Emotional Health
Editor’s note: This is the final part in a three-part series on healthy habits for the summer.
College students experience stress, and Aggies are no exception. With summer around the corner, students are finding ways to manage stress and be emotionally healthy.
According to a national survey in the book, “College of the Overwhelmed” by Richard Kadison, more than 50 percent of college students reported feeling so depressed that it was difficult for them to function during the past academic year.
“School is stressful because of the amount of homework that is assigned, especially the days the teachers decide to put all exams on the same day or week,” said Elisha Deschenie, a junior in mechanical engineering. “I get through it by talking with family and friends.”
Some people deal with stress and anxiety better than others, Deschenie said. Tthere are many ways to decrease stress during summer, including avoiding any unnecessary stress, she said. Be willing to compromise, because not everything is going to go your way. A general rule to live by is that if you are unhappy with a situation, change it, she said, and be upfront about things that are going on. Take things into your own hands. Accept it and look at the bigger picture. Focus on the positive.
“Even though there are a lot of ways people deal with their attempts at staying sane, personally I like to enjoy some peace and quiet. By that I obviously mean watch Netflix,” Deschenie said.
Kia Sundberg, a sophomore in music performance, said that during the school year she is stressed out with classes, and over the summer she is stressed out about other things.
“During the school year, the schedule is consistent, but over the summer everything gets mixed with each other: fun, family, friends, work and other commitments,” Sundberg said.
When Sundberg feels stressed, she said she likes to remember her religion to feel better.
“I keep up with my religious beliefs and commitments. That’s where I can get grounded in my priorities,” Sundberg said. “I don’t know what causes depression, but I know that I feel depressed when I have left something in my life undone or when I have been spending too much time on something that has been stressing me out.”
Sundberg said she recommends that students learn how to balance their lives a bit more.
“You have to work in the fun time. You have to work in the relax time. You have to work in the self-reflection time and the hard-at-work time,” she said. “That is really what is going to bring happiness and a feeling of fulfillment.”
Sheree Haggan, the Utah State University multicultural programs coordinator, said she thinks that students should stay social over the summer.
“It’s hard to go from being around so many people to being more isolated. I think students need to be intentional about surrounding themselves with other people,” Haggan said.
She said that students shouldn’t expect summer to cure depression or anxiety, but they should read up about the way they are feeling and talk about it with trustworthy people, or if they have the means, talk to a therapist.
“Take a risk. Do things that make you happy, even if you don’t feel ready,” she said. “It’s always the right time to do something you love.”
— monica.a.delatorre@gmail.com