College can be an amazing experience, but many students struggle to manage their stress and life pressure in addition to academic requirements. Asking for help, building healthy habits, and developing an awareness of how they react to stress can be incredibly helpful. There are other helpful coping techniques that successful college students use to thrive in this exciting time of their lives.
Get Spiritual Guidance
There are a lot of college-aged people who aren’t comfortable in a traditional church setting. However, regular connection with a spiritual life coach can be highly beneficial to establishing clarity and confidence in their lives. A spiritual coach can help a college student
- build calming routines
- develop a thankful mindset
- shut down outside mental noise
Many of today’s college students are facing a great deal of pressure. In addition to dealing with the academic rigor of college, they may be working to defray the costs of college. They may be dealing with a roommate who isn’t family for the first time. They may be having to create and manage their own schedule for the first time. A spiritual coach can help them find their center and build healthy habits going forward.
Exercise
From the ages of 18 to 22, it’s easy to get out of the exercise habit. However, a very busy college student can beat a lot of stress by participating in a basic exercise program. Even 30 minutes three or four days a week can help reduce their stress and free up mental space for creative thinking.
Even better, a regular exercise program promotes other healthy habits. Drinking plenty of water is easier when you’ve pushed your body. Exercise can make them more mindful about what they eat. Finally, it’s hard to exercise if you’ve had too much alcohol the night before. Will an exercise program stop unhealthy habits? Of course not! But it will push them to think before they eat or drink unhealthy products.
Finances
College is getting more costly each year. For a young college student, a simple way to build a healthy financial future is to
- use cash instead of credit cards
- prepay when possible
- get on a budget plan for household expenses
For example, a student may skip summer courses and work to save money. Once tuition is covered, a call to a landlord and prepaying as much housing as possible can reduce stress across the semester.
Build Personal Awareness
When you’re under a great deal of pressure, it’s easy to react first and think later. Building a step of observation and awareness can reduce a reaction you’re not proud of.
Become aware of what’s happening without reacting. Create a mental space of acceptance. Yes, something is happening. Is it something I need to address, or is there something I can do to make sure it doesn’t happen again? If so, engage in an active form of change. If you are exhausted because you had to cram for a test, how can you change your behavior before the next exam?
Awareness equals ownership. Once you own your behaviors, you can put your personal power to use to better your life. You may have a conflict with a roommate about the tidiness of shared areas. If your roommate likes things neat and you are more relaxed, this is your chance to learn to be a bit tidier. Celebrate learning opportunities and teachers in all forms!
Choose Flexible Goals
When you’re young, it’s easy to get rigid about your goals and eventual life plans. Life experiences can help you discover new goals you’ve never even thought of, so do your best to stay loose and as flexible as possible.
For example, you may want to own your own business. Starting your own business too soon could lead to a tough life situation; you may have the money to build your business but may not have enough coming in right now to maintain your lifestyle. Extending the start date of your business and scaling back your lifestyle can help you meet your goal more effectively, even if it is a bit later than expected.
College is a time of amazing growth. The things you learn, both in school and in relationships with new people, will give you the chance to choose new viewpoints, study new perspectives, and increase your mental flexibility while building emotional resilience.