College students face high levels of concentrated stress because of the stressors around them. From balancing demanding academic schedules and social lives to trying to get enough sleep, college students deal with stress-related issues every day. Whether or not students melt under pressure comes from how each student handles the controversy in their lives.

Jennifer Maxwell, associate professor of political science with the Center for Applied Conflict Management, relays the importance of releasing stress.

“It’s important to talk to people in a way that releases stress, but it is also important to release stress,” she said. “That is why it is important to do anything from exercise or to use psychological methods.”

Exercise- Every Kent State student has an unlimited membership to the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. It is important to try and make going to the gym a part of a regular routine schedule. Students have the option of joining classes, such as spinning, or they can skip the gym all together and run stairs in their buildings. By exercising, the body releases endorphins that stimulate the brain to fight stress in a positive way.

Dance- Take a night to relax and go out dancing with some friends. By dancing, the body is forced to relax and inevitably get caught up in the music. This releases tension and stress in a fun way. Kent Students can take Zumba at the SRWC or venture to JB’s Night Club for unstructured fun in downtown Kent.

Counseling- Talking to someone who can help to ease stress can be vital. Sometimes counseling comes with a bad stigma, but it can be a helpful way to vocalize the issues causing stress in your life. “Talk in a way that releases stress, not just reinforces it, because then you are just spinning in your tracks,” Maxwell said. Free counseling is available to students in White Hall through Counseling and Human Development Services.

Yoga- This form of relaxation can be a key way to diminish stress. Yoga utilizes stretching techniques to relax and refresh the body. By focusing on stretching and breathing, this relaxation method helps to relieve the tension in the body. Yoga is offered at the SRWC through the Women’s Center or as a one-credit hour class. Heat yoga is another effective form of yoga. It allows the muscles to relax for a deeper stretch.

Contact Julia Floreak at [email protected].