As students struggle with negative news, social life, homework and constant interaction with online media, finding ways to stay calm and be positive despite tough trials can improve their outlook on life.
2023 has started quite eventfully. News like the tragic earthquake in Turkey has shown images of tragedies, fear, anger and, most of all, negativity due to these qualities producing a lot of attention from the public. Social media platforms have allowed more negative posts due to them attracting more views and likes. Include the semester beginning to switch to piling schoolwork mode, and it all contributes to a wide range of students facing a lot of pressure around them.
According to Research.com, 70% of teenagers have called depression a major issue among their peers, 75% of all high schoolers expressed stress from school, and 57.8% of college students reported having between above average to massive stress levels.
With students facing so much stress along with personal trials, how does one manage to deal with it and keep a positive attitude? A few students provided their thoughts on the matter.
Obina Ahuchogu is a senior at APUmajoring in political science, and Marcus Dawal is an APU graduate student majoring in athletic administration. The following are some excerpts from my conversation with them about managing stress.
How do you deal with a busy schedule?
Obina Ahuchogu:
I keep my schedule organized so that I don’t add stress to myself. I would say it’s important to manage your time effectively because time waits for no man. And also, one should allow time for rest in their schedule.
Marcus Dawal:
For me, the best way to handle being busy is by giving my day structure. After spending four years as a collegiate athlete, one of the hardest parts of transitioning into my graduate work was becoming in charge of my schedule. To be as efficient as possible, I usually plan my week the Sunday before it starts and make adjustments throughout those seven days when needed.
How do you deal with stress and tough trials in your life?
Obina Ahuchogu:
We have, as opposed to like other universities, … a Christian community and everything. So that’s one, like, I believe you could turn to, you know, just like praying and talking to God — and also, mental health counseling and everything, where you go to people and talk to them about, like, anxiety, depression and all sorts of things. Through those resources that we have, it helps to know that you have a close-knit family out here.
Marcus Dawal:
One of the biggest ways I get through tough trials is by reading my Bible. It helps me pause and reflect on situations that become stressful. Also, one of my favorite things to do is, in times of stress, make an effort not to isolate myself and instead spend my time with people that I care about a lot and bring joy into my life.
When faced with negativity from those around you, social media and media as a whole, how do you keep yourself positive?
Obina Ahuchogu:
So in regards to, like, social media, I know it’s a very tough space. One thing that’s important to remember is that you are your own person. Each one of us came into APU with our own values, beliefs and everything. And one thing I will say we got to be aware of is not every piece of information is good information. Everyone receives information daily, so we just gotta go beyond our eyes and not, like, look at things at face value.
Marcus Dawal:
I feel like we are called to embrace that negativity that surrounds us and try to make something beautiful around us. As a young man, I know I have a long way to go before I can say I consistently have that mindset about the trials this life has to offer, but every day I try to embrace the negativity this world has to offer as a challenge to rise above it. Whether we like to admit it or not, we live in a flawed and broken world, but that does not mean we cannot inspire hope or change by simply making the choice not to be consumed by the darkness.