CPS offers advice for coping with stress during finals, holidays

As the end of Fall Semester approaches, many students may feel additional stress and anxiety about their upcoming exams or visiting home for the holiday season. 

“It is very common for anxieties to spike during these weeks. Students are juggling a lot,” said Levi Toback, a graduate student and a counselor-in-residence with Ohio University Counseling and Psychological Services. “One of the things that can be helpful is to put everything down into one list and organize. That can help reduce the uncertainty that’s associated with these times.” 

Scheduling time for self-care – even sleep – is also important, he said. 

“Make sure you schedule time for yourself, or with friends, to do something that is rewarding after putting all that hard work in studying for these exams. We know that students who do not engage in self-care are more likely to burn out and more likely to have difficulties studying effectively,” Toback said.

Once the studying and exams are over, students may still feel stress and anxiety this time of year about visiting home for the holiday season.

“Going back home can give people so many different feelings,” said Chanda Pinkney, a graduate student and a counselor-in-residence with Counseling and Psychological Services. “Whether it’s going back home to an estranged relationship or going back home and feeling a level of abandonment because your old room has been converted to a gym or that extra den that mom or dad always wanted. You might get that feeling of being pushed out. Or even coming home and people wanting to know how well you’re doing and you’re feeling like you’re not meeting certain expectations.”

Sometimes, she said, it’s best not to have an expectation and just be realistic about what you’re going home to. 

“A lot of times people set themselves up by thinking they need to put up an appearance. Sometimes we need to face reality, and whose expectation are you really meeting?” Pinkney said. 

Even after doing everything you can to minimize your anxieties and stress, it’s still common to experience these symptoms. Counseling and Psychological Services, in Hudson Health Center on the Athens campus, is available to help students build effective coping skills through a variety of programs and resources. 

Students seeking to initiate services at CPS for the first time, or clients seeking to return to services after a break, may call 740-593-1616 and schedule an initial appointment. Initial appointment will help students to decide what services may be best suited for their needs.