About Student Stress
School and university students often find themselves in times of high stress, especially when exams are getting nearer, or assignments are due. They start to doubt their academic ability, and instead of seeking help to work through their stress, they keep it to themselves.
Often, what students do not realise is that many of their peer groups are feeling the same way, but instead of discussing their feelings with each other, they feel embarrassed about asking for help. They continue to struggle with the burden of their studies and their feelings when some counselling from a psychology expert could give them the help they need to overcome stress study issues.
Stress Causes Sufferers to Lose Perspective
A qualified psychologist can provide students with counselling to help identify the critical stress triggers in their school, work and study routines. This might sound simple enough, but what happens to people in stressful situations is that they often lose perspective. Something that has an obvious solution to an onlooker is a mystery to the person trying to work through the issue.
A psychologist, for example, could help a student to identify that it is not the entire study programme that is causing them stress. It could just be one or two subject areas where they feel less confident about their ability. Instead of remaining in a state of constant stress, they may feel secure enough, after working with the psychologist, to approach a lecturer, teacher or other students to get some help with an assignment.
The body has many physical responses to stress, including insomnia and sleep disturbance, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. For a student with end-of-year exam pressures, lack of sleep, feeling tired and being unable to concentrate on lectures or on assignment work will cause them to fall further behind. This adds to the level of stress they are feeling and increases their chances of burning out completely or developing anxiety and depression.
CBT Therapy: Negative Thought Patterns Can Be Changed
A psychologist can help students take control over the negative thought patterns that could be driving their behaviour. They use CBT Therapy techniques, problem-solving, goal setting and time management tools to tackle the environmental causes of their stress.
Identifying core beliefs and challenging their validity in the current situation is a powerful tool that can have long-term, life-changing effects. Students will not only have new-found energy and ability to apply to their course work but also the self-knowledge to build a sound foundation for the rest of their lives.
Psychology is a powerful change agent, and students struggling under pressure would do well to book a visit with a psychologist to find the source of their stress. This is a complex area that responds well to professional counselling and assistance.
Stress Resources by Psychologists
