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Life
Individuals who display extreme symptoms of stress suffer from weakened immune systems and heightened activity in the part of the brain which triggers depression. Symptoms of depression may be fairly similar to those of stress, but more specifically consist of persistantly sad feelings, loss of energy, loss in appetite and interest, changes in your sleep pattern and body weight and extreme feelings of worthlessness, tearfulness and even those of a suicidal nature.
Students often feel like they can’t cope... Help is at hand though, there are several facilities available to help you take a load off. Thesite.org suggest a few cheeky stress busters including getting good sleeps in, maintainting a healthy diet, laughing lots, taking at least half an hour to relax at the end of the day, massages and orgasming (!!) And who are we to say no to those suggestions?! Look after yourself, talk issues through with friends, family or specially trained staff who can be found in your university. Emily suggested some of the key things which helped her overcome depression were trying to address her problems and fears, tackling suicidal thoughts, confiding more in friends and family, being kinder to herself and keeping herself entertained and distracted with things she wanted to do.
Individuals who display extreme symptoms of stress suffer from weakened immune systems
Studentdepression.org is a great website on tackling depression and stressful issues encountered in student life as it is made for students by students. A little bit of stress is good for the body and can help motivate us (think that ‘nightbefore’ deadline panic mode) but when it starts to become more extreme that’s when problems may occur. Most of us find ourselves in moments of stress and despair but it’s vital to recognise that we can turn this around through the power of positive thinking and determination; it is possible to sort it out.
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Dodge depression and solve stress with these top tips from student counsellor Marion Casey and Anna Hinton, medical advisor.
key to success is to think positively; 1“The take control of your stress and anxiety by
learning effective techniques to combat it. Relaxing bodily tension in order to reduce the physical sensations of stress is a good place to start. If your body is free of tension your mind tends to be relaxed. This helps you concentrate and study, take decisions and solve problems.” kind to yourself. Give yourself ‘me 2 “Be time’ in which you can choose what you want to do: Rest; do nothing; try a relaxation technique, massage or yoga; have a long hot bath; spend time with friends; treat yourself to something special. Taking proper breaks and eating well do help to combat stress.”
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“Confront the problem, try to stand back and look at the problem carefully. Break it down into manageable parts. Talk it through with someone else, brainstorm solutions, or get help if you need it. Try to manage your time effectively and learn to say "NO". Avoidance won't make the problem go away and can often make it worse. Leaving everything to the last minute is a major source of stress for students.”
and physical activity helps you to 4 “Sport relax physically and also releases endorphins in the body which produce a real feeling of well-being.”
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“Talk about it, write about it, shout or moan about it: expressing your feelings can help to relieve stress. Acknowledging a problem to yourself and to others can be the first step in dealing with it. Sometimes having a good cry or bashing a pillow can release emotional pressure and calm your feelings of anxiety.”
For more advice please visit: www.studentdepression.org, www.thesite.org or call the NHS 24 hour hotline: 0845 4647
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