There are strategies for students to lessen stress and anxiety, and a number of resources including the Office of Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service, are available for students at Ohio State to seek help and guidance this fall. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor

As temperatures drop and finals approach, anxiety and stress levels among students increase.

A number of resources are available for students at Ohio State to seek help and guidance for their mental health. Dr. Ryan Patel, a psychiatrist with the Office of Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service, said it can be challenging to maintain social connections in the winter months, but they can take place in many forms.

“It could be studying together with your friends, it could be having a meal together with others, it could be talking to somebody on the phone on your way to class,” Patel said. “You could be planning ahead to go visit friends and family at home, if that’s an option. We get this kind of series of steps, both biological and social.”

Dr. Travis Westbrook, a clinical psychologist at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, said establishing shared activities can create easy ways to check in with family and friends.

“Read the same book as your mom, or listen to the same album as a friend who’s going to a different school than you and talking about that, texting about that,” Westbrook said. ”It kind of brings a sense of connectedness, both when you’re interacting and also whenever you’re doing the activity.”

Eating healthy is another way students can plan for better physical and mental health during the winter, Patel said.

Patel said anxiety can cause over or undereating, and severe behavioral and physical reactions may follow uncontrolled stress. There are certain things students consume such as caffeine that can exacerbate stress and anxiety. 

Individuals may become unaware and find themselves engaging in behaviors such as consuming an excessive amount of alcohol as a way to try to manage their anxiety, which may worsen stress, Patel said.

“As a young adult on a big campus it’s already kind of exciting, and your cortisol — your stress hormone — is already up and you might have deadlines and projects and things like that,” Patel said. “The adrenaline level’s already high, and adding caffeine to that can amplify the anxiety effects of caffeine.”

Patel said while students may use cannabis and nicotine products to reduce anxiety and stress, withdrawal can trigger an increase in anxiety.

When sleep is disrupted, individuals are more likely to experience increased anxiety and encounter depressive symptoms, Patel said.

“There can be sometimes this pressure of, ‘I have a lot to do and maybe I’ll stay up later than usual,’ and then that happens a lot,” Patel said. “Next thing you know, you have a sleep deficit built and we can have negative effects.”

Westbrook said exercise and movement can help increase concentration and reduce lethargy.

“If you’re being physically active, getting sunlight, things like that, you might have a greater ability to concentrate, less sluggishness during studying, which helps you move through material or hold on to it better,” Westbrook said.

Some signs of stress and depression overlap, Westbrook said. People are likely to see more symptoms of depression that aren’t typically observed with typical stress.

“These are things like hopelessness, worthlessness, like you don’t matter kind of things like suicidal ideation or feeling that life isn’t really worth it,” Westbrook said. “Probably more frequent, more intense sadness, or not being interested in things that you used to enjoy or not feeling much pleasure from your activities.”

Patel said when social connection is unavailable, feelings of positivity could be increased by taking time every day to do something such as journaling about gratitude. 

Students can access care based on concern level here.

Additional information and resources can be found at ccs.osu.edu or by calling the Counseling and Consultation Service at 614-292-5766.