Focus on Mental Health: Symptoms, Tips, and Resources
Feeling stress, anxiety, or depression is relatively normal for most college students. Some levels of stress can actually be good for us, as the right kind of stress encourages us to change, grow, and possibly make improvements in our life. It is important to recognize that when stress, anxiety, or depression exist for an extended period of time, these issues become a health risk and may impact multiple areas of a student’s life and functioning.
There are four primary types of symptoms of stress: physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral. Depending on the individual and the cause of the stress, the number of symptoms from each category can vary. The below chart will give an overview of types of symptoms that may be present in someone suffering from stress.
Physical Symptoms
- Irregular bowel movements
- Involuntary twitching or shaking
- Irregular or missed periods
- Getting sick more often than normal
- Reduced libido
- Chest pain with or without tachycardia
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Muscle aches
- Trouble sleeping
- Heartburn or indigestion
- Fatigue
- Flushed skin
- Clenched teeth
- Unusual changes in weight
Emotional Symptoms
- Less than normal patience
- Feelings of sadness and/or depression
- Feelings of being overwhelmed
- Restlessness
- Reduced or eliminated desire for activities once enjoyed or regularly done
- Irritability
- Sense of isolation
- Trouble coping with life’s issues
- More frequent or extreme pessimistic attitude
Cognitive Symptoms
- Impaired concentration
- Trouble with remembering things, such as homework assignments or deadlines
- Chronic worrying
- Anxious thoughts or feelings
- Reduced or impaired judgment
- Impaired speech (mumbling or stuttering)
- Repetitive or unwanted thoughts
Behavioral Symptoms
- Change in eating habits
- Change in sleeping habits
- New or increased use of drugs, tobacco or drugs
- Nail biting
- Pacing
- Abnormal failure or delay to complete everyday responsibilities
- Significant change in school or work performance
- Unusual desire for social isolation
- Frequent lying
- Trouble getting along with peers, such as coworkers, classmates or teachers
Tips to Manage Stress, Anxiety, and Depression:
- Get plenty of sleep.
Not getting enough sleep impairs academic performance and makes it harder to get through the day. There are many online resources available to develop good sleep routines.
- Think positive.
Research has shown that positive thinking may improve physical well-being, produce lower feelings of depression and produce lower levels of distress. This is challenging for some people- you may consider seeing a professional therapist is you need assistance with thinking positive.
- Have a stress “outlet.”
This could be a social activity like going out or participating in intramural sports, finding a hobby or joining a social club.
- Engage in relaxation techniques.
This can include things like slowly counting to ten, meditation, thinking positive thoughts, or visualization. There are apps that you may find that may assist you with relaxation techniques.
- Talk to someone.
Sometimes just talking about what’s stressful or having someone listen to your problems can drastically reduce issues. Sometimes talking with trusted friends or family members is helpful, and sometimes talking to a professional therapist is helpful.
Feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed is normal but these issues can manifest in different ways for each individual. For some people, it’s time to seek help when your feelings begin to have a negative impact on everyday life and your ability to carry out daily routines or have normal relationships. For others, it is when these thoughts and feelings begin to prevent them from being able to focus and enjoy the important things in life, when their stress and anxiety are the only thing they can focus on, or when their thoughts and feelings begin to interfere with work or school. It can be any one or combination that sparks the need to get help.
Source: American Psychological Association; learnpsychology.org
CSULB Campus Resources
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
Behavioral Health Services at Student Health Services
Women's & Gender Equity Center
