Spring break can be both a blessing and a curse for many students. It’s a much-needed chance to relax and unwind, or perhaps adventure and make some memories. However, many of us have come back this week feeling a bit overwhelmed. If you’re like me you probably had good intentions of catching up on school work and studying over the break, and then likely did neither of those things.
Katie Lechtenberg | Courtesy
Vandal Health Peer Educator
Perhaps you’re an incoming student joining us for UIdaho Bound this weekend. You have so many amazing opportunities in front of you, and a lot of choices to make in the coming months. You might be feeling a little daunted by it all, and it probably doesn’t help any that everyone’s favorite question for you lately is “what are your plans after graduation?”.
Whether you are in your last years of high school, your last years at U of I, or anywhere in between, you may be feeling overwhelmed. According to the Fall 2017 National College Health Assessment, within the last 12 months, 91% of our students reported feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do. This data shows evidence that many students on our campus have experienced issues with feeling stressed and overwhelmed. It’s important to address these feelings and learn how to care for ourselves.
Not only does stress impact our mental health, but as discussed in a scientific review done by Yaribeygi et al in 2017, stress also has several detrimental effects on us physically. Chronic stress can cause changes in the structure of your brain which can lead to negative effects on cognition and memory and can have long lasting effects on the nervous system. Stress can also impair the immune system, the cardiovascular system, and the gastrointestinal system. The potential side effects of chronic stress are too serious for us to just ignore. Practicing self-care is a crucial aspect of not only mental health, but overall wellness.
Self-care means different things for different people. Maybe you need a half hour to exercise or meditate. Maybe you need to take some time and make yourself your favorite meal. Maybe you just need a solid nap to refresh yourself. If you’re not sure what works for you, drop by the Well-Space in the SRC between 3pm and 5pm on Wednesdays. Every week there are different planned activities designed to help students take a break and destress. Whatever self-care is for you, it’s important that we all make a little time in our day for ourselves, even if its just a few minutes.
Another aspect of self-care is knowing when we need help. When you’re feeling overwhelmed it can be easy to forget about the resources available to us. If you’re struggling in a class and you feel like you’re in way over your head, reach out to other students or your professor, or see if there is tutoring offered for your class. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, the Counseling and Testing Center has counselors who want to help you, and it’s a completely free service for students. If you’re not sure what you need and you just want some information, you can visit Vandal Health Education, either on our website (www.uidaho.edu/vandalhealth), at one of our tabling events on campus, or in the Well Space.
With as much as our students and staff take on every day, we need to take a few minutes for ourselves. Self-care is such an important tool for our health, but it’s one that we often put on the back burner. We may feel that we don’t have enough time for a break. We may see self-care as an indulgence that we have not earned, when in reality it’s something that we all deserve. Take care of yourselves Vandals.
Yaribeygi, Habib. “The Impact of Stress on Body Function: A Review.” EXCLI Journal, 21 July 2017, pp. 1057–1072. NCBI, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/.
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