REBECCA WOODROW
Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain that results from demanding circumstances. University is demanding, but it can be rewarding and is structured so that students are able to meet its demands.
In “Common Causes of Stress Among Students” published on 25 May 2015, Livestrong.com named the common causes of stress among students to be bad sleeping habits, academic pressure, full schedules and poor diet. Other worries students face is accommodation, transport, and finances. According to Ethel Mothlamme of Student Support, the main cause of overwhelming levels of stress for students is when academic pressures and personal problems combine, and are together too much for the student to cope with.
There are two types of stress: eustress and distress. The distinction is important. Eustress, also known as positive stress, is short-term and focuses energy and motivation. Distress is negative stress. It can be long-term or short-term and fuels anxiety and lessens a person’s everyday performance. Distress increases the body’s release of hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. This release leads to physiological changes to the cardiovascular system, like hyperventilation, increased blood pressure, and a faster heart rate. The hormones also impact the liver and this changes sugar levels and guides a person’s appetite. Distress can lead to both mental and physical problems.
Unmanaged distress can impact a person greatly. According to Mayo Clinic in a Healthy Lifestyle subsection on stress management, the body is subject to physical symptoms of stress usually associated with illness, like pain and fatigue that lead to failing to recognise stress. Distress can prompt self-destructive behaviour such as emotional outbursts, poor eating habits, social withdrawal and substance abuse, resulting in emotional strain which can lead to depression. Life-threatening conditions like heart-disease and diabetes can occur as a result of long-term unchecked distress. According to Campus Mind Works, the University of Michigan Health System web site, common indicators of too much stress are “difficulty concentrating, increased worrying, trouble completing assignments on time, short temper or increased agitation, tension, headaches, tight muscles, and changes in sleeping habits”.
Some helpful stress management strategies recommended by Mayo Clinic and Campus Mind Works include regular physical activity that releases endorphins and improves your mood. Relaxation techniques, meditation, socializing, keeping a journal, and maintaining time for hobbies are also recommended. To manage academic stress, learning time management skills and goal setting are advised. Mayo Clinic also warns against inactive ways of managing stress relevant to the average student age group like watching television, surfing the internet, and playing video games. Abusing alcohol as an attempt to manage stress has also been proven to only further aggravate it.
The University of Pretoria’s Department of Student Affairs has a student support division aimed at guiding students through difficulties. They offer “academic, therapeutic and emotional support, rendered by a highly professional multi-disciplinary team, consisting of counselling, educational and clinical psychologists and social workers”. The division “[knows] that the transition from school to university can be very demanding and may sometimes feel overwhelming”. Mothlamme says most students do not have serious problems that need behind doors interventions, they just need knowledge about life, and how to recognise when they are facing serious stress. This is what student support is for. They assist students struggling with test and exam anxiety, homesickness, and recognising the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Mothlamme recommends a two tier support approach for students. The first tier should be informal help where the student talks to a trusted person. If the student still feels overwhelmed, or the informal help is not enough, Mothlamme then says students must seek professional help. The professional help doesn’t necessarily have to be face-to-face contact and Student Support offers email and call services for student counselling. Mothlamme advises that students come to Student Support if they are feeling overwhelmed for any reason. She says that needing help must not be seen as abnormal, as most students struggle from time to time.
Student Support offers life skills groups throughout the year, personal consultations, and academic help.
Student Support
Tel: 012 420 2333
The 24-Hour UP Care
Image: Lené Stroebel
