Finals week is fast approaching for college students across the nation. Finals week at ULM starts the week after Thanksgiving break.

Senior students will walk across the stage and receive their college diploma on Dec. 8. Stress is starting to build as these major moments draw near.

Prolonged and constant stress can be a massive form of self-destruction. According to Stephen T. Sinatra M.D. of the Heart MD Institute, long-term chronic stress can be damaging to the human body. 

He says it can cause oxidative damage to tissues in the body that leads to inflammation and other symptoms such as a headaches, achy neck, ulcer, allergies and diminished sexual desire.

Too much stress over time can exhaust you and also lead to accelerated aging, a harmed immune system and can even shrink vital brain tissue.

This can lead to mild memory loss and concentration problems.

Long-term stress can lead to greater chances of depression, heart failure, sudden cardiac death, hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart rhythm disturbance.

Stress is a serious issue that affects a variety of people. It can affect the body in multiple facets causing changes to sleeping patterns, appetite, digestion, the nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. 

Identifying how stress can harm your body can be done in multiple ways as well.

According to a 2017 stress survey done by the American Psychological Association (APA), 36 percent of people report that stress makes them feel more anxious or nervous.

The same survey showed 35 percent of people feel easily irritable. Others reported signs were low mood, fatigue, feeling overwhelmed and a change in eating habits.

So what do we have to do to get rid of this stress issue? Well, I have a few suggestions.

Getting rid of stress can happen in multiple ways. If you have read any of my previous opinion articles there is one option, I suggest. That is marijuana.

The plant has many positive effects that can help that includes increasing appetite and facilitating sleep.

If you’re not interested in that then there are more ways to reduce stress. Laughter is an actual combatant to stress.

According to mayoclinic.org, laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.

Laughter also cools down the body’s responses to stress, leading to a relaxed feeling.

So, start watching funny videos on Netflix or YoutTube. Or, make yourself laugh by telling yourself corny jokes.

Exercise also has a positive effect on the body. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence, can help relax and combat the effects of depression and anxiety.

Exercise can shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity. The focus on a singular task helps with remaining calm and clear.

It is also something you have control over as you can exercise how you see fit.

Sexual activity is a stress reliever as well in many of the same ways as exercise.

People show fewer signs of stress after having positive physical contact.

Studies have shown that human contact is needed for emotional health.

This is not the most reliable stress reliever, however, with sex drive possibly being affected by stress.

The final and most effective way to relieve stress is something so simple everybody can do it.

As a matter of fact, people should be doing this stressed or not as it holds many health benefits.

Water is the key to a healthy life. The human body is 60-70 percent water, the brain is 85 percent water and blood is 50 percent water.

Water is clearly essential to the human body, because  so much of us is water.

Water is perfect to reverse many stress symptoms. Stress happens to everybody, the APA survey referenced earlier, states that seven out of 10 adults experience stress in some way.

It is important to get rid of stress.

It will eliminate unnecessary energy drain, improve physical and mental health and increase brain functions.

A stress-free life will also give one a positive outlook on life.

That makes going through finals and graduation easier.

In the words of Buzz, the Cheerio bee, be happy, be healthy.