Stress Management

 Stress is unavoidable. When we think of the word "stress," most of us tend to think of something bad, hard, problems in life, many things to accomplish in a short amount of time. Stress seems to be referred to as a negative thing. Stress is not necessarily a bad thing. A certain degree of stress is necessary to be motivated in life's challenges. Stress is not something to be eliminated from ones life. We must learn to manage the stress that we feel from day to day.

 

SOURCES OF STRESS

Change

Change for the better or for the worse, demands an adjustment of priorities. Almost any change in life can create some level of stress. For example, leaving home and going to college brings many stress related things like: a new environment, funds to pay for college, new individuals to live with, and many other things. A student can take this stress positively and work harder at school knowing that it is very expensive or negatively, thinking the new life style is too hard. This causes much strain on an individual.

You can take one of two approaches to life changes that cause stress for you. You may either control the cause (adjust the life change) or control the effect (focus on effective stress management techniques).

Our thoughts

What we think about, how we interpret, and label our experiences are also significant sources of stress. Most of us do not realize that thoughts are some of our sources of stress.

Physiological

Demands on our bodies such as illness, accidents, aging, sleeping habits, and a poor diet are also sources of stress.

 

 

Stress Relief Methods

Get Physical

1.   Relax your head and shoulders. Gently roll your head and drop it back and forth.

2.   Take a stretch. In any situation take a minute and stretch your body.

3.   Get a massage. Physical touch from a friend or roommate can feel great when you are tense.

4.   Exercise. Physical exercise strengthens both mind and body.

 

Get Mental

1.   Count to ten. This may sound simplistic but it helps to master self-control and gain a better perspective or outlook.

2.   Control your thoughts. The imagination can be very creative-it can veer off in frightening directions if allowed to do so. To gain control of negative thoughts just imagine yourself yelling "stop" as loudly as you can in your mind.

3.   Fantasize. Give yourself a few minutes to take a "mini-vacation." Remember some of your favorite times or something that you enjoyed doing.

4.   Congratulate yourself. Give yourself a pat on the back. No one knows your situation and you should tell yourself, "nice job."

5.   Ignore the problem. Many problems just don't need to be solved right now. Write it down and forget about the problem at hand and do something else.

 

Get