According to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), there are two kinds of stress: eustress and distress. Eustress includes the good stressors in life. It motivates and keeps people alert. Distress is the bad stress that “stresses you out.”

Distress can actually have physical consequences ranging from muscle tension and headaches to chronic illness. In a study conducted by the AIS, 75 to 90 percent of all doctors visits to general practitioners are due to stress related illnesses.

In an article about college stress from drdrew.com, Tammy Coder Mikinski, Ph.D., “Stress is anything that takes a psychological or physical toll on you.” She also states that, “For some college students, stress makes them sick, and their immune system gets run down.”

A major stressor in the lives of college students is the work. The best fix is time management. Write down what assignments you need to complete for the week and create a schedule. Making and achieving goals boosts eustress and lowers distress.

When you’re making your schedule don’t make it too rigid. You do need time to go out and socialize with your friends. All work and no free time can cause irritability and a drop in motivation. So go ahead and plan a weekly night out with the guys.

Exercise is also a great stress reducer. Physical activity gives your mind a break from work and allows endorphins and phenylethylamine or PEA, a chemical in the brain that causes positive mood change, to rise. According to “Is ‘Runners High’ a Cure for Depression” (Spetember 27, 2001 webmd.com) PEA is “a natural stimulant produced by the body” that, “is related to amphetamines but does not have the long-lasting effects that make "speed" or "ice" such deadly drugs.” A combination of endorphins and PEA cause the euphoric state of a runner’s high.

The best way to increase the levels of endorphins and PEA is through aerobic exercise. Thirty to 60 minutes of exercise at least three times a week will help reduce stress and elevate your mood.

So now the question becomes where and how should you fit this exercise into your already busy schedule? You can start by walking to class instead of taking the bus. After your clasees, go for a run by yourself or with some friends. Running or biking around campus is a great exercise.

Also, get acquainted with your university’s recreation center. There are treadmills, recumbent and upright bicycles, cross trainers and Stairmasters. Using different machines at the gym breaks up the workout and is better for your body because they target different muscle groups.

Weight lifting will help reduce stress as well. The weight room is a great place to go with the guys. It is a place where exercise and socialization can happen at the same time. So get out there and lower your stress and get that great muscular body to attract the ladies.

A balanced diet is also key to lowering stress levels. Proper nutrition will energize your body. It’s easy to order food a lot at college because—well we all know that dining hall food tastes like dirt. Unfortunately most food you can order out, such as pizza, wings, Chinese, etc. is it is full of empty calories without any nutritional value.

These foods encourage weight gain and poor health. Try limiting yourself to ordering junk food once a week. When your at the dining hall choose food like beef, which is full of protein, zinc and creatine which will help build muscle mass.

Many guys do not get the proper amount of vitamins from fruits and vegetables. Start eating apples or carrot sticks for a snack instead of potato chips. They offer the same crunch satisfaction of chips but give your body a whole lot more good fuel to create energy. Also, eat a bowl (or two) of fortified cereal for breakfast instead of a sausage and cheese biscuit with hash browns. Your body will thank you.

Once you change your eating habits you will notice a change in your energy and your overall health. You’ll just feel good and be surprisingly unstressed.

Links Dealing with Stress Management: