6 Healthy Coping Mechanisms for Stressed Out College Students

In a climate overwhelmed by financial, academic, and emotional stress, college students must navigate how to cope with stress while maintaining a balance in their busy lives.

A vast majority of people understand many of the harmful effects that stress can pose on the human body. Higher stress levels are correlated with depression, a weakener immune system, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart attacks. College students are a vulnerable population for the levels of stress they may face at such a young age. The stressors that impact them can cause long-term harm to their physical and mental health. This forces us to pose an important question: Do college students know healthy coping mechanisms for stress?

As a college student myself, I tend to see that while some of my peers on campus understand and exercise healthy coping mechanisms, many more appear to turn to either unhealthy strategies to manage stress, like substance use, or healthy methods in unhealthy doses, like exercising to extremes or over implementing ineffective self-care. Below, I have listed 6 healthy coping mechanisms for stressed out college students. All of them are forms of self-care in some way, shape, or form. It is worth noting that all of these only work in moderation, and not all methods work for every person. Perhaps a combination of a few of these strategies will work best for you, so give them a try!

#1: Ensure that you are getting a sufficient amount of sleep.

Eight hours of sleep is necessary for us to function on a daily basis. While you might not get this amount of sleep some nights, you should try your best to get eight hours of sleep as often as you can. It might seem cool to sleep for only three to four hours every night when you compare your life to your peers, but avoiding sleep over the course of four years can cause a lot of damage to your health! Treat your body with respect by sleeping for eight hours every night (or as often as you can), even if it means turning in early and setting an early alarm to wake up with a fresh mind to study.

#2: Limit your caffeine intake.

As a student myself, I am not very good at this. However, it is a healthy habit I have picked up more in the last year. Most college students function on caffeine in high doses, either in the form of coffee, soda, or energy drinks. This results in periods of excessive stimulation to your surroundings, followed by a crash because energy was used at the height of the caffeine intake. For most students, this is when the next caffeinated drink is introduced. Don’t do this!

Replace this second drink with water and a meal that will give you energy. I understand this can be difficult: food that depletes your energy tends to be less expensive on campuses than food that provides your body energy. However, when your productivity accelerates during this time after a few days of practice, you’ll see that it is totally worth maintaining this habit.

#3: Exercise.

It’s no secret that exercising does wonders to clear a person’s mind. An hour at the gym can not only boost self-esteem and make you feel better physically, it can also be an opportunity to work through your stress. In moderation, using your campus gym as a coping mechanism for the various stressors in your life can be immensely effective. This is especially useful for people who are less comfortable expressing that they are stressed out, as the people around you at the gym will simply think you are there to work on your physical health, when in reality, you are simultaneously working on your mental health.

If the gym is not a space you can access or feel most comfortable in, a stroll outdoors is also beneficial. Something about being surrounded by the elements of nature and recognizing the beauty in it allows us to mentally break down stress until we feel more at ease. Try walking a few laps around campus for 30 minutes the next time you are stressed!

#4: If you’re overwhelmed, take a minute to organize your thoughts.

Many students are constantly overwhelmed with their workload in their classes, in addition to maintaining part-time jobs, connections with family and friends, and participation in extracurricular activities. Perhaps my favorite form of self-care is this: take some time to organize your thoughts. This could take the form of updating a calendar with due dates and events or creating to-do lists, among other tasks.

Seeing things on the page has a visual appeal that some people find relaxing. When you can visibly see that you have your life in order, a weight is taken off your shoulders, and you can move forward to address things that need to be addressed. It can also be a tool to prioritize your next steps and manage your time as you approach them.

#5: Maintain a creative hobby.

The college environment can stifle creativity at times. Maintaining a creative hobby allows you to express yourself in ways that are not recognized in your adult life or most of your classes. For example, my hobby is writing poetry. It helps me better comprehend my thoughts and emotions in the process of turning it into poems and, in turn, feel empowered by them when I read them aloud.

Other creative hobbies to integrate into your free time can include creating visual art, writing, playing an instrument, and so on. If you find that you’re lacking in creativity, try one of these. And remember, you don’t have to be good at something to call it a hobby.

#6: Talk to someone.

Ultimately, if none of these coping mechanisms work to bring you a sense of peace in your day-to-day life, talking to someone can help. This may be a friend, an advisor, or a campus counselor. Everyone will feel stress at some point in their life, so there is no shame in talking to people about your stressors for the sake of getting things off your chest or seeking input about ways to manage stress.

Opening up to others - friends, professors, a therapist etc. - when life brings stress in excessive amounts is a great practice to maintain. All of these coping mechanisms in moderation can help students trying to manage their stress, so try some out and see what works best for you. If you struggle to maintain minimize stress levels, sessions with a counselor or therapist are commonly used to cope with stress as well.

Just remember: you are not alone, and you are trying your best!