Jared Grigg, a graduate student in the psychology Ph.D. program, spends the majority of his time in clinical rounds at the University of Mississippi Counseling Center talking to students who have taken on too much and are overwhelmed by stress.
Grigg said the effects of stress can extend to affect many areas of a student’s life.
“Chronic stress can result in an inability to take care of daily living skills like showering, brushing your teeth and eating three meals a day,” Grigg said.
Grigg cautions students against considering drugs and alcohol as alternatives to lifestyle changes that can reduce stress.
“They allow for a temporary relief,” Grigg said. “But those situations come back and you’ve lost that time you spent doing whatever you were doing, and that creates more stress.”
Junior journalism major Cara Wigmore is involved in the Ole Miss baseball marketing group, a campus honors and community service organization, and the Ole Miss Marketing Association.
Wigmore said her life depends on her planners.
“I have three separate planners, and in my phone I give myself alerts for an hour or two hours before I do something,” Wigmore said. “That gives me time to prepare and move on from what I’m doing now to prepare for what’s next.”
Grigg agrees that having a schedule that allows you to collect yourself before moving on to the next task is extremely beneficial.
“Realize that schedules are fluid. Having a hard and fast time that you say ‘This is when I will switch what I’m doing’ can cause stress and anxiety.”
Senior accounting major Taylor Lightner serves as president of a Greek organization and member of an international business and accounting honors organization, belongs to an academic excellence sorority and a leadership sorority, and is a proponent of healthy stress management.
“I live by my planner,” Lightner said. “My days are so full.”
Lightner said that downtime is critical to managing stress.
“I go in my room and just sit,” Lightner said. “I take a five-minute deep breath. Other times I go and be with friends. Yoga helps a lot, but alone time is the best de-stresser for me.”
Wigmore agrees that taking time for yourself and your health is important.
“Workouts and eating are a huge part of how I keep myself healthy,” Wigmore said. “I feel like when I work out it relieves all the stress. It just clears my mind.”
Grigg said that finding time for yourself and activities to clear your mind are important to keeping balanced.
“Find ways to slow your mind down to allow yourself that time to organize your thoughts,” Grigg said.
Grigg encourages students coping with stress to consider participating in the Counseling Center’s “Calm in Chaos” courses.
Grigg said that, although a jam-packed schedule does not make for an easy life, a busy life can be a fulfilling one.
“Understanding the value of what you’re doing, asking yourself, ‘What makes me want to do this?’ takes that busy stressful schedule and it gives it meaning and value,” Grigg said.
-Carolyn Smith
cesmith5@go.olemiss.edu
