Student stress a common concern

By Rhea Munroe

It’s two in the morning on a Tuesday and your brain feels like shutting down for the night, but closing your eyes is the easy part.

Getting to sleep is a whole other story.

There could be many reasons for your inability to sleep. Perhaps you have more homework to do. Maybe you’re worrying about finishing school, or your financial situation isn’t exactly what you had hoped.

All of these fall under the category of stress. Stress is felt by people of all ages, but is often a big problem with students. The uncertainty of the future and what your life will end up like can be both worrying and stressful. Stress can make college feel like a two-year course in sleep deprivation.

Scott Tinsley, a first-year police foundations student at Loyalist College, said people are by no means guaranteed jobs when they finish school. This is a contributor to the stress around graduation time.

Kelly McGuire-Smith, a student success mentor at Loyalist said, “Stress is a common concern. Managing stress is an important piece to success.”

One of the things McGuire-Smith tells students to help them limit their stress is something that she calls mental hygiene. She described it as a habit you do every day, like brushing your teeth, but for your mind.

“The brain needs oxygen, sun, and water to work well. When you don’t sleep, you don’t breathe deeply enough and lessen the amount of oxygen your brain receives,” explained McGuire-Smith.

“You can feel stress both physically and emotionally,” said Lauren Deans, the college’s nurse. She added stress can cause a decrease in the immune system, leaving you more susceptible to illness. It can lead to such things as stomach problems, high blood pressure, sleep deprivation, fatigue, headaches, and depression.

Statistics Canada 2009 stress statistics state 21.1 per cent of women ages 15 to 19 feel stress on a daily basis and only 11.7 per cent of men in the same age group feel stress. A 2007 Statistics Canada survey also found students who work while they attend school are more likely to feel stress than those who just focus solely on their schooling. It also states that the hours people spend on homework and how often they procrastinate can also be a contribution.

There are no de-stressors that are guaranteed to work for everyone, but McGuire-Smith said generally deep breathing and meditation are good starting points.

Tinsley said, “I find running and reading relaxing. But I also make sure to take the time to talk to my family as well.“

If you’re struggling from stress you can call Open Line, Open Mind at 310-OPEN for support and advice, or visit the college’s guidance counsellors in the student hub.