Every student experiences different levels of stress in particular areas. For example, some students cannot cope with the stress of exams, while others feel campus clubs and gatherings are socially stressful. Dhevaania Gendsen, INTI International College Subang’s Student Counsellor, shared helpful insights on why students are prone to negative thinking and the ways in carrying out healthy stress management.
Student is stress
1. “I’m not smart enough to be successful in life”
The road to success has many routes. One of them is in academic excellence. While studying and achieving good grades are important, what matters most on the day of graduation is coming out as a holistic scholar who is better equipped for the working world. Employers are actively seeking hardworking students who also possess high emotional intelligence. Every company requires people who can communicate openly and get along with their co-workers.
Dhevaania Gendsen: “One of the reasons why students are vulnerable to negative thinking and stress is because of how they handled previous bad experiences and emotional trauma, which resulted in the way they view of themselves, others, and the world. These false, destructive beliefs later turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. Limiting or destructive beliefs inhibit our true potential in excelling.”
2. “If I’m not stressed out, I’m not studying right”
Student stress is centred on an abnormal level of cortisol production. Believe it or not, our brain is prone to negative thinking because of a stress hormone called cortisol, which is essential for daily survival. However, excessive production of cortisol can lead to irrational lifestyle choices, such as developing unhealthy study habits like continuous studying while skipping meals and sleep. Pay a visit to an educational and guidance counsellor, who can guide you through your thoughts and self-awareness.
Dhevaania Gendsen: “Based on my experience, I encountered most students have difficulty in finding their pathway and often get confused with their decisions. Moreover, the economic system in the country has laid a benchmark and that itself becomes a challenge for students to bridge their purpose in life with their needs for survival. Hence, destructive beliefs contribute to negative, self-destructing thoughts when these benchmarks aren’t achieved within the speculated timeline set by them.”
3. “I don’t feel like coming to class today”
The feeling of stress among students can also be manifested in skipping classes. If you don’t feel like going to class based on how you’re feeling right now, it is likely to happen again in the future until it becomes a habit. Share your thoughts and feelings with a trusted individual for guidance and counselling. Harbouring a negative mindset would only make matters worse.
Dhevaania Gendsen: “Our beliefs play a vital role in making major decisions in our life. This includes shaping our personalities, interaction with the society and the perceptions that we build to nurture the growth in our life. Destructive beliefs simply tarnish a person’s persona and their worldwide view of themselves and others. As such, it creates a vicious cycle of anxiety and fear that eventually will lead to serious mental health issues.”
4. “Sleeping late is fine as long as I’m studying”
One of the factors affecting students’ academic performance is lack of sleep. Although some students are more productive studying at night, that doesn’t mean it is excusable to sleep past midnight. Sleeping at irregular hours makes your body work twice as hard to function properly. If you’re experiencing insomnia, be as active as you can during the day for your mind and body to be tired enough to sleep soundly at night.
Dhevaania Gendsen: “Most school leavers yearn to go to college/university to enjoy a sense of freedom. They step into a new space with full of hope and dreams to build a career, finding success in life, establishing relationships and most importantly, to know better about themselves. However, findings have shown that these young school leavers have endured stress even before stepping into the higher education institute. The reference of “stress” is the pressure that builds up during school days to perform the best academically or co-curricular activities.”
5. “Why do others have it easier? Nothing goes my way”
There are times when your classmates have an easier time than you, but have you ever asked about the troubles and challenges they have experienced beforehand? We only see what is allowed on public display. With family expectations and self-comparison with peers, the impulse to think negatively is strong, and will lead to serious consequences if left ignored. If you need a listening ear, give your family a call, a trusted friend, or drop by at your university counselling unit for an appointment.
Dhevaania Gendsen: “Mental health has often been a taboo but recently, the awareness has reached far where people are beginning to speak about mental health much more. Talking with a counsellor will allow you to have a safe space to confide your issues to them. They play an important role in listening to you without any judgement or biases and remain confidential.”
Stress among university students can lead to something worse when not properly addressed. Addressing these unhealthy beliefs head-on will help cope with mental health issues such as depression, stress, anxiety, and more.
Counsellors play a crucial role in guiding students to healthy stress management and emotional assessment. At INTI International University & Colleges, we provide excellent student support and services for education and career counselling by our in-house student counsellors.
Visit here for more info.