Do We Look As Bad As We Feel?

The impact of stress on physicality

Stress is a mental and physical weight. College students constantly feel pressure, as if swaddled by a weighted blanket of responsibility. The responsibility of being the perfect student, friend, child, and applicant has a mental hold. Stress’s tight grip leaves students feeling underqualified and small. The impact of stress on physical health goes under-discussed in a generation hyperfocused on mental health, while in reality, the two are interconnected. 

Q: Do I look as bad as I feel? 

Stressed individuals risk becoming physical embodiments of their mentalities. 

What is stress?

Often referred to as psychological pain, stress is emotional strain. It’s the body’s “rescue” attempt. According to the American Psychological Association, “When the body is stressed, the SNS contributes to the “fight or flight” response… shifting its energy resources toward fighting off a life threat or enemy.” Within this response, the body releases Cortisol and Adrenaline. While these hormones regulate, they can also increase appetite, cause inflammation, and weaken the immune system.

What is stressing students? 

College means discovering what you want to do while figuring out who you want to be. “I feel so overwhelmed with work, finding a social circle, grades, and fitting in. I’m adjusting to a new life…everything is stressful,” said freshman, Morgan Magats. 

Discussing stress, workload and its impacts were primary concerns. “I’m doing work from the second I wake up to the second I go to bed… I don’t have time to do things for myself,”  said Senior, Ella Fliszary. Stress triggers a chain reaction: “I’m mostly stressed about classes. I feel like I can’t focus on anything else. I’m so overwhelmed that my looks, relationships, even pleasing others create worry,” said Senior Kelsey Aberbach. The euphoria of youth is stifled by the pressure to feel that high.  

“Everything snowballs with stress,” said Fliszary. 

How does the body reflect stress?

Stress manifests internally and externally. Various health issues such as gastrointestinal, immune, and reproductive complications arise due to stress. Studies show that “stress mediators can pass through the blood-brain barrier and exert their effects on the immune system” and can “adversely affect the normal function of GI tract.” Regarding gender, stress impacts sexual desire and reproductive health, specifically affecting menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause in females.  

Do we look as bad as we feel? 

Visibly, stress presents itself in various ways. “When I’m stressed my hair falls out, I breakout and I eat more, making me bloated and insecure,” said Aberbach. Research solidifies a relationship between stress and acne flare-ups; “Stress hormones stimulate oil glands and hair follicles in the skin”, causing breakouts. Although “superficial”, appearance plays a major role in self-perception, amplifying existing stressors. “I feel unattractive because I'm stressed, and stressed because I don’t feel attractive. It’s a vicious, ongoing cycle when comparing yourself to other girls, influencers, and covergirls,” said Magats. 

Maintaining self-esteem when stretched thin is difficult. Self-deprecation in college is as common as beer cans. Nonetheless, consider that you are your harshest critic. No one is hyper-fixated on your pimples, or dissecting every aspect of your reflection. Your thoughts define who stares back in the mirror—implementing coping strategies such as mindfulness, time management, and therapy to balance stress, redefining that distorted reflection. Be gentle with yourself. Focus on your responsibilities, but remember you too are a priority.