UNA students have many ways of dealing with stress. Some UNA students turn to television or physical exercise to stay calm.

“I watch TV or go running,” said Joyce Eccleston, a UNA sophomore.

Eccleston said she also likes to draw circles on paper until the paper is covered in ink or do yoga to relax.

“I typically like to go for really long walks downtown to get away from everything,” said Edwin Huertas Jr., a UNA freshman and computer science major. “It’s just something I kind of do when it comes upon me, usually in the morning.”

Other UNA students turn to books or movies to unwind.

“I read books that I connect to,” said Kathleen Franks, a UNA junior and English major. “The characters calm me down. I also watch light-hearted movies.”

Some UNA students, however, do not feel the need to relax.

“I don’t really get stressed out, to be quite honest,” said Riley Emnace, a UNA freshman double majoring in accounting and criminal justice. “I guess in time, when I start to get stressed, I think, ‘Oh, well, that’s happening,’ and then I deal with it.”

Jennifer Berry, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) at UNA’s Student Counseling Services, said stress manifests itself in different ways, from feeling moody or isolated to not sleeping well.

“If (stress) is not dealt with in a healthy way or effective way, with effective coping skills, it goes from managed stress to unmanaged stress,” she said.

Some UNA students have encountered the negative effects of stress.

“I think it’s really important to de-stress because when you’re stressed out, you won’t be able to do your best on what you’re working on,” said Ashley Grissom, a UNA sophomore. “Sometimes, it just gets to the point where I’ve got to stop before I go crazy. A lot of times, I’ll take a break from what I was working on and I’ll get on Pinterest and look at the humor section. That does the trick every time.”

Other UNA students have also talked about the physical effects of stress.

“My troubles just start to dominate my thoughts and it starts to make me restless,” Huertas said.

Stress, when not properly managed, can lead to alcohol or drug use, excessive shopping or gaming or disordered eating patterns, Berry said.

Berry said stress can be caused by school, relationships, friendships and home life, even though these aspects of a college student’s life can also be healthy. Berry also said that balancing academics with a social life, work and financial stress can be overwhelming for college students.

“One of the things that I work with students on is wanting to find a balance and learning how to develop an effective self-care plan for themselves,” Berry said.

Self-care plans can include time management, exercise and eating well, Berry said. However, self-care can be different for everyone. She said the important thing is that a student’s self-care plan is effective.

Student Counseling Services at UNA are paid for by the student health fee.

Three licensed professional counselors are available to talk to students during hours of operation at the Student Counseling Service Center Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“A lot of times with unmanaged stress, we feel like there’s no options,” Berry said. “There’s always an option. Always.”

Student Counseling Services is located at 555 Oakview Circle. To schedule an appointment, call 256-765-5215 or email [email protected].