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The pressure of study, financial restraints, and being away from home for the first time can put a great strain on some college students. Judy Nott, an 18-year-old student attending Newcastle University in England, was studying law and living on campus over 200 miles away from family and friends. She had always been a good student but problems began when she took her studies a little too far.

"I didn't know what was wrong with me. There was a lot of work to do and I found myself studying until midnight most of the time," she explains. "Sometimes I felt exhausted and so depressed, but I was too tired to even sleep."

It was Judy's roommates who sent her to see the Student Welfare Officer. "[I was told that] I was pushing myself too hard and that I ought to try loosening up a little -- perhaps join a club or take up a hobby that was separate from schoolwork."

In Judy's case, it was her roomie's intervention and counselor's advice that saved her from becoming physically ill -- what commonly happens to those whose stress becomes too much to handle. Dr. Claire Weeks, a stress expert who has authored a number of books in the field of depression, explains: "Although we all need a certain amount of stress in our lives to get us up in the morning and motivate us, problems occur when stress is allowed to get out of control." That means stress can become a physical and mental demon, wreaking havoc in the form of headaches, panic attacks, nausea, insomnia, tension, heart palpitations, and more.

Thankfully, Judy realized -- before it was too late -- that everyone needs time to unwind, chill out, and have some fun. If that means sneaking off to the cinema in the middle of a free afternoon, going for a jog in between classes, or pumping iron at the school's fitness facility, then do so, encourages Judy. As long as you're engaged in an activity that's productive at beating stress, the outcome can be just as valuable for your well-being as pouring over the books.

Nineteen-year-old, Robby Baxter, a travel and tourism student also attending Newcastle University, found his ideal way to unwind in a social setting. "I chill out by playing a game of pool with some friends." Fellow student, 18-year-old Richard Simpson, takes a more active approach to battling his school-induced stress. "Whenever I'm feeling pressured, I swim laps at the local pool."

Although some students find physical exercise the best way to bust stress, 18-year-old Tina Atkinson, a first-year business student at Newcastle University, utilizes a non-contact approach to attack anxiety. "I just go into my room, put on a really weepy record, and have a good cry. It works every time and I feel loads better for it."

Chill-Out Lessons to Add to Your College Curriculum
Of course, we're all different... what may help one person unwind doesn't necessarily work for the next. No matter what's causing you anxiety and how bad you think you've got it, it's important to find a chill-out counterattack to add to your college curriculum. Here are some suggestions you might like to try:

Ease Away Anxiety. Some stress relievers may be expensive when you're on a budget, but a soft sponge ball can be just as effective. Hold it in the palm of your hand and squeeze tightly for several minutes. Relax, then repeat with the other hand. Or, put two tennis balls into a sock and tie in a secure knot; lie on the floor with the sock behind your neck so that it is cushioned in between the balls. Stay that way for at least 15 minutes and you will gradually feel your tension ebbing from the base of your skull.

"See" the Soothing Start. Once mastered, a visualization technique of relaxation can be done almost anywhere. Go into a quiet room and sit in a chair, remove your shoes, and make sure you are perfectly relaxed. Close your eyes and imagine a peaceful scene -- perhaps a Caribbean beach with the sun beating down on your homework-free body. "Feel" the warm glistening sand around your body, and "hear" the sound of the waves lapping up against the beach. Sensing such a self-made paradise for 10 minutes can manipulate your manic mind to brush aside any negative thoughts and rejuvenate your focus. When you open your eyes you'll feel refreshed and ready to make some academic headway, the clear way.

Smile and Be Happy?!
OK, perhaps you don't feel like laughing or clowning around when you're all burnt out, but you would be doing yourself a favor. According to Ben Renshaw, associate director of The Happiness Project, who also helps run the only National Health Service Laughter Clinic in the UK, laughter is the best method of unwinding. It acts as an internal massage by reducing blood pressure and regulating breathing, he explains. "A very old and well-respected psychology theory promotes laughter as a kind of 'safety valve' for the nerves that, whenever turned on, helps alleviate surplus nervous tension. We have a motto at our clinic: 'The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed.'"

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