid anxiety and stress in an academic setting. Spacing your work out and not cramming many tasks into one day is a great way to approach schoolwork in a calmer way. Writing down your daily tasks in a planner is a great way to hold yourself accountable and to plan out what you have to do each day of the week.
Financial stressors are a common problem for many college students. . Many people refer to the phrase “broke college kid”. The reality is that college students already have a full plate with school, and simultaneously working a job can be incredibly challenging. Most full-time students are not employed during the school year, which subsequently triggers stress, as there is no flowing income. Two ways to reduce money-related anxiety are to learn how to manage your money and to save your money. It can be easy to quickly spend a large portion of money in a short time. Things like groceries, going out with friends and even your morning coffee add up. Due to this, it’s incredibly important to track your bank statements to see how much money you’re spending each month. Saving is also key to reducing your anxiety. Saving your money after working during breaks and spending sparingly is an ideal way to manage your finances in college
Being a college student comes with numerous challenges. It introduces you to an array of new and amazing things but also brings about many stressors and anxiety-inducing things. It can become overwhelming, causing many people to drop out annually. If you find yourself in a precarious place, remember that you’re a strong person who took the step of going to college and that finding proper coping mechanisms will push you through your lows… You were strong enough to take the step of going to college, and with the right methods of coping, you will push through the low moments.
How do you deal with anxiety? Tell us by tagging us @HerCampusSJSU!