Stress among students: a growing concern

Stress has become a familiar, inseparable and unavoidable part of life. Stress is basically a psychological and physiological response to events that upset our personal balance or distorts comfortable living. Stress is a necessary evil, a protective mechanism which was originally designed to safeguard the organisms from the real dangers on some occasions in life, became a daily routine creating problems in today’s life. Depending on the long-term effects of stress, the stress can be classified as Eustress or Good and healthy stress and Distress or Bad and morbid stress. Stress is perceived differently by different individuals and is known as Perceived Stress.

Physiology of Stress

Human body reacts to stress through activation of Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Axis or HPA Axis which on stimulated by a stressor triggers series of involves biological changes that prepare us for emergency.

When danger is sensed, a small part of the brain called the hypothalamus sets off a chemical alarm. The sympathetic nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol.

These stress hormones circulate through the bloodstream and through various changes in the different systems of the body, prepare it to face the danger.

• Heart rate and blood flow to the large muscles increase to run faster and fight harder.
• Cutaneous blood vessels constrict to prevent blood loss.
• pupils dilate to improve vision
• speeding up reaction time.
• blood sugar increases to procure an energy boost.
• Body processes not essential to immediate survival are suppressed. like
  • digestive system.
  • reproductive system
  • growth hormone
  • immune response

Stress and personality

In the primitive times, when the man’s sole aim in life was to secure food and protect him from variety of dangers, stress or “fight-or-flight” response was must for survival but in today’s competitive world, where external dangers are rare, internal turmoil and conflicts act as stressor for brain who doesn’t discriminate between external and internal situations, causing stress reaction to become a routine process occurring multiple times a day.

For this, HPA Axis maintains the high level of stress hormone “Cortisol” in the blood which keeps body in constant fight and flight mode. Stress is manifested as specific signs and symptoms which may vary from person to person, ranging from physical symptoms, such as low back pain, stomach problems, and skin outbreaks, emotional symptoms, such as crying jags or hypersensitivity. Following figure depicts the changes brought about by stress on different dimensions of personality.

Causes of Stress

The potential causes of stress are numerous and highly individual, depending on factors including personality, outlook for life, problem-solving abilities, and social support system. The pressures and demands leading to stress or anything that forces us to adjust are called stressors which may be positive or negative. Regardless of good or bad events, if adjustment is needed, it requires strains on the coping skills and adaptive resources, the end result of which is stress.

Although stress has affected each and every sphere of Indian population, the most important strata which is facing this issue is students. 14.3% medical students at a Medical University in Nigeria, were diagnosed with psychosomatic disorders with males more in number. In India, 13-45% of students have been reported to have stress or stress generated issues.

Merciless competition to prove oneself worthy in the eyes of parents and society has put tremendous pressure on the students. All parents aspire for their children to secure seats in most reputed educational institutions without regarding their interests and limitations.

Other factors causing stress among students are

• peer pressure
• bullying
• poor time management skills
• lack of practical problem solving approach

The parental and societal expectations sow the seeds of Uncertainty or worries, lack of assertiveness and low self-esteem. Moreover, most students preparing for competitive exams are teenagers going through turbulent physical, mental and emotional changes. When they have the added stress of Unrealistic expectations and competition, it may manifest in harmful ways such as

• Excessive or unexpressed anger
• Self-criticism
• Pessimistic attitude

The students in India are manifesting the signs of stress as many physical and mental issues. Morbid stress or Distress can result in

• physical ailments
• mental ailments
• instability of mind
• reduced productivity
• reduced enjoyment

Some of the health problems caused due to excessive stress which are being seen in students are

• poor pain threshold
• eating disorders
• sleep disorders
• autoimmune disorders
• skin disorders
• reproductive disorders
• depression
• aggressiveness

These are called as Psychosomatic disorders or health problems whose origin is at the psychic or mental level and are manifested at the physical level in the form of a disease. When a person is exposed to stressors, changes start taking place in his behavior and personality. Thus, the unwanted and abnormal changes start taking place in the somatic functioning of the body. These changes proceed through inappropriate activation of involuntary nervous system which lead to structural damage or dysfunction in internal glands.

The systems affected by stress or psychosomatic conditions depend on specific personality traits or types of conflicts going on in the psyche of a person. Emotional vulnerability also makes one susceptible for psychosomatic disorders. Common psychosomatic disorders include Hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, Bronchial Asthma, Skin diseases etc.

Yoga and stress

Pharmacological interventions used for these are mostly symptomatic, costly and temporary.
Yoga has given the most suitable, time tested, cost-effective and relevant system of stress management applicable in all times and all places. Yoga has laid down certain principles and practices which can change the outlook of the person towards the world and associated miseries. When yogic principles and practices are incorporated in the daily life, strength and flexibility to withstand the challenges and hardships automatically develops. This not only promotes overall health but also prevents the occurrence of physical, psychological and psychosomatic disorders.

Yoga brings about a balance in body, mind and whole psycho-somatic mechanism thereby yielding a contented, productive and tranquil life. Maharshi Patanjali has taught that by repeated practice of cultivating the attitude of friendship, compassion, participation in joy, and indifference (aloofness), respectively towards the subjects of pleasure, misery, virtue and viciousness through repeated treatment, a stressless, blissful and peaceful state of chitta or mind can be produced.

Yogic techniques like static Asanas, Relaxation techniques, Pranayamas, Meditation etc. help to reduce stress by inducing body’s inborn power to come back to normal (state of homeostasis). It has been found by researches that 20-30 minutes of Yoga practice daily decreases the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and leads to release of Endorphins which are known to have mood elevating effect.

Thus, Yoga offers a holistic approach and treats the Body- Mind complex as a whole and is therefore is very effective in helping students to combat stress. A 20 minute yoga session can be planned including suryanamaskara, asanas, pranayama and chantings.

Dr. Jyoti Keswani,
Professor & HOD, Yoga Department,
Sant Hirdaram Medical College of Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences, Bhopal (M.P) India.

Also Read | De – Stress Your Way to Inner Harmony: A Naturopathic and Yogic Guide to Overcoming Stress, New Study Reveals: Sharing Credit Can Boost Your Own Success

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