All students experience some degree of stress, whether as first year students or while writing the thesis. However, feeling stressed for long periods of time can result in physical and mental illness. Increasingly, one of the largest health concerns for university students is mental health. Mental health, just like physical health, must be maintained. When students do not take care of their physical and mental health, passing courses and managing the thesis process become more difficult and may result in lower quality work. Between studying, working, having a social life, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, students often have a busy schedule, which can feel overwhelming. Experiencing stress or mental health problems is a common human experience. Stress comes from the fight or flight response, which is built into our bodies to help us live long, healthy lives. Therefore, feeling stressed is an indicator that our body or our mind is having trouble coping with something in our lives. While we cannot avoid stress completely, we can take steps to reduce stress during our studies. Reducing stress improves our physical and mental health, allowing us to be more productive and live healthier lives.

The following resources include more information on stress and outline strategies for reducing stress in your life.

If you feel that you are struggling either physically or mentally during your thesis or any other time during your studies at NMBU, remember that the Ås Health Centre is open and free for NMBU students. Here you can drop-by or book an appointment to speak to a health nurse or psychologist. They also arrange courses in handling stress and managing good sleep patterns. The student chaplain, Sigurd A. Bakke is also available for all NMBU students. He has extensive experience as a clergyman and conversation partner if you need someone to talk to. His office is located in the basement of the Clock (Ur) Building. Next to his office is a quiet room, open for all students to pray, meditate, or spend a moment of silence.