Chronic Stress Effects: Body image, self-esteem, and isolation

Having decreased body image, decreased self-esteem, and falling into isolation appear to put college students in a difficult state of adapting to stress. We all know that a lot of stress can cause you to have a different view of yourself. Body image or self concept, as we will use interchangeably, may be changed when dealing with stress related to schoolwork. According to Shepard, Nicpon, & Doobay (2009), generally, some students experience a decrease in their body image or self concept during their first semester of college. One study indicates that some students first entering college may feel intimidated by peers and professors, and they may not feel satisfied with their academic performance; moreover, they might even feel they should not exhibit an academic performance that is “too excellent”, in other words, “nerdiness”, in order to stay in the “norm” (Shepard et al., 2009). From this article, it looks like new college student’s self concept and body image really do go down as they feel intimidated and worried in the new environment. It sounds like students who experience body image problems related to stress can benefit from taking a few seconds to deep breathe, relax, and even meditate. It helps to focus on the positives in life and rationalize anxious thoughts: “Is it worth worrying and trying to impress other people and jeopardize my academic performance?” “What can I do to feel less intimidated in this new environment?” It was pretty difficult dealing with dramatic peers and tough classes in high school but hey, if you can be resilient through that journey and make it to where you are now then it sounds like you have a lot of strength and knowledge to be able to deal with the stressors in college.


In addition to the possibility of experiencing a decrease in body image, some college students may also experience a decrease in self-esteem. Spirituality is actually shown to help improve self-esteem as well as body image (Kurpius et al., 2007). If you are not spiritual or religious, you can engage in something else that boosts your mood and self-esteem such as a favorite sport or hobby. Other things that help build self-esteem are also focusing on the positives and perhaps making a plan of your week to lessen academic stress on yourself.


Remember Erik Erikson, the American psychoanalyst who created the Eight Stages of Development? His theory spans the full life cycle and the stage “Intimacy vs. Isolation" relates well with us college students, which a majority of us fall under. If intimacy is established in the stage of Intimacy versus Isolation, a person will be able to love deeply and become committed; however, if a person falls into isolation they will experience emotional isolation and selfishness as stated by the “Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing” book (Varcarolis, Carson, & Shoemaker, 2006).If students experience prolonged stress and are unable to handle too much stress, they may develop a personal identity issue and not be able to engage in intimate relationships and therefore fall into isolation. To avoid falling into “isolation”, you can first build your self concept and self esteem using various coping strategies as listed above as well as looking at the “How to Manage Stress” section. Staying up to date and informed with information regarding school, work, and your social life will also help you out on the long run.


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