After learning about chronic stress and what it could cause, it made me wonder if that's why so many people have depression and anxiety.
If we are being honest, college can feel like a nonstop pressure cooker with deadlines, exams, jobs, family, and social expectations. All of it starts to feel less like an occasional visitor and more like a permanent roommate. My question is could all of this constant stress actually be fueling the depression and anxiety that most of us today live with?
Stress is not always the enemy. Acute stress is actually useful—when it's pushing you to finish that paper late at night after everything else you had to do that day or even when it's keeping you alert of your test when you're taking it. The problem, though, is when it turns from acute to chronic and that stress just never goes away. Our bodies keep pumping out cortisol, which is the stress hormone and overtime to much of it will throw off the brain chemicals like serotonin or dopamine. Those two chemicals are what control our mood and motivation, so when they're out of balance, it's not surprising that anxiety or depression will show up.
For most students this hits close to home because most of us are constantly running on little to no sleep, struggling to focus, and feeling burned out. I don't know about you, but that sounds familiar to me. Most of us brush it off as " just being stressed," which is normal, but those are and should be our warning signs of bigger mental health struggles. The line between acute stress and something way more serious, like chronic stress, can get blurry real fast.
Not saying stress is the only thing that could cause depression or anxiety. Genetics, PTSD, and social pressures all could play a role. Chronic stress is just the icing on the top; it makes everything worse. That's why having those self care days to learn how to control and manage it is the best way to protect you in the future.
Although not everything you do, such as getting more sleep, exercising, practicing mindfulness, or just talking to a friend or professional, will erase stress completely, it could help you from letting your stress take over completely. The main point is stress is unavoidable, but being stressed all the time doesn't have to be. If we take our time and watch how it affects us, then we can catch those early signs before they become a bigger issue. We as a community need to allow ourselves to stop, take a breath, and let our minds be free. Especially in college, if we allow that for ourselves, it might save us in the long run.
Do you think that small changes to your stress levels or mental state could alter the presence of depression or anxiety in college students? We know that activities (such that we see in our weekly challenges: exercise, mindfulness, social connection, and more) can help improve your stress levels but can they also have lasting and impactful changes to chronic stress levels and anxiety or depression? Would we need to have consistent changes or could these small bursts of improvements or changes to daily habits be impactful enough to lower chronic stress levels as well as overall mental state?
ReplyDeleteI found it enjoyable reading your blog, Chloe. It is relatable to many of us college students. Undergraduate education is like a friendship of learning and experience. It requires so much time, effort, commitment, and hard work, and many sleepless nights trying to finish a paper or even study for an exam. I bet many of us have experienced all of that struggle at some part of education. Moreover, I agree with you that acute stress can be beneficial, as it can serve as a little push in helping us complete the assignments. Though it is easier said than done, it is critical to keep our stress under control. I always believe it is better to think in a positive direction even in a difficult situation.
ReplyDeleteWhat are some methods/approaches you think might be helpful in coping with stress?