Taekwondo Can Improve Stress Among College Students
Stress in College Students
As we all know, college is a very difficult time. It's a transitional period in a lot of people's lives. It’s probably most of our first time being independent and having this much work to do. All of this really starts to take a toll on our mental health. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a very strange time.
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A study found that "All students, on average, were suffering from perceived stress and anxiety." After a while, this stress really starts to become overwhelming, and you get more burnt out.
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I feel that Taekwondo can be a good way to help students work to overcome this.
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Why Taekwondo?
My first semester at TCU I was doing pretty good. However, when I hit the second semester, all that stress hit me all of a sudden. It was really hard to keep up with my work and I was really overwhelmed. I did Taekwondo for most of my life up until college, so I decided to start practicing it again to help take my mind off of everything I was dealing with. It ended up helping me a lot and made it easier to deal with school and being burnt out.
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Taekwondo has been shown to help with students stress. One study found that students who joined a Taekwondo club had emotional and psychosocial development and growth, as well as improved physical fitness. And although it didn't remove the stress from their lives, it allowed them to "gain perspective on the experience of stress and how this may affect holistic health and well-being."
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It also can be a way to help release your anger. A martial arts website said this about the sport: "Martial Arts is an intense aerobic workout, so it’s a very helpful (and fun!) way to release your anger. Kicking, punching, yelling, sweating. Research shows that martial arts training combats the harmful effects related to anger. Students learn to manage their reactions, calm their thoughts and even how to let things go." Taekwondo can be a good way to get moving, get your stress out, and feel healthier.
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Taekwondo helps you deal with stress better overall and learn how to manage your emotions. It can help you release your stress and improve your physical health at the same time. I feel that if more students try Taekwondo, or at least any sport, it could help improve their stress levels and feel less burnt out.
Sources:
Petrovik, Kimberly. “The Benefits of Taekwondo Training for Undergraduate Students: A Phenomenological Study.” Societies, vol. 7, iss. 3, MDPI, 2017.
Hoyt, Lindsay Till. “Constant Stress Has Become the New Normal: Stress and Anxiety Inequalities Among U.S. College Students in the Time of COVID-19.” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 68, iss. 2, Elsevier, February 2021.
“Top 5 Benefits of Martial Arts for Mental Health.” Total Impact Martial Arts & Krav Maga, 9 Mar. 2021.
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