The answer is unfortunately often yes. According to The Finnish Student Health Survey (FSHS 2016) psychological issues have increased in the 21st century and every third student experiences a lot of stress. Students’ Mental Health Day was on 25th of April and this year’s theme was stress. During springtime there are many things in a student’s mind; deadlines keep piling up and you still need to find a summer job and you probably should meet up with your friends at some point. Or should you do summer studies or a practical training during the holidays? And how are you going to get by without the student benefit?
We all are stressed every now and then but prolonged stress is harmful and can lead to burnout. Too much stress causes many symptoms, both physical and psychological. You can’t sleep because you can’t stop thinking about the things stressing you. You’re unable to focus and it’s difficult to make decisions. And when you’re tired and irritated you’re just going to feel more stressed and the vicious circle is ready.
What to do then, if just the thought of all the unfinished things is making you anxious? The most important thing is to prioritize your health and wellbeing and to listen to yourself. You can find tips for dealing with stress and different exercises online, for example from Nyyti ry and Suomen mielenterveysseura (The Finnish Association for Mental Health). Asking for help with low threshold is extremely important! There are many types of help available. You can contact your teacher and ask for more time for a report or go talk to the school psychologist or the student priest. Don’t wait for the situation to get worse but rather ask help for it in the early stage.
Remember to take care of yourself!