The self-described most wonderful time of the year, the holiday season, can also be the most stressful and unhealthy time for students.

As most university students are under full siege of final projects, final exams and the daunting task of finding seasonal jobs to pay for accumulating bills, many are susceptible to stress.

Barb Elam, the Wellness Center’s stress management coordinator, said she is concerned about students’ habits during finals week and offered suggestions for healthy ways to manage exam stress.

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Elam spent the majority of a Monday lecture speaking about dealing with exam stress by walking students through relaxation techniques – including deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and visualizing pleasant imagery.

Tracette White, a sophomore from Chicago studying psychology, said she has severe test anxiety and has trouble sleeping. She said she is going to try progressive muscle relaxation, or individually relaxing each of her muscles, to help her fall asleep and hopes the technique will help her test-taking as well.

“I’ve done the deep breathing before a test and trying to psych myself positively and it came out pretty good,” White said. “Just relaxing my muscles, that’s what I’ll probably try before the tests, too.”

Elam said adrenaline, including adrenaline caused by test-induced stress, can help students feel motivated and focused. Too much stress can cause an increased level in cortisol, a chemical referred to as the “stress hormone,” which Elam said can bring students down.

“Going down can be either physically: I get sick, I catch a cold, I don’t wake up, I’m eating too much, I’m not eating at all, I’m sleeping too much, I’m not sleeping at all; or it can be emotional: I’m really irritable, I’m really panicky or anxious; or it can be mental: I can’t think clearly,” she said. “So stress affects us in different ways, maybe all of those ways.”

For students whose stress affects them physically, Elam recommended physical stress relievers like exercise, hot baths, a massage or stretching. Students affected emotionally or mentally should write journals, read self-help books or speak with friends, family or a counselor.

Stress, which increases cortisol levels, can cause weight gain. Therefore, treating stress before it becomes severe is essential, Elam said.

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“If you really feel like you’ve been anxious or depressed, it’s interfering with your functioning and has been for a couple weeks or it’s very intense, even if it’s less than a couple weeks, I really encourage you to get more aggressive and get more help,” Elam said.

Anxiety and depression are the most common and most treatable mental health disorders for college students. Elam said some students try to deal with final exams using Ritalin and Adderall, both of which are potentially harmful amphetamines. The drugs are categorized with cocaine and speed and have similar physical and mental health side effects, including a risk of dependence, stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack and hallucinations.

“When those are prescribed for you, it’s based on your physical condition,” Elam said. “I’ve seen people have panic attacks on those and feel very uncomfortable and they’re not at all able to study better. In fact, they feel pretty miserable and increase their stress.”

Caffeine is a safe substitute, Elam said, as long as it is not consumed in excess.

Antwon Westbrooks, a senior from Chicago studying information systems technology, said he drinks Sobre energy drinks and coffee to stay up later.

Elam recommended a positive attitude, following a set study schedule that includes short breaks, avoiding alcohol and recreational drugs, and not skipping meals.

“I make a plan for what days and times I need to study,” Westbrooks said. “Then I choose which classes I need to study for first, so that I can put it all together into a time management to be able to get it all done.”

Elam said the Wellness Center welcomes students who need help dealing with finals stress.

“A lot of stress is very personal,” Elam said. “It’s handling the stress, you know, how do we relax? There’s infinite ways. There’s no one size fits all.”

Brandy Oxford can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 255 or [email protected].