A shocking 73.2% of students report moderate to high stress, and nearly 50% of U.S. college students report not being able to stop or control worrying more than half the time. College stressors are endless. From exams, work-study jobs, navigating independence, family conflicts and financial and social pressures, attempting to balance these obligations leave students feeling stretched beyond their limits.
Ohio University offers many excellent resources to help students manage stress, but I want to introduce a resource offering enduring relief, one that has carried me through my own breaking point.
Through high school, I often broke down under pressure, convinced that between algebra and statistics, there was no way I’d make it out unscathed. I placed enormous pressure on myself to excel academically, and the hamster wheel of perfection left me exhausted. By my sophomore year of high school, I knew a Band-Aid solution wouldn’t fix what I was experiencing.
One day, very close to my breaking point, a trusted mentor noticed my mental state and approached me. Instead of offering typical sympathy, he encouraged me by saying I didn’t have to carry this stress on my own. In the New Living Translation of the Bible, Matthew 11:28 writes, “Come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” You don’t have to shoulder all of this alone. His invitation to peace still stands, no matter your past, present or future.
In that moment, tears streamed down my face, a physical release of the pressure I felt when I understood I didn’t have to carry this weight alone. Jesus was asking me to surrender the burdens I had stubbornly held onto. Although I was afraid to give anyone that level of control, handing those worries to him brought a foreign and enduring peace which continues to relieve my worries every time I turn to him.
I also want to acknowledge allowing Jesus to carry your burdens doesn’t undermine therapy or medication. Rather, it complements them by offering a deeper unconditional peace those practices alone can’t provide. Practically, this looks like recognizing my worries and immediately releasing them unto Jesus.
I’m not the only one experiencing this kind of freedom. Across college campuses, students are finding the same peace.
At Ohio State University, for example, the recent spiritual awakening some students experienced offered a glimpse of what is happening nationwide.
During a UniteUS event at the Schottenstein Center in February, nearly 2,000 students committed to following Jesus, recognizing both their deep needs for someone to shoulder the burdens of college life and their active pursuit of him.
This movement isn’t just emotional. It is supported by research. A study conducted by Gulden Esat and Samantha K. Enriquez found two-thirds, 66.4%, of spiritually motivated college students felt calmer and experienced less stress, echoing a broader body of evidence linking spiritual well-being to lower stress levels.
Wherever you are today, stressed, unsure or curious, I urge you to consider looking to faith to help carry your burdens. The hope of such freedom is reason enough if you are ready to take the first step.
Izzie Jones is a freshman studying communications at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Izzie about their column? Email her at ij321924@ohio.edu.
