Statistics from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America show that 30 percent of college students reported that stress has negatively affected their academic performance, 85 percent said they often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they do, 41.6 percent noted that anxiety was their top concern and 24.5 percent said they are taking medication to aid with stress and anxiety.

College can be stressful. But that doesn’t mean you have to let the stress own you. These techniques can help students cope with stress, and Iowa State provides resources that can help as well.

Take charge of your stress

“By taking charge of our stress, we can deal with the stressors of our everyday lives,” said Mark Rowe-Barth, director of the Iowa State Wellness Center. “Make a list of what’s going on in your life and prioritize what is really important. Take time to look at the big picture and ask yourself, ‘Will this really matter in a week, a month, a year?’

Coping with stress in a healthy way will also require some self-assessment of what works for you and what doesn’t, based on who you are as a person and a student. “List your values. Do your values match up with the list of things that are causing stress in your life (i.e., Would it make decision-making easier to choose to do things based on your value system)?” said Rowe-Barre. In the end, it’s up to you to decide how to cope and then put your plan in place in your own life. “Make an action plan and do it. This can mean prioritizing, delegating tasks, setting aside time for yourself, learning how to say “no” to others, etc.”

Buy a planner

You can buy planners made for the academic year at the bookstore in the Memorial Union, at Target or at any other store.

Write down everything in your planner, from class times and locations, due dates and work schedules, to laundry day, coffee dates and every little reminder that you may need. Having your day organized and mapped out can alleviate stress and motivate you to tackle your to-do list in a timely manner.

A popular alternative to using a planner is bullet journaling, an organizational system that allows for more creativity. For more information on bullet journaling, check out the official website: bulletjournal.com

Get enough sleep.

“Sleep and mood are closely connected; poor or inadequate sleep can cause irritability and stress, while healthy sleep can enhance well-being,” according to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Staying up until 4 a.m. working on homework and then attending an 8 a.m. lecture is not ideal, nor is it healthy. Not getting enough sleep can increase stress levels by bringing an uneven balance of rest and work to your life.

Maintain a healthy diet.

It is challenging to maintain a healthy diet in college, but give it your best shot. Consistently fueling your body with junk food will drain energy levels in the body, ultimately leading to a lower threshold for stress.

Don’t overwork yourself.

With more than 850 clubs and organizations on campus, there’s a student organization for everyone at Iowa State. If you like sports, think about joining an intramural team for fun. If you love fashion, consider looking into Trend Magazine or the campus Fashion Show. If you want to try drinking tea, there’s a Tea Club. However, jumping into too many organizations early on could stress you out. Limit yourself to two extracurricular activities to start with; one that is relevant to your major, and one for fun. Take it slow, and add on more after you have adjusted to campus.

Make time for personal hobbies.

“Even if your schedule is filled with academic obligations such as lectures and study groups, try to find time every day to do something you enjoy,” Rowe-Barth said. Whether it be going to the gym, grabbing a coffee with friends or watching Netflix, it is important to maintain a healthy balance between school, work and fun.

Avoid relaxing with alcohol.

“Consuming alcohol for stress reduction is not a healthy coping mechanism,” Rowe-Barth said. “There is a difference in frame of mind and intention. If the intention is simply ‘to get drunk or wasted,’ that’s concerning in terms of health and safety. If the intention is to be with friends socially and to relax while enjoying a few drinks, that’s a totally different frame of mind.”

Drinking to relieve stress will not make the stressors go away, but rather magnify them, forcing one to now cope with the stressor in a healthy way. “In most cases, after the effects of intoxication wear off, whatever the stressor was to begin with is still there and has to be dealt with in a manner that involves healthy solutions,” Rowe-Barth said.

Seek help on campus.

If you are finding it difficult to cope with your stress alone, that’s OK. There are multiple services on campus that employ professionals qualified to advise students dealing with stress.  

Student Counseling Services is located on the third floor of the Student Services building. All counseling services are free to Iowa State students, and walk-ins are welcome from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Student Counseling can be contacted by phone at 515-294-5056.

The new Student Wellness Center also helps students discover resources and provide referrals to other self-help professionals. The center has its own stress resources section that can provide other alternatives to help cope with stress, as well. The Student Wellness Center can be found in A37 Friley Hall, 212 Beyer Court or can be contacted by phone at 515-294-1099.