Help Your College Student Cope with Stress




As a parent, we tend to remember our college years as some of our most care-free. That’s because our brains are wired to forget painful memories in favor of the good ones. It’s important to remember that for college students -- especially ones just starting out -- the college experience can be incredibly stressful.

New freshman may be living away from home and their childhood friends for the first time; while older students may feel more pressure about job prospects and internships. And at some point every college student has to deal with roommate or drama on top of their coursework, midterms and finals.

Three tips to help your student deal with the stress of college life so he/she doesn’t burn out.

Encourage your college student to exercise when stressed

Time is tight in college and a stressed student may postpone exercise in order to get more studying in. That’s a mistake because exercise is one of the fastest ways to reduce stress by clearing harmful cortisol out of the body.

And exercise doesn’t need to mean a lot of time away from study. High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT packs an effective workout into a short period of time. Plus, many HIIT workouts don’t need any special equipment so are perfect for the dorm room or to do on the quad.

Share this collection of College Stress Busting Dorm Room Workout Videos or any of these 20 Minute HIIT workout videos with your college student today - and they will have it on hand when their stress levels rise.

Suggest your college student try meditation

College students have a lot on their mind: heavy course loads, work, family, money and an active social life. These things, plus worries about future employment or graduate school, all add up high stress. Your student needs to learn how cope effectively with stress and increasing his/her mindfulness with meditation is a great suggestion

Meditation lowers cortisol and, with regular practice, reduces the body’s stress response while improving other cognitive functions. And with guided meditation, it’s super easy to do whenever...just sit, listen and breathe.

Your student may prefer a more spiritual meditation like Fostering Mindfulness meditation or if s/he is more pragmatic, a guided meditation video to just relax could do the trick. Or share this collection of College Stress Busting Meditation Videos so your student can see what works best for him/her.

Coax your college student to get more sleep

Sleep is critically important to cognitive function and mood. Unfortunately, many college students suffer from insomnia with stress being a main cause. Increasing exercise and adopting mindfulness meditation with both help your student sleep better. In addition, you can suggest trying some gentle yoga videos on those nights where sleep just won’t come.

Following along with an expert teacher with a gentle yoga online video can be a great way to relax and unwind before going to sleep. Gentle yoga generally involves gentle stretches and beginner poses so it’s appropriate for anyone -- even those who have never tried yoga before.

Share this collection of gentle yoga videos and your college student will be sleeping more soundly.

College stress is inevitable. Helping your college student learn to cope with stress and build resilience can help them now and all through their lives.

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