Tag Archives: stress

college, health, USC

Managing Stress in College

By Cheryl Mota

College can get overwhelming at times with homework, exams, classes, work, and balancing a social life, which can take a toll on a person’s mental health. Stress in college is often overlooked as non-existent and unimportant but in reality stress affects most students during at least one point in their college studies. 

Although not all forms of stress are bad, it’s important to find ways to help manage and control it at a healthy level. Little changes you make in your life can help improve your mental health, it’s important to change your routine and not be stuck in the same negative mindset every day.

I always find it helpful when I plan out my day and write down every important task I need to complete that day, that way I am able complete it on time and not stress out about it in the future. I also try to stay off technology as much as I can, in order to focus on completing my work and not procrastinate, this has helped me tremendously in preventing unnecessary stress.

Aside from planning and staying off technology, a great way to help create a healthier routine in your life is to go outside and explore nature. I always find it relaxing when I go out for walks or runs every morning especially when I go out on hikes and focus on the beauty and peacefulness of nature rather than on my stressors. Exercising is also a great way to help alleviate stress, even exercising for just 10 minutes every day can help bring your stress levels down. 

Take advantage of on campus workshops and support groups that USC offers to its students. For example, USC’s Engemann Student Health Center offers various workshops and support groups led by counseling service staff that are tailored towards student’s specific needs. Ranging from calming anxiety, mindful well-being, social confidence, and of course stress management. The workshops are made to help USC students learn new skills and approaches to improve or manage their stress and adversities. I can personally say that the workshops and counseling that the Engemann Student Health Center offers has helped me better manage and my stress and problems. 

Most importantly, you are not alone! Don’t ever feel that you are the only one going through stress. It’s important to remember that there are various forms of resources and support available to you, whether it is through USC, your family, or even nature, you should always take advantage of the options available to you in order to help manage and prevent stress.

Featured image by JESHOOTS on Unsplash

Cheryl is a senior studying Political Economy with a minor in Forensics and Criminality. She is a Mexican American from Oxnard, California, in addition to being fluent in English and Spanish she loves to learn new languages and experience different cultures. Cheryl enjoys baking, spending time with her dogs, and meeting new people.

Outlook, USC

How to De-Stress During Midterm Season

By Hannah Hunt

Now that the first few weeks of school are behind us, we’re headed into everybody’s (least) favorite time of the year: midterm season. When exams and projects start building up, it can be hard not to wallow in stress. However, working yourself up too much over midterms is detrimental to your mental and physical health (and often doesn’t help your performance, either). Here are some of my best tips on how to de-stress around exam time and to keep you feeling your best!

  1. Go outside

A little bit of sunshine and fresh air can really do wonders for your stress levels, and there are some amazing spots around the USC campus where you can relax and forget about your exams. For example, the Exposition Park Rose Garden is a hidden gem just right across the street from campus– all the colorful roses and sparkling fountains make it a perfect place to stroll or read a book

2.   Get some food

When you feel the work piling on, comfort food is what you need. No matter what your favorite cuisine is or what you’re craving, you’re bound to have plenty of options in Los Angeles! There are some really yummy restaurants on campus, like Seeds in campus center or CAVA in the Village, but don’t be afraid to go off campus for a special treat either– Salt and Straw ice cream in Santa Monica is a favorite!

3.  Go on an adventure

If you’re worried about exams, sometimes getting off campus is the best thing to do. Think about the places that make you happy or get you excited: maybe it’s the beach, a museum, or a theater. If you don’t know where you want to go, just turn to the Internet to see if you can find something interesting going on that you want to try out (in Los Angeles, you can always find something!). Spontaneous “field trips” are great to take your mind off your stress, and giving yourself some time off campus gives you a fresh perspective when you do return back to school.

4. Talk to people

Even though sometimes all you want to do is be by yourself, when you start to feel stressed that’s actually a great time to hang out with friends. Surrounding yourself with friends will remind you that you’re not alone, and is guaranteed to leave you feeling better than you would if you just holed yourself up in your room. Ask a friend to grab coffee, or to do a fun activity with you– chances are they’ll be just as grateful for the opportunity to take a break from studying!

