Webster says emotional well-being is being in a state of happiness or prosperity. As college students, it sometimes seems impossible to achieve this state. However, there are avenues available to help ward off distress and enhance well being.
Students at The University of Memphis understand the importance of maintaining emotional well being with midterms and the fall holidays on the horizon.
"The best way to ensure emotional well-being is to know what your stressors are," said Dr. James Whelan, associate professor of the Psychology Department.
"Recognizing the things that cause stress can help get a person on the right track to emotional well being," he said.
Stress is strain or a straining force exerted upon the body. Stress can be physical, mental or emotional in nature. Things like your car breaking down, not being able to register for classes, not having enough money to pay college tuition, broken bones, breaking up with significant others, illness or the death of a family member as well as illnesses in general are all examples of stress.
Mental and emotional distress is a little harder to recognize because the symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses. This type of distress can take a toll on a person's body causing physical and emotional symptoms. A few symptoms of this type of distress, according to Robyn Coombs, an intern with the Psychological Counseling Unit, are uncontrollable crying, weight loss or gain, eating problems (either too much or too little) or withdrawal from social interactions.
"We see students that suffer from the more physical forms of distress here at the Student Health Center," said Jacqueline De Fouw, health educator at the Hudson Health Center here at The U of M. "If a student has signs or symptoms indicative of other forms of distress, they are referred to the Psychological Counseling Center," she said. The center she referred to is The University's free and confidential counseling offered at the Psychological Counseling Unit located in room 214 at Wilder Tower.
Some of the most common distress-producing situations for college students, Coombs said, are separation from their family (particularly if it is the first time), freedom (some students have problems making their own decisions or taking responsibility for their mistakes), competition (grades, graduate schools or jobs), peer pressure (conflicts between personal values and wanting to be accepted by others) and choosing a career.
"A strong social support network is important for everyone," Coombs said.
