Jiayin Shan, Zhidong Guo
University students are frequently exposed to sustained academic, social, and career-related pressures. For some students, prolonged exposure to high-pressure routines may be accompanied by difficulty disengaging from tasks, guilt during rest, persistent busyness, and feelings of anxiety, emptiness, or restlessness when external demands subside. This paper uses the term "stress addiction-like behaviors" descriptively, rather than as a clinical diagnosis, to refer to recurrent patterns of compulsive busyness, dependence on high-pressure routines, and psychological discomfort during unstructured time. As an exploratory component, interviews with 74 Chinese first-year undergraduates indicated that 69% reported high-stress inertia, such as automatically planning study tasks during otherwise neutral daily activities, while 35% described behaviors suggesting dependence on fast-paced routines and difficulty relaxing. Drawing on research on academic stress, study addiction, perfectionism, psychological recovery, and student mental health, this paper discusses possible contributing factors, including habits formed under prolonged academic pressure, internalized family and social expectations, limited stress-regulation skills, narrow pathways for self-worth, and behavioral inertia. Potential consequences include anxiety, emotional exhaustion, sleep disturbance, reduced well-being, and lower academic efficiency. Practical strategies include cognitive reframing, structured recovery, mindfulness and relaxation practices, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, social support, and access to professional counseling. Recognizing these patterns may help universities identify maladaptive forms of over-engagement before they develop into more serious mental health difficulties.
University Students; Academic Stress; Study Addiction; Compulsive Busyness; Mental Health; Stress Management