How "normal" is this stress?

            As I was waiting for a follow-up appointment at the health center, I picked up a brochure that caught my eye. It reads, “Stress in College: What Everyone Should Know”. The front of the brochure features students with furrowed brows, a look most of us are familiar with, as the workload at Hamilton is notoriously stress inducing.  Stress is defined by the manual as “a normal physical, emotional and mental response to change-- regardless of whether the change is for the better or worse.” It continues to describe that some stress is actually beneficial because it induces physiological responses that help us complete tasks and meet challenges. However, when prolonged intervals of high stress become prevalent it can become hard for one to return to a healthy, relaxed state.

            Unfortunately, because of high expectations from the institution, teachers, parents and perhaps oneself, as well as a heavy workload, many Hamilton students experience prolonged intervals of stress. The brochure recommends ways to handle this stress. The list is extensive but ultimately focuses on a few aspects of lifestyle: staying healthy, staying positive and beating procrastination. While these are all helpful, accessible tips, it bothered me that none of the advice offered by the article emphasized a message that Mark Kimball brought to the surface on our visit to Essex Farm: Kimball reminded us that we have chosen to participate in this intense academic environment. We should be enjoying the unique benefits and opportunities that Hamilton offers every day to combat succumbing to consistent, high-levels of stress induced by thinking we must always complete our work “perfectly” to succeed in the world.

            Furthermore, many students refer to life, social and academic, at Hamilton as the “Hamilton bubble”. This idea of the bubble gets at how easy it is to live convinced that the expectations and challenges at Hamilton are essential to success and happiness. When we become absorbed in this bubble we lose sight of the fact that we are here to learn, but also to be inspired and passionate, and to enjoy the unique opportunities made available here. I enjoyed hearing Kimball’s humanistic approach to life and his ideals that learning, growing, experiencing, adventuring, making mistakes etc. are what truly fulfill us. If I were to add an endnote to the health center’s brochure on stress, I’d emphasize (with the inspiration of Kimball) the importance of looking at the whole picture rather than becoming consumed by the expectations and challenges at our small school. The world extends far beyond our campus, and it's unfortunate to think that many of us are blinded by stress and limited by the idea that academic perfection is the sole key to our futures.

If you or a friend are suffering from extreme stress or skewed ideals of perfectionism, talking to a friend, support system, or mental health center representative might help.

The National Mental Health Association can be reached at:

(800) 969-6642 or www.nmha.org