As students have begun arriving on campus for the start of another exciting year, many of my colleagues have been sharing a common thought with you: it is a sign of strength — not weakness — to ask for help when you need it. Whether that come in the form of asking your RA about where an office is located or seeking out an academic tutor, asking for help is the best way to ensure your own success at Wesleyan and beyond.
Now the Mayo Clinic reminds us that asking for help by creating your own support system is key to your health, by sharing the story of East African distance runners. Lessons learned?
- We need to take care of ourselves as did these runners.
- If we are isolated, if we are marginalized, if we are without a support system, we are at a profound disadvantage dealing with life’s stresses.
Stress is probably the most common health complaint I hear about from students; it’s even worn as a badge of honor by some. But dealing with life’s stressors — which will never completely go away, just change as time passes – is a skill that is best learned now when you’re in a supportive environment like a college campus.
Very simply put, stress management is about consciously choosing how to respond to what is happening in your life, rather than letting your stressors take charge. And your support system — your friends, family, Peer Advisor, RA or House Manager, professors, other campus offices, or whoever helps you — will make all the difference in your health and well-being personally and academically.
Wesleyan Resources: Stress Management