If cramming for midterms has you tearing your hair out, it might be time to call the stressed-out study buddy who’s suffering right there with you.
A new study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that going through an anxiety-inducing situation with someone else who is just as worried about the situation can actually reduce a person’s own stress level.
“I think often people feel like they’re the only one who feels something, feels a certain way,” said Linda Lewis, a mental health counselor at UF’s Counseling & Wellness Center. “It’s very comforting and helpful to know that you’re not the only one.”
To study this phenomenon, researchers from the University of Southern California, University of Leuven and University of California, Santa Barbara, told participants they were to give a speech, and then researchers partnered participants based on how scared they were of public speaking.
Participants were allowed to deliberate with their partners before giving individual speeches. After the speeches, researchers found that participants who worked with a partner felt less anxious and experienced a significant reduction in a stress hormone called cortisol.
Lewis said grouping people who are undergoing similar experiences and stressors is the basis for many successful counseling programs.
It is a common practice in mental health treatment, she said.
Stephanie Blitz, a 20-year-old UF criminology and psychology junior, said she prefers to take classes with friends because she finds it helpful to stress out together.
“It’s like the old German saying ‘schadenfreude’ — you kind of get pleasure from seeing someone do worse than you,” she said. “Somebody gets your struggles.”
However, while working with others might reduce stress for some individuals, Lewis said coping mechanisms are different for everyone.
Amanda Novatnack, a 21-year-old UF psychology junior, said working in a group setting stresses her out even more.
“I actually hate studying with people,” she said. “I get intimidated by people who grasp things faster than I do.”
Regardless of their preferred method of dealing with stress, students should be proactive about conquering anxiety, Lewis said.
The Counseling & Wellness Center offers individual counseling, group therapy sessions and online therapy sessions via webcam.
“Don’t just wallow in your own stress and anxiety,” Lewis said. “There’s lots of ways to lower your stress, and there’s always a minute to figure out where you can go.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 2/10/2014 under the headline "Misery loves company: People who stress together feel better"]
