13 Coping Mechanisms For Stressed Undergraduate Students

Every student faces the ups and downs of college in their own unique ways. Common coping mechanisms develop as students face similar battles dealing with stress. How many of these are you guilty of?

1. Eat your feelings away.

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Without realizing it or not, people often suffer from emotional eating, hoping to relieve their stress by stuffing themselves with food, food and more food. Maybe you're zoning out in front of the TV while you continuously reach into a bag of chips? Or you're snuggling in bed with a tub of ice cream in one hand and a cookie in another? The bad thing about this is that it doesn't do much. It only makes you feel worse afterwards. Instead of stuffing your face with unhealthy comfort foods, try to make a healthier decision in your snack choices, reaching for almonds rather than cookies and an apple, not jelly fruit snacks.

2. Binge-watch your favorite TV shows.

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Although it may seem like a fantastic idea at the time, deciding to watch all seasons of Gilmore Girls or Breaking Bad on Netflix within a few days can really screw up your sleep schedule. Those that binge-watch their favorite TV shows end up sleeping at much later times. Screentime right before sleeping heightens stress levels, ultimately doing more harm than good to your body.

3. Instagram/Facebook about how stressed and unproductive you are.

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Adding on to the never-ending list of social media applications, Instagram is one that combines social communication and aesthetic appeal. "Facebook has illuminated the depressive effects from social comparison, and Instagram can be worse...Instagram consists purely of carefully curated and perfected photos of how awesome a friend's life is, showing scrollers what they're missing in real time." Frankly, no one really cares about how stressed and unproductive you are. It's depressing. But nowadays, social media creates a user-friendly space for creating the ultimate and perfect world. No one's life is THAT picture-perfect.

4. Nap, nap, nap away!

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There are pros and cons to this. The benefits of napping include relaxation, reduced fatigue, fewer accidents, and improved mood, performance, and memory. But there are also a few drawbacks. Although naps are meant to enhance a person's physical and mental state, some naps can leave one with sleep inertia (grogginess). Also, long naps can affect your nighttime sleep, worsening sleeping problems.

5. Suddenly display OCD behaviors.

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You have two papers due in 24 hours, a project due the day after and your best friend's birthday the following night...but suddenly you feel like your already spotless kitchen floor needs a good scrubbin', your clothes need to be color coordinated, and your detailed planner needs to be organized again. Technically, it's not a bad thing to have such tendencies! Cleaning clutter provides more breathing and working space, a significantly visceral difference. Also, if cleaning is done right, one can gain a decent amount of physical activity that can release endorphins, blow off steam and refresh your mind. Just don't use it as an excuse not to turn in your assignments on time!

6. Scroll, scroll, scroll away!

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Why do we find it so irresistible and inevitable to scroll through pages and pages of Internet nonsense? Is it because we are addicted to the instant availability of information? Or does meaningless scrolling actually measure up to something of significance in our technology-driven society today? Whatever the reason, we fall prey to the curse of the infinite scrolling, unaware of the consequences. Different websites utilize "infinite scrolling" as a technique to improve browsing experience.

7. Raise your heart rate with a physical activity.

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Going for a run around the park or riding your bike around the neighborhood can help you reduce your stress level a lot more than you think! Raising your heart rate can help your body circulation improve significantly, elevating mood and learning. "[Exercise] forces the body's physiological systems -- all of which are involved in the stress response -- to communicate much more closely than usual: The cardiovascular system communicates with the renal system, which communicates with the muscular system. And all of these are controlled by the central and sympathetic nervous systems, which also must communicate with each other. This workout of the body's communication system may be the true value of exercise; the more sedentary we get, the less efficient our bodies in responding to stress."

8. Coffee, coffee and more coffee.

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We love our caffeine. Just take a look around your neighbourhood; there's a Starbucks at every corner! But does the consumption of coffee have more health benefits or risks? For starters, let's tackle the benefits. Coffee is a rich source of antioxidants, fighting against several diseases. A study revealed that drinking at least one cup of coffee a day decreased chances of developing liver cirrhosis, a condition most commonly found in people with excessive alcohol consumption. Another study revealed that coffee consumption can lower risks for Type 2 diabetes. "People who drink four or more cups of coffee a day reduce their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 50 percent." Although such findings support the benefits of the drink, a few dangers exist from caffeine overdose. Since caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, the heart experiences palpitations, heartburns and increased heart rate. Also, drinking too much coffee can result in jittery motions that signify muscle cramps and restlessness. Sleeping habits also take a big hit as caffeine inhibits the brain's natural tranquilizers causing one to develop irregular sleeping patterns or insomnia. The lesson to be learned here is be aware of the amount of caffeine consumption and how your body reacts to it.

9. Splurge on a shopping spree.

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Half of all Americans guiltily admit to engaging in retail therapy, an unofficial form of psychological relief, to ease their anxiety. More often than not, the purchases outweigh the actual need for the product, causing more harm than good. But shopping can increase one's mood and relive stress levels. Although there are clear benefits found in retail therapy, a few problems dance around the corners as well. Impulse buys are rarely good ideas because you set yourself up for denial. In doing so, you constantly buy unnecessary products, reassuring (or lying to) yourself that it will make you feel better. It's only temporary relief.

10. Constantly refresh social media pages.

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Social media anxiety is for real. Digital devastation definitely takes place in our heavily technology based society in America. The need to connect is an innate human quality; without it we face severe social repercussions. For example, let's say you updated your status on Facebook. A minute passes. Five minutes. Thirty. You anxiously refresh the page every thirty seconds to see if anyone "liked" it or commented on it. This is a definite symptom of social media anxiety. The excessive (and often unnecessary) need to search and post within social media shows that you are buried beneath the anxieties developed from social media insecurity. The amount of time spent with your digital devices affect many aspects of your life such as sleep deprivation, insecurity, and anxiety.

11. Think about alternative career paths to avoid current assignments.

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When you find yourself trying to get your work done, doesn't your mind just conveniently start to wander off? Nearly everyone in college grapples with procrastination. We occupy ourselves with unnecessary tasks in times when we need to focus our attention to more important duties. Our brain loves to procrastinate, avoiding emotionally unpleasant tasks, causing guilt and shame to overwhelm us even more as a consequence. Obviously the detrimental factors of procrastination involves a vicious cycle of refraining, sidetracking, and guilt-tripping, but a possible way for one to avoid procrastination or lessen its impact is to fully understand why our brains are so susceptible to procrastination. Once our minds become more aware of why and how we procrastinate, we display improvement in the next round of exams or paper deadlines.

12. Bring out your inner chef and cook all the recipes you find on Pinterest.

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Culinary therapy actually exists! Although you could easily go to your favorite fast food restaurant and grab a bunch of comfort food to-go, the simple act of making your meal produces startlingly positive results. When you're in a funk, a good push of creativity just might do the trick to alleviate your stress. Additionally, cooking for someone you care about generates good feelings when they appreciate you. Allowing yourself to become intensely involved in an activity gives your brain a chance to take a break from whatever you're stressed or anxious about. You don't have to be great at cooking. Just the act of putting something together regardless of the end product is enough to elevate your mood.

13. Just cry it all out.

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You've had a rough day. Nothing seems to be going right. Not even chocolate can help you right now. When all hope seems lost, give it a good cry. Grab a box of tissues and just let the tears pour down. Crying provides various benefits. It can elevate your mood by lowering your level of manganese. Our body's natural response to ease emotional pain is through the simple act of crying. It also removes toxins from your body. When stress and anxiety increases, your body builds up chemicals that are detrimental. Crying refreshes your system by getting rid of these toxins.