Graphic credit: Vilius Kukansauskas ~ Pixabay
We’re all stressed these days and students are no different. They’re stressed and anxious and struggling with their mental health now more than ever. It’s not very comfortable when we feel stressed and anxious, but it’s worse watching someone you love struggle.
A certain amount of stress is a normal part of college life. After all, there are assignments and papers and projects and exams and grades and social life and future careers to worry about. But when stress slides into feeling overwhelmed by everything, it can feel too challenging to manage.
What is overwhelm? It’s when your student feels submerged, smothered and paralyzed by it all. A certain amount of stress may be normal, but overwhelm feels like too much.
Why the overwhelm?
Students are juggling a lot. They have schoolwork, possibly a job, a social life, perceived pressure to do well, expectations to live up to, increased responsibilities and independence, over scheduling and probably a lack of sleep.
If your student is feeling overwhelmed, one of the first questions is whether this is temporary or chronic. Big exam in two days? Feeling overwhelmed is a natural reaction. Tech week for the show you’re in and a test in your stats class? Yep, overwhelmed. But if your student is constantly feeling overwhelmed by just about everything, it may be time to address the problem. One option may be the college counseling center. College counselors are specialists in student problems. They understand what students have to deal with.
The parent perspective
When your student is suffering, your instinct is to jump in and fix things. We feel that’s our job as parents. But that may not be the best solution. You do have an important role to play – on the sidelines as a coach, supporter, or cheerleader in chief.
Ask your student if they want any help or suggestions from you. If not, cautiously take a step back and watch. You can step in if you’re seriously worried about your student, but you may be surprised at their ability to take control on their own with some encouragement and assurance that you believe they can do it.
What can your student do?
If your student is open to some suggestions here are a few ideas you might share.
These suggestions may seem simplistic and obvious to us as parents, but if your student is in the midst of a troublesome time, they may not be thinking clearly about what will help. Remember to ask whether they want suggestions and don’t share everything at once.
Just knowing that you understand, and that we all feel overwhelmed at times, may be the best first step in getting that overwhelm under control.
Source
Author of Article: Vicki Nelson. Article adapted from https://www.collegeparentcentral.com/2023/03/helping-your-college-student-control-the-overwhelm/#more-14941. Please Note: Missouri S&T does not endorse or have a relationship with SOURCE and articles are provided for information purposes only. Missouri S&T and SOURCE do not assume responsibility for error or omission in materials.