Many college students feel like their brain is melting due to academic pressures and other factors. Too much stress in college can lead to poor grades. What can college school students do? Here are some tips to help students reduce stress:
Energy Booster Products
Caffeine energy drinks are popular with college students – they help them stay awake for all-night study sessions. However, delaying the body's need for sleep typically results in an energy crash which increases the susceptibility to stress.
A report in the medical journal Pediatrics found that some energy drinks contain four to five times more caffeine than soda. According to the report, energy drinks often contain ingredients that can enhance the jittery effects of caffeine.
Multitasking
Multitasking is part of college students' lives. However, a study reported in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that multitasking has a negative physical effect, promoting the release of stress hormones and adrenaline. Multitasking affects a person's mental clarity; switching between tasks ultimately makes students less efficient.
The report also showed students took far longer to solve complicated math problems when they had to switch to other tasks – they were up to 40 percent slower. It becomes a vicious cycle where people often work hard at multitasking, which results in taking longer to get things done, which then increases their stress. They end up feeling harried and compelled to do more multitasking. It's better to focus on one thing at a time.
Sleep
A good night's sleeps helps students deal with stress much easier. Most college students need 7-8 hours of sleep per night. J. David Forbes , MD, a physician specializing in stress management, said, "Winging it on not much sleep has a profound effect on how we experience stressors of the day."
Yoga for College Students
Yoga includes a mixture of exercises, meditation, and breathing. Practicing yoga is a great way for college students to reduce stress. Yoga counteracts the effects of stress in several ways, including by positively altering the biochemical responses of the body. Practicing yoga helps students sleep better and helps them avoid stress-induced eating.
According to studies, yoga practitioners learn more and improve their memory and grades. Yoga is an excellent alternative to the action packed, adrenalin rush video games many college students enjoy playing.
Exercise
Physical activities, such as aerobic exercises and jogging, help to use up the excess energy produced by stress. Stressed out college students need, at a minimum, 30 minutes of exercise every day. According to the prestigious Mayo Clinic , practically any type of exercise from aerobics to weightlifting can relieve stress.
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
While practicing transcendental meditation, the brain functions with significantly greater coherence and the body gains deep rest. The state of restful alertness produced by transcendental meditation relieves stress and fatigue.
David Haaga, Ph.D. , professor of Psychology at American University in Washington D.C., said, "The Transcendental Meditation Program, a widely-used standardized program to reduce stress, showed significant decreases in blood pressure and improved mental health in young adults at risk for hypertension."
Reducing stress leads to a happier more fulfilling college life, so college students would be wise to pay attention.
Brian Jenkins is a member of the BrainTrack.com writing team. He writes about careers in athletic training , among other career topics.
Many college students feel like their brain is melting due to academic pressures and other factors. Too much stress in college can lead to poor grades. What can college school students do? Here are some tips to help students reduce stress:
Energy Booster Products
Caffeine energy drinks are popular with college students – they help them stay awake for all-night study sessions. However, delaying the body's need for sleep typically results in an energy crash which increases the susceptibility to stress.
A report in the medical journal Pediatrics found that some energy drinks contain four to five times more caffeine than soda. According to the report, energy drinks often contain ingredients that can enhance the jittery effects of caffeine.
Multitasking
Multitasking is part of college students' lives. However, a study reported in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that multitasking has a negative physical effect, promoting the release of stress hormones and adrenaline. Multitasking affects a person's mental clarity; switching between tasks ultimately makes students less efficient.
The report also showed students took far longer to solve complicated math problems when they had to switch to other tasks – they were up to 40 percent slower. It becomes a vicious cycle where people often work hard at multitasking, which results in taking longer to get things done, which then increases their stress. They end up feeling harried and compelled to do more multitasking. It's better to focus on one thing at a time.
Sleep
A good night's sleeps helps students deal with stress much easier. Most college students need 7-8 hours of sleep per night. J. David Forbes , MD, a physician specializing in stress management, said, "Winging it on not much sleep has a profound effect on how we experience stressors of the day."
Yoga for College Students
Yoga includes a mixture of exercises, meditation, and breathing. Practicing yoga is a great way for college students to reduce stress. Yoga counteracts the effects of stress in several ways, including by positively altering the biochemical responses of the body. Practicing yoga helps students sleep better and helps them avoid stress-induced eating.
According to studies, yoga practitioners learn more and improve their memory and grades. Yoga is an excellent alternative to the action packed, adrenalin rush video games many college students enjoy playing.
Exercise
Physical activities, such as aerobic exercises and jogging, help to use up the excess energy produced by stress. Stressed out college students need, at a minimum, 30 minutes of exercise every day. According to the prestigious Mayo Clinic , practically any type of exercise from aerobics to weightlifting can relieve stress.
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
While practicing transcendental meditation, the brain functions with significantly greater coherence and the body gains deep rest. The state of restful alertness produced by transcendental meditation relieves stress and fatigue.
David Haaga, Ph.D. , professor of Psychology at American University in Washington D.C., said, "The Transcendental Meditation Program, a widely-used standardized program to reduce stress, showed significant decreases in blood pressure and improved mental health in young adults at risk for hypertension."
Reducing stress leads to a happier more fulfilling college life, so college students would be wise to pay attention.
Brian Jenkins is a member of the BrainTrack.com writing team. He writes about careers in athletic training , among other career topics.