With upcoming finals, some students feel stressed. To that end, counselors at Florida A&M are encouraging them to get help sooner rather than later.
Allison Lockard, a counselor at Sunshine Manor on FAMU’s campus, said many students get stressed because they tend to relax at the beginning of the school year and then have a lot of work towards the end of the semester.
“Lack of time management in the beginning leads to all these deadlines now,” Lockard said.
She also encouraged stressed out students to get help at Sunshine Manor. She said the counselors are willing and waiting.
“Often students wait until they feel completely overwhelmed to seek out help,” Lockard said. “We are here to help students and the services are free and confidential.”
According to Mental Health America, also known as the National Mental Health Association, stress is the result of too many tasks, not enough sleep, a poor diet, or the effect of an illness.
Ruth Lubin, a fourth-year early education student from Tampa, said one source of her frequent stress is schoolwork.
“The thing that stresses me out is trying to find time to do all my assignments,” said Lubin, 21. “Another thing that stresses me out is that I don’t get enough sleep and that I’m tired.”
Lockard said students should learn to balance work and fun.
“Life can’t be just about school,” she said. “Church is a big thing for some people.”
Lockard also said hobbies are also an effective way to release stress.
Tiffany Baskerville, 22, a first-year graduate biology student, said she exercises.
“Going running helps clear my mind whenever I do get stressed out,” Baskerville said.
The MHA said other ways of releasing stress are eating healthy, sharing feelings, and meditating.
Baskerville agrees with the stress tips, and said the reason most people get stressed is procrastination.
“They wait until the last minute and have a lot of work to cram in,” Baskerville said. “Planning ahead definitely helps reduce stress. It alleviates a lot of unnecessary possibilities.”
Lockard said stress is not healthy and can lead to future problems.
“If you don’t get stress treated it can lead to depression,” Lockard said. “Some people would have physical problems like their hair will fall out. It can lead to physical problems such as lack of energy, lack of motion, and fatigue.”
According to the American Institute of Stress, people who do not manage stress well can have frequent headaches, pain, heartburn, depression, and many other problems.
For more information on how to manage stress, contact Sunshine Manor at 850-599-3145 or visit between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm Monday though Friday.