Sleep, healthy food, exercise help relieve stress, nurse says

Students+feeling+more+stress+as+the+semester+winds+down+should+get+enough+sleep%2C+eat+nutritious+meals+and+meditate%2C+a+campus+nurse+says.

Audrey Wais

Students feeling more stress as the semester winds down should get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals and meditate, a campus nurse says.

Dominic Salacki, Reporter

One of the best ways to manage stress as finals week approaches is to get enough sleep, an AACC nurse said last week. 

Seven to nine hours of sleep every night is ideal, Stephanie Jenkins said during a stress management and strategies virtual workshop. 

“Create a sleep routine,” Jenkins suggested. “Try to go to sleep at the same time every night and try to get up at the same time,” Jenkins said. “It really does help you fall asleep, stay asleep and get up feeling a little bit more refreshed.” 

According to Jenkins, limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption before bedtimecanlead to bettersleep. 

So can eating healthy meals, she said. 

“Try eating a balanced, nutritious meal,” Jenkins said. “It’s not only good for stress reduction, but also for our overall health as well.” 

Three sources of nutrition arethevitamins and minerals in green vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids in fish, and fiber in fruits and nuts, she said. 

“When you’restressed try to engage in some type of physical activity… whatever you like to do,” Jenkins said.She suggestedwalking, biking, running, jumping ropeanddancing. 

Other ways to manage stress, Jenkins advised,are journaling, practicing mindfulness by being in the moment,meditating and focusing on breathing. 

Jenkins recommendedthe app “Calm,” which offers video and audiomessages, along with breathing exercises. 

“Stress is normal and necessary,”Jenkinssaid. “It’s our flight-or-fight response. Stress is a normal part of all of our lives and it actually is something that we do need. It’s just when that stress becomes overwhelming and it remains at that constant high level, that’s when you can have some unhealthy results.” 

Jenkinslisted three types of stress: acute, which is the most common; episodic, which is acute stress that occurs frequently;and prolonged, whichcanaffect physical and mental health because itoccurswhena stressfulsituation feels hopeless. 

Acute stress “happens quickly but it disappears quickly and it can be a positive and exciting experience,” Jenkins said. “It doesn’t always have to be a negative experience.” 

Two examplesof acute stress aretaking an examandgetting on a roller coaster. 

With episodicstress,“you’re prone to constantly worryandyou feel overwhelmed with that stress,” Jenkins said. 

The negative effects of prolonged stress include digestive problems, anxiety, headaches, sleep problems, weight gain, high blood pressure, premature aging, strokeand heart disease, Jenkins said.