Calmness

General resistance to stress

Everyone experiences stress at some point. According to a survey by the National College Health Association, more than 70% of students reported feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do within the past 30 days. In school, at work, at home - there are many times when we feel like there is more going on than we can handle. This, after all, is “stress” - the feeling that what we need to do is more than can be done.

People often talk about experiencing stress, but there is something more important than feeling like our demands exceed our resources: how we respond to that feeling. We can respond positively in ways that help us overcome those challenges, or we can respond in ways that either don’t solve the problem, create new problems, or both. There are two major things to keep in mind when you encounter stress.

First, how can you handle that stress in a healthy way? While there are tips below, such as the use of mindfulness-based meditation practices, that can be good for reducing stress on your own, but it’s always a good idea to talk to someone about it. It could be a friend, family member, or a trained counselor.

Second, how are you going to respond? As you can learn about in the section on Coping Strategies, there are “adaptive” - or positive - ways to respond, and problematic ways to respond. Make sure that, in times of stress, you’re taking steps to actually address the problem (i.e., making a plan or talking with someone who can help you) instead of ways that will either avoid the problem or simply make you feel more stressed.

If the problem can be solved, why worry?
If the problem cannot be solved, worrying will do you no good.
Buddha

How can I improve my Calmness?

Strategies to Use

Consider strategies like mindfulness-based meditation, which can give you the skills to acknowledge and process stress. (see Online Resources below)
If your stress seems like something more than you can handle, make sure to talk to someone who can help. Your advisor, a counselor, a friend, or family member are all good resources.

Resources at Albany State

Counseling and Accessibility Services: Committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment. We strive to provide care that recognizes the influences of race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexual orientation, age accessibility, religion, and other aspects of identity that are sensitive and responsive to the needs of our diverse students.
Student Success: Designed to help you connect with the right campus resources to help you succeed academically and socially.
- Effective transition programs that help incoming Rams fully acclimate to the ASU experience;
- Training and development throughout the semester for students to become self-regulated learners;
- Individualized assistance with study strategies, time management, and balancing college life; and
- Opportunities for students to develop into strong student leaders by expanding their academic networks, connecting them with appropriate campus resources, and helping them craft their own leadership identity.
Academic Support Services: Supplies Learning Centers that are located on both the East and West campuses. The primary purpose of the Centers is to promote student achievement, retention, and graduation by assisting students in enhancing their reading, writing, critical thinking, and lower and upper-level math skills in core and content area courses and helping them achieve college success and, ultimately, graduation.
The Office of Student Engagement: The center of your college experience. Let us help you get the most out of your time at Albany State University through campus activities, student organizations, special events and programs, leadership development and other student success resources.

Online Resources

The UCLA Mindfulness Awareness Research Center offers a full complement of free mindfulness exercises from simple 3 minute meditations to 6 week online classes as well as weekly live podcasts.
Insight Timer - Meditation: Free access to the largest library of guided meditations on earth.
Anxiety Sisters: Anxiety specific resources for free including a red "panic button" you can click during a severe anxiety episode and a recording will talk you down.
Calm is an app that offers resources to help with meditation, anxiety, and even sleep, though there is a cost associated with the full version.