Finals Stress and Your Perception of It

     

     There are a variety of forces colliding right now that could really make a college student stressed out. The economy is crashing, and I'm definitely feeling it. The weather is dull and dreary, and it makes me want to stay on the couch instead of going to the gym. And at my school, it's dead week, meaning finals are just around the corner.

     As I've discussed, we know stress can wreak havoc on a healthy diet, as it has a negative effect on health in general. We hear a lot of advice about how to deal with it. We know to get enough sleep, eat well, and take study breaks. But there are a few other ways to manage stress that are less often discussed. When we have a lot to deal with, how we handle it is all about perception.

     In small amounts, stress can actually be a good thing. According to MSNBC, moderate amounts of stress can help people perform tasks more efficiently and even improve memory. "Stress is a burst of energy," says psychiatrist Dr. Lynne Tan of Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "It’s our body telling us what we need to do." 

     Whether we react negatively to stress depends on our perception of it. If we regard it as motivation, we won't be as bothered by it. If I consider the weather to be "bad," my mood will be down, but I've actually been using it as a reason to give myself permission to relax.

     While it may seem like the final exams comprise a huge chunk of course grades, your GPA will reflect the entire semester's worth of effort, not the "cramming" at the last minute. 

     And your GPA is not as important as your mental health. No one is going to ask you your GPA when you graduate; putting it on your resume is optional. Realize that many people take 5 years to graduate, and 12 credits a semester shouldn't be out of the question. Don't worry yourself about things that aren't going to matter 10 years from now.

     If you've had problems with disordered eating, this time of year may present new challenges, so be prepared. It may be tempting to use studying as an excuse to "forget to eat." To keep myself from doing this, I try to remind myself that starving myself will catch up with me. And I don't want to be tempted to overeat later, especially during the holiday season. Whatever your own challenges are, try to come up with an actual plan of action rather than pushing the thoughts out of your mind.

     Surviving College Life has some excellent tips for tackling finals. 

     WebMD has a list of foods to combat stress. Hint: complex carbs is a big one.

What other tips did I miss?

     

What Are You Really Craving?

      Did other colleges just get done with midterms too? Between 4 extracurriculars, my graduate assistantship, and school, I already had to make a concerted effort to blog. I posted way more regularly in the summer, and my blog is aimed at students in college! Then, in the lead-up to midterms, Student Body got even more neglected . Sorry it's been so long!

     I've heard from a few new readers! Thanks for commenting. I hope you look through the categories on the left and find posts that have covered areas of concern. If there's anything you'd like to see covered, please let me know.

     Right now, I'm struggling with recognition of true hunger. I mentioned in my previous post that studying makes me hungry. Since then, I've realized that there is more to it than that.

     Mid-study session, I often feel the urge for a snack. I explained before that mental exertion actually has been shown to lead to hunger. However, I've noticed that a lot of times, I am craving something other than food. For instance, I'm tired, and my body needs to rest. If I don't sleep, I turn to food. 

     It could be simply a need to ease my mind. It might be just a wish to let loose and have fun for a moment, or be social, or just process what I'm learning. But when I'm in study mode, I don't like to give myself permission to take a break. I prefer to plow through and finish, then rest at the end of the day. Yet for some reason, I do give myself permission if it is to eat. After all, I can't just let myself skip meals all day, or I would binge at the end of the day. So I let myself stop, but only if it's for a "good" reason, like eating.

     The problem with this kind of thinking is that there's nothing wrong with taking a break to nap, or relax, or talk, or whatever. Taking a moment for my mental health is just as legitimate as taking time to eat. Food is a necessity, but so is allowing myself to be happy.

     So my goal is to change this kind of thinking, and ask myself what it is that I'm really craving when I start thinking about a snack. I'll let you know how it goes....

     

Back to College Classes Stress: Tips

     This will be my fifth year as a college student (first in graduate school), and I've still been a little stressed the past two days. The change from the relaxed days of summer to the scheduled hours of the school year is a shock to my system every time. 

     Stress is not only an altogether unpleasant experience, but it's also a big factor in college weight gain. Chronic stress is associated with changes in your metabolism, cravings, blood sugar levels and fat storage. Stress can also contribute to making unhealthy choices, such as choosing fast food, skipping exercise or eating in response to emotion rather than true hunger.

     While my life is far from stress-free, I do see things a little differently now than I did a few years ago. I have a more realistic perception of the importance of my tasks, and this knowledge helps me to stay sane. If there are any younger students reading who are feeling overwhelmed, hopefully I can help out by sharing a few tips specifically for college students.

Don't take too many credits. I recommend always at least signing up for 15 credits, so that if you drop one, you will still have a full-time course load. But don't be afraid to drop a class if you feel especially overwhelmed. If you're afraid of not graduating in four years, summer classes are actually really laid-back and not that bad. Online classes are also extremely convenient and available during the summer. Whatever you do, just remember that your mental health should be your top priority. No one is going to care in ten years that it took you five to finish college.

