It’s the time of the quarter when students start spending
more time in the library and less time at fraternity parties.
Midterms are right around the corner, and the first big paper is
due too soon.
Suddenly, students are concerned less with eating healthy and
working out. Sleep is a luxury most can’t afford.
Sound familiar? It should be to anybody who’s ever
experienced the beginning stages of stress.
I’ll admit stress in small doses is actually beneficial.
Stress helps to prepare the mind and body to deal with many of
life’s daily demands.
The problem arises when the body is under continued stress,
which can last from days or even weeks at a time. Continued stress
depletes the body of the energy it needs to perform properly.
Some of the reported effects stress has on the body include
decreased memory, lapses in concentration and learning, sleeping
and eating disorders, and depression, according to the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention.
Stress can also lead to sexual disfunction, hair loss and skin
disorders, physical aches and pains, immune disorders and
gastrointestinal problems which includes Irritable Bowel Syndrome,
complete with diarrhea and gas.
Stress is a busy bugger, but how does it carry out this
mayhem?
The brain responds to stressful situations by releasing steroid
hormones, which venture throughout the body, adversely affecting
the actions of the heart, lungs, metabolism, immune system and
skin.
In addition, the dopamine and adrenaline in the body trigger
specific areas of the brain that normally control memory,
concentration, inhibition, rational thought and emotion.
In short, stress throws the entire body into a complete state of
flux, which consumes more of the body’s energy and makes it
difficult for a person to perform at peak potential.
All right, so stress is bad. But how do we avoid getting
stressed?
Avoiding stress begins with eating regular healthy meals.
Students eating in the dorms have a large variety of foods ““
healthy and unhealthy ““ available to them. So choose
wisely.
Eating too late at night, besides possibly causing significant
weight gain, can disturb sleeping patterns.
Also, stay away from milk, bananas, cheese and turkey while
studying. These foods contain tryptophan, an amino acid which has
been proven to cause sleepiness.
Another way to combat stress is to exercise. This is usually the
first thing students disregard in stressful times, but is precisely
what students need most. Exercising can maximize energy and improve
sleep.
Getting enough of this improved sleep is crucial. Sleep is the
second thing that goes out of the window when students are stressed
about studying, and a lack of sleep causes reduced concentration,
learning and attention span. Adopt a regular sleeping schedule,
stick to it, and treat it like a schedule of classes.
Schedules are key, and setting a good study schedule in an
appropriate environment is equally important to getting enough
rest.
Consider the lighting and surrounding noises, and work with
positive study partners. Also, use rewards as an incentive to long
study sessions ““ Jamba Juice anyone?
If stress is class-related, the solution could be as simple as
getting help in a class. It’s never too late to get help from
professors, teaching assistants and a brainiac friend in class.
Leaving gaps in understanding creates massive amounts of stress,
when a simple clarification could go a long way to reducing stress
““ and study time.
Most importantly, just relax. Take a study break and try deep
diaphragmatic breathing and think of something pleasant. This helps
to maintain sanity levels and gives the brain a break.
Stay away from drugs and alcohol. This includes NoDoz, a
caffeine pill popular among students. A cup of coffee will do just
fine.
The life of a student can be very demanding and is almost always
filled with stressful situations. Learning how to lasso stress now
will make studying for that midterm or writing that paper much
easier. And when it’s all done with, letting loose on the
bull at the Saddle Ranch on Sunset Boulevard will be much more
rewarding.
Freeman is a first-year medical student at the UCLA David Geffen
School of Medicine. “Your Health” is a weekly column
written by a rotating group of UCLA medical students. E-mail
questions and column topics to yourhealth@media.ucla.edu.