For many college students, stress is a large part of life. While stress is a motivator, too much of it can result in dysfunction, including reduction in performance and the onset of health problems. Stress is one of the most treatable forms of illness, simply because there are a variety of treatments from which to choose. However, most colleges rely on clinical counseling as the sole means of handling stress for students, despite the fact that proper cognitive development is associated with “nurturing” environments at home, school and work, and that some people do not respond well to counseling (Johnson 34). It is important for college campuses to recognize the amount of stress experienced by college student experiences, and the need to provide alternative “nurturing” tools.
“Stress can be defined as an environmental force, either real or imagined, that interacts with an individual’s tolerance and which has a motivational or stimulatory effect. If the stressor’s force exceeds the individual’s stress tolerance level it will have a derogatory effect upon the individual” (Bryson 303). Not all stress is negative, because it is also a motivator. However, excessive or persistent stress has unhealthy side effects. Th

Meditation or relaxation techniques are taught in the Social Work and Psychological colleges. These methods often take the form of yoga, breathing exercises, or low impact exercise programs such as martial arts and swimming. The purpose of all of these methods is to reduce anxiety, generally, and could be offered to students by students (Weiss 352).

Because of the importance of self-perception in the stressor relationship, perceptions of stress have been the subject of a number of studies on college students. “Garg (1992) found past academic performance to be a predictor of subsequent self perceptions. That is, perceptions of scholastic competence may affect the individuals self perceptions. Additionally, nonacademic perceptions (e.g., physical ability, physical appearance, relations with same or opposite gender, and general self concept) were found to be influenced by the family, social satisfaction, mental stress associated with recent life-change experiences, and health factors” (Goldman and Wong 605). The participants in Garg’s study who demonstrated low self concepts were likely to have mental health problems (Goldman and Wong 605).

Combined, exercise and sleep are the prevailing treatment for stress, depression, and motivational problems. Yet, many students miss out on one or the other, or both. “Consistent sleepiness leads to low-level fatigue, irritability, memory loss, lack of concentration and decreased physical performance” (Sleep 0110DCFNS1). Sleepiness is caused either by a lack of sleep or by a lack of exercise. Knowing that exercise is a good way to release strain, nearly half (49%) respondents to a survey conducted by the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center “say they skip exercise because they’re tired or sleepy,” yet if students are encouraged to do both, they will experience an increase in energy (Sleep 0110DCFNS1). In past decades, exercise programs were a required part of many curricula. Colle