Stress Management

Khris Thammavong
Quick Stats
● 103 Responses
○ 14 freshman, 23 sophomores, 29 juniors, and 37 seniors.
● 85% of responders answered a 5 or higher for how stressed they were regularly.
● 65% mention school and 40% mention some form of work as one of the reasons they’re stressed.
● Most students either talk to family or friends to vent stress, but 38% still talk to nobody and only
12% think of talking to a counselor/therapist.
● Only 24.2% of students believe they have good time management skills.
Why is managing stress important?
● Stress can be healthy at times, but too much stress can be overwhelming and very unhealthy for
the body.
○ High levels of cortisol can cause symptoms such as high blood pressure, fatigue, and impaired brain function.
● A majority of students believe that stress management is important, but only 22% of responders
believe that they manage their stress in a healthy way
● Many students do agree that their stress is their fault in some way, but I do not think they realize
that they could at least decrease their stress by a significant amount
Top Stress Relievers
Top Choices from Students: Healthiest Stress Relievers (not in any particular order):

Listening to music - 75/103 (72.8%) Exercise

Leisurely activities - 62/103 (60.2%) Meditation
Sleep - 49/103 (47.6%) Talking to others
Eat Food 42/103 (40.8%) Making time for leisurely activities
Creative Outlets 34/103 (33%) Sleeping
Exercise 31/103 (30.1%) Identifying stressors and putting an end to them
Nothing 31/103 (30.1%)
Conclusion
● If stress relief is ineffective immediately most students try to avoid their problems or panic instead
of thinking through the situation and facing what’s making them stressed.
○ Although leisure time can be a stress reliever, it is more important to get rid of the source than to ignore it.
● Students should at least try to talk to close friends if they’re stressed in order to vent their
frustrations, but should talk to a counselor or therapist if things get out of hand.
● Students should try healthier techniques for stress relief such as meditation or sleeping rather
than ignoring the problem or eating their problems away
Sources
Cadman, Bethany. “13 Proven Natural Ways to Lower Cortisol.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon
International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322335.php.

Robinson, Lawrence, et al. “Stress Management.” HelpGuide, HelpGuide.org International,

www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm/.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DTPMJ93ijhyvjdxvbrAR851L8DloyBkxn8CLF-
qX5M0/edit?usp=sharing (responses from survey)