Relieving Stress at Your Campus Rec

Relieving Stress At Your Campus Rec

Daily assignments and upcoming tests/quizzes undoubtedly build a level of stress on the minds of college students. Students often turn to drugs, alcohol, and food to help them cope with the stresses of daily collegiate life. One of the most underutilized methods of stress management is exercise, the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) notes that only 14% of Americans turn to exercise to combat stress.1

According to an article in Healthland Time, students today are reporting record levels of stress, “25 years ago 70% of college freshmen reported that they felt they were in the top 10% of mentally stable people in their class, today only 52% of students  report themselves that highly.”2 The largest attributed factor to mental instability is stress.

On nearly every college campus today lie recreational centers,   Today, School administrators realize that their student population need a viable means of healthy stress relief, which is why we see schools building new recreation centers and advocating the use of recreation centers nationwide.

Exercise is a phenomenal stress reliever for a couple of reasons. One reason being, is the release of endorphins (pleasure hormones) throughout the body when one is engaging in a physical activity. Secondly, exercise gives someone a means of temporary mental escape from the daily rigors of their lives. Simply put, while exercising they aren’t actively thinking about what’s causing their stress.

It’s obvious as to why students need to utilize their campus recreation center, not only for the physical health aspects, but the mental as well. Every student experiences some sort of mental stress/strain, and the recreation center on campus could help students without an expensive fee.

References:

1 Adaa.org,. (2016). Physical Activity Reduces Stress | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Retrieved 7 February 2016, from http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/stress/physical-activity-reduces-st

2 Szalavitz, M., & Szalavitz, M. (2016). Why Are College Students Reporting Record High Levels of Stress? | TIME.com. TIME.com. Retrieved 7 February 2016, from http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/27/why-are-college-students-reporting-record-high-levels-of-stress/