Take study breaks. It's easy to get yourself into a "zone" and feel like "I have to finish this now," but that's not always the case. Sometimes procastination will require that intense effort and concentration, but save it for then. In the meantime, don't feel like you have to get all your schoolwork done during daytime hours. There is nothing wrong with taking a break during the day and studying at night. Or if you'd like to have the night free, even a short break is so helpful and even makes the work seem easier upon your return.

Your GPA is not THAT big of a deal. I graduated Summa Cum Laude, and honestly, it wasn't worth it. I ended up going to grad. school at the same school I went to as an undergrad, and while it's a good school it's really not that selective. If I could go back and have more of a social life, and more extracurriculars, I definitely would choose to over having a high GPA. No one is going to ask you about it later. It's up to you to put it on your resume. If you want to go to a super-competitive grad. school, then yes, it should be competitive, but extracurriculars and experience in the graduate program subject matter are big factors as well.

You will not be poor forever. I know that when money is tight, it feels like you're going to be in this situation for the rest of your life, and it can feel desperate. But bills will always be there, and there's no sense in worrying about something you can't change. And in my experience, money always just seems to come, somehow. Whether it's a check from your grandparents, or finally finding a job, you will eventually come up with some cash. Temporary employment is also often available on college campuses. And don't be afraid of loans, assuming you've calculated what your payment would be after college and you could pay it while working in your future career. Loans are a lot better idea than credit cards. 

Finally, don't dwell. If you grab lunch while you can between classes, and it wasn't that healthy, there is no point in dwelling on it the rest of the day. I've talked about my dorkiness before, but I picture an imaginary line in my head signaling a new beginning. There's something about actually picturing a symbol that makes it feel more real and conclusive. There are an infinite amount of situations that you could spend your life dwelling on; why that guy didn't want to date you, why you failed that test, but in a few years, you're barely going to remember.

     Enjoy your freedom from overbearing parents and full-time jobs. Experience new things and meet new people. Find out what you like, who you identify with and what your passions are. Don't spend your time thinking about what you can't change and what you're not. Accept yourself now. You're going to have to eventually. Why not do it now?

     

Weight Management on the Weekends

The beginning of the weekend was always stressful to me as an undergrad. While it seemed like all my friends were breaking loose as soon as their last class ended and popping open cans of beer in the middle of the afternoon, I often found myself picking a fight with my boyfriend instead. While my classmates were de-stressing over hot wings and cold brews, I would confine myself to watching television, lethargic and upset.

For weeks, this happened on Friday nights. When I finally noticed the consistency and mentioned it to my boyfriend, he reacted with confusion. “Aren’t you supposed to be happy when the weekend starts? Isn’t it supposed to relax you, not stress you out?”

It is supposed to be relaxing. Except, for a weight-conscious person, the ways in which some college students like to relax instead cause acute anxiety.

As the hectic, fast-paced weekdays went by, I didn’t really have time to overeat. I only ate what I kept in my kitchen, or if I did go out, it just seemed easier to choose healthy options, like a salad. Weekends were when the bf always wanted to order pizza (a food I then considered to be too fattening.) Drinking made me crave high-fat foods. Friends always wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings, and I didn’t have a clue what to order. But mostly, the unstructured time made me worried I would be bored and overeat.

Am I alone in this? I don't think it's possible.

Since those days, I’ve figured out how to enjoy my weekends without overindulging too much. I discussed pizza and alcohol yesterday. 

A few more tips:

Photo via memekode

Buffalo Wild Wings does have some decent options. You don’t have to turn down dinner with your friends because you don’t want to consume calorie-laden wings dipped in ranch or blue cheese. They have a decent grilled chicken salad and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. If you do want something hot, they have “naked tenders,” grilled chicken, no breading, dipped in one of their signature sauces. Just remember that if the sauce you choose looks creamy, it’s got a lot of calories. Some specifics.

There is usually at least one healthy option at any given restaurant. It may mean specifying “no fries with that,” or “dressing on the side,” but there are options. Keeping in touch with a supportive social circle is integral to getting through the college experience with your sanity intact. Stress is linked to excess weight.

The most important advice I can give you about the weekend: If you crave something, just have it! Allow yourself at least a little bit... or a full serving if you really want it. Then, take of advantage of your "unstructured time" the next day to work out more than normal. Depriving yourself is a recipe for disaster. In my opinion, you’re setting yourself up to binge later. And having more calories on the weekends keeps your metabolism from getting “used” to a specific amount, and then slowing down. I know that it might feel like if you eat it this one time, you will tomorrow and the day after that, but if you care enough about your weight to read this, that’s probably not the truth. In fact, you probably won’t even want to indulge every day. Then, it no longer becomes indulging.

Have a good weekend!