Speaker 1: 9 out of 10 college students experience some sort of stress. Stress is our body's response to pressure. While some responses are useful, most can have long-term effects on our physical and mental health. The most common cause for stress in college is academic pressure. Students deal with immense assignment workload and exams. There's a constant pressure of getting good grades, to do internships and extracurriculars. All that while there are more distractions than ever, more knowledge than one person can ever digest, and more influencers that seem to define how to live a successful life. For many students, there are more factors like financial stress, the fear of not getting a job, and several forms of social stress. And the pandemic sure hasn't made things easier. In some countries, like South Korea, stress in college has reached a whole new level. How do you know if your stress level is dangerous? How do you know if you're experiencing stress, anxiety, or even a form of depression? And what can you do about it? Stress is mostly caused by external factors. You can often identify the cause. For example, an upcoming exam. You can feel much better once you're done with it. Stress can be good for the performance, with the right pressure, over the right time. Stress becomes more serious when the level is kept high for a long time, and the stream of stress factors never seems to stop. That leads to burnout or anxiety. Anxiety is a more intense form of stress, and mainly has internal triggers. For two years in college, I thought I wasn't good enough. I hadn't found a meaning in my studies, I thought no one would hire me, I feared the future and had occasional panic attacks at night. But often anxiety is fuzzier and harder to grasp. Depression is a much more complex, long-term, maybe lifelong disease that requires special attention. Without treatment, depression can have severe consequences. I have students and friends who suffer from depression, and I know that it requires professional treatment. Here are only some of the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Pause and take a moment to see in what category you find yourself. It is not my place to talk about treatment for depression. I leave that to healthcare professionals. If you have the slightest feeling that you may have a depression, I highly recommend talking to the psychological counselors in your university. They offer free initial counseling and can guide you in the right direction. You can also talk to your doctor or call one of the national depression support hotlines that you can easily find online. Anxiety has many forms and may also require treatment. I recommend talking to professionals if you are dealing with symptoms of anxiety. When it comes to stress, there are methods you can apply yourself. Here I mainly address methods for dealing with stress and the mildest forms of anxiety. There are simply too many stress management methods to cover them all. Therefore, I'm breaking my general advice down into three main categories, and I try to focus on what's relevant for college students. For me, self-reflection starts with getting to the core of the problem. It's the first and most important step. Leave your body and have a conversation with your stressed self as if you'd be talking to a friend. Ask what symptoms you're experiencing and what the source of this could be. Identify if you're facing a single stressful event that may be over soon, or if you're dealing with an endless chain of stressful events in the future. Are you more stressed about the stress that you expect in the future? Can you break this chain that you may have partially caused because you have such high expectations of yourself? It's important to find out where we can start working on the problem. Another example. If you're afraid of not getting a job but you're still in the middle of your studies, there's nothing you can do about it now. Most professionals had this doubt and everyone starts their career in one way or another. You're doing what you can at the moment. Why worry about something that is still a few years ahead in the future? Easier said than done. Constantly reflecting and putting things in a positive light helps. You can learn to be your best friend, but it also helps talking to your friends, family and classmates about your problems. Positive affirmations are useful. If you're not comfortable with self-affirmation, you can watch or read something motivational or inspirational. There's a reason why motivational videos are so popular. They give you a burst of confidence and you're reminded that struggle is part of everyone's journey in life. I know the positive effects of relaxation trainings like breathing exercises and meditation. Even changing your posture can have an immediate effect. Try it now. For some people, journaling turned out to be very useful. It's a self-monitoring technique. I highly recommend that you open your browser and look up mindfulness exercises. One thing that helps me a lot is a change of mindset regarding stress. Let me explain what I mean. If you don't have a job, you're stressed out about your financial situation and your future. If you have a job, you're stressed out about your workload and maybe a colleague. If you're not married, you're stressed out about missing out on having a life partner and maybe get pressure from your family. If you're married, you know what I'm getting at, right? You will never completely shake off stress. You decide whether stress is your enemy or your companion that you put in its place. I have some more tips for college students. Many students are not aware that they are stressed because they have a learning disability. Every exam feels like torture and puts on enormous stress. Universities often offer a consultation hour for students with test anxiety. Utilize it. Most universities grant compensation for students with learning disabilities like extra time during exams. So go to a doctor and get a medical certificate. It's nothing to be ashamed of and very common. Organizational methods help you take control over your life. Often we fear a problem because we haven't touched it yet. We don't have a plan and the problem ahead feels overwhelming. Sometimes when you start tackling a problem, you feel much better. I recommend that you watch my video about time management methods specifically for college students. But I want to share a message here. We often add new methods to solve a problem and that leads to even more pressure and stress. So don't necessarily focus on trying to be more efficient. Subtraction is an underestimated force. Removing something to improve a situation feels unnatural. That's not how we normally do things. Have the courage to turn off distractions and reduce your coursework and other commitments. Would you judge a friend if he or she said she's going to drop a course? No one other than yourself will judge you if you do less. Be a good friend to yourself. Undeniably a healthy diet and exercise contribute positively to the state of your body and mind. Get enough sleep and plan in a wellness day occasionally. Try to get sunlight every day. Take a break from academia. You don't have to do an internship or extracurriculars in every semester break. Plan on more activities for which you know they make you laugh. I for example highly enjoy an evening of board games with my friends. But also valuing your hobbies and caring about your social life is important. I often make the mistake of not meeting friends, going for a walk or playing a game because I force myself to do something productive. I sometimes wish I would treat myself the way I treat other people, simply wishing myself a happy day. The idea for this video came from my dear student Sobhi. I thank you very much and I'm sending you a copy of my favorite book. I don't have many followers yet, so if any one of you suggests a topic in the comment section, chances are high that I pick it up. Share your most stressful situation in college in the comment section below. I will pick the funniest or most astonishing situation and send you a NASA moon ball to help you reduce stress.