5. Make a schedule

It’s important to take your mind off your studies occasionally, but sometimes (especially as ambitious USC students) stress just won’t go away until your work is finished. To help speed up that process, try making “to-do” lists or schedules where you prioritize assignments and space out blocks of time to work on them throughout the day. The schedule will keep you organized, as it’s harder to procrastinate when you’ve already blocked out what you want to work on — this intentional use of time will help you feel productive, so at least you can end each day feeling a little more accomplished. Of course, be sure to schedule in breaks and time to decompress, so you keep your mind fresh!

Featured image by Espacio Mas Instante on Unsplash

Continue reading How to De-Stress During Midterm Season →

Outlook, USC

But First, Take a Breath

By Yoko Fukumura

It’s finals season. Or it’s application season. Maybe it’s your first semester at college. Maybe it’s your last semester of school before you head off to the world.

No matter where you are in life, most of the time you probably have something big on your mind. And it’s not a bad thing – it means that you’re working hard and pushing yourself! But as important as it is to succeed and reach towards your goals, it is equally, if not more, important to be in tune with your mind and body.

As young adults sometimes we feel invincible. We think that we can eat cereal and instant noodles for weeks and pull all-nighters because self care can wait, but the test tomorrow will not wait. I’m also guilty of this and I can attest that this is false – I’ve done better when I prioritized eating and sleeping over studying on the last day. Even if our overworked immune system makes up for all the unhealthy choices momentarily, our physical and mental health might be taking a toll that ultimately affects your studies and future.

Doing well in school is not irrelevant, but your health will decide whether you do well, in school and after. These are a couple small things that I have found helpful along the way that don’t take up too much time.

First, you need to get to know yourself. If you don’t know your limits, it’s hard to plan ahead or know when to stop. We commend hard work, but we can’t keep working hard if we don’t know our limits. Writing a daily journal entry is one simple way to get to know yourself better, and it makes you tune in to your self at least briefly every day. If a blank paper isn’t enough structure for you, you could also get “Q&A a Day” at a bookstore or on Amazon.

Another big one for me was picking up an activity to do fairly consistently. In school, we have multiple deadlines and exams that have hard set dates and limited flexibility, but your hobbies and exercise are flexible. I try to exercise every day – nothing big, anything from ten minutes to thirty minutes on weekdays so that I don’t intimidate myself out of it. When I’m busy I can skip it without feeling guilty – it’s almost like tricking your mind and body so that when you have less time, you have surplus energy. One of the great resources of USC is the Recreational Sports program. There are many affordable fitness programs, from yoga and mindfulness to kickboxing. If you find group classes intimidating, there are 1-on-1 personal training and private session pilates/yoga as well. You can find more about the options here: https://sait.usc.edu/recsports/

Lastly, the easiest to do but also the easiest to forget, is to take deep breaths. Diaphragmatic breathing involves using the muscle between your lungs and abdominal area to breathe deeply (this youtube link explains and helps visualize the diaphragm), and one of our automatic reactions to stress is to take shallow breaths. Deep breathing has many lasting physiological effects, including inhibiting your body’s stress response. Stress affects not just your mind but your whole body, and too much of it can cause long term effects such as memory issues, high blood pressure, and migraines, among others. Breathing can be done anywhere – during class, on a bus, in your bed. It only takes a second, but you could feel better for the entire day, which affects your next day, week, and semester.

Your test tomorrow is important. But first, take a breath.

Featured image from Pixabay

Yoko is a 1st year graduate student in USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She is originally from Boston, Massachusetts where she studied piano performance at New England Conservatory of Music. Born to Japanese immigrant parents, Yoko is very familiar with both the challenges and beauties of cultural diversity. She is also an expert collaborator and teacher from her experience teaching piano and performing in ensembles.