School Stress

It's back to school season, and that means stress for parents & students alike.  Thankfully there are some great tips out there on how to make the back-to-school transition a little easier for everybody.  These tips range from setting a schedule to helping with homework, and can apply to all age groups.

College Stress

This article in the New York Times sites a recent study that concluded college freshman stress levels are on the rise.  These findings come of no surprise to a college student like myself.  In today's world, students are pressured to do and achieve more.  I may only spend 12 hours in the classroom a week, but I spend countless hours reading, studying, writing, etc for these same classes.  In addition to that, I must also be applying my skills in the real world through internships or other activities.  Add in the fact that I'm now a senior in college, and you've got a serious internship/job hunt process going on as well.  All of this in consideration with the way our economy is going, it's not a wonder that more students aren't going crazy.

So, how do students keep themselves from going over the edge?  For some, this means partying every night or on the weekends.  For others, they try to ignore the stress of college all together; they do the bare minimum to get by and graduate.  Myself, I make sure I build in some free-time in my day and get plenty of sleep at night.  I go to the gym, watch a silly TV show, read a book for fun, do something I enjoy, talk with friends, etc.  I also make sure I get to bed at a reasonable hour, staying up all night to cram won't do anyone any good.  It's essential that your day doesn't become consumed entirely by work; even though you may feel the need to work around the clock, taking a break every once and awhile will be more beneficial in the long run.

My question for you: how do you de-stress your life?