Reduce your stress and anxiety this finals season by having reliable people to support you

It’s finals season, my fellow dawgs! The air is getting colder, while the sun rises later and sets earlier. It can feel isolating to be hunkered down in your room cramming to finish those last term papers, essays, and lab exams. 

Many university students are dealing with high levels of stress and anxiety. 60 percent of university students report experiencing above average levels of stress and approximately 65 percent feel overwhelming anxiety. Not only is this stress and anxiety bad for our mental health, but it also is affecting our academic performance. 

According to the National College Health Assessment survey, 42 percent of students say stress  has adverse effects on their academic performance, while 33 percent say anxiety. One way to reduce stress and anxiety is by having a network of people that provide practical solutions and emotional support. 

It’s important to have people you can rely on to be there for you when you start to feel overwhelmed with the workload from school. A space for you to feel comfortable and safe in sharing your emotions. Support systems are essential to your university journey. 

There are many ways to create your own support systems. I suggest starting by joining a team activity. A space where you regularly go and interact with people will not only improve your mood, but make it easier to meet new people and form a connection. These activities can be a pottery class, a book club or a gaming group. 

I joined the Sheaf team as a staff writer and over the course of this semester, I have felt each member become a part of my support system. Not only is this team supporting each other professionally, through the editing and the production process of creating newspapers, but meeting up to study together in the Sheaf office and offering help. Recently we even went to support one of our fellow co-workers following another passion by performing in a musical. 

I especially recommend trying to join a workout group! This year I joined a spin class and have been loving the activity. As someone who didn’t do physical activity often, it was intimidating to even walk into the gym. But I roped a friend into going with me and now every week it’s our time to not only be physically active with music blaring, but also check in on each other on how the week went. 

As university students we have free access to the many fitness classes offered at the PAC. Some of my favorites, besides Spin, include Yoga for Backs and Zumba. Physical activity is known to reduce stress and mental fatigue, leaving you feeling more focused and motivated. 

Another great tip is to create a list of people in your life and their roles. To create a strong comprehensive support system, you need to know who to reach out to and for what reason. Some people are in your life to offer positivity when you are feeling low, some will be unconditionally honest and others will be good listeners. Some will have maybe even taken or are taking the class you are currently struggling with, and others have life or career experiences that will help you with decision making. 

Not all these traits will be found in one person. However, creating a list of people that you know are reliable and that you can call on when you are feeling overwhelmed with one of these tasks will help. 

Throughout this process of trying to establish a strong support system, it’s important to have people you feel comfortable asking for help from. This is the part that I struggled with the most and still do to this day. 

It can feel so intimidating to raise your hand in class and say, “I don’t understand this concept,” but being open to the idea of asking for help when you need it is the first step! Your professors, teaching assistants and classmates are all a part of your academic support system, and you should use these resources when you need it. 

This semester, I made a conscious effort to reach out to my academic support system when I needed help. To feel more confident in interacting with my professors, I started emailing them basic questions at the start of the term if I was slightly unsure about something, instead of just staying confused for half of the semester. I started asking my friends when I didn’t understand where I was going wrong in solving a math question or a particularly challenging coding assignment, instead of hiding my struggles. 

I know this will sound cliché, but when you reach out like I did, you end up realizing how your classmates are also struggling with the assignments and course content. You really aren’t alone. 

This is my third year of university and I feel like I’ve finally cultivated a support system that works. I have my family to give me reality checks, my friend from spin class to be a good listener, my computer science besties to struggle with course materials and the wonderful Sheaf team. Creating this support system has made this semester one of my favorites of my university journey so far. I hope that you all can cultivate your very own community. Reach out and find your people! 

Good luck with finals, dawgs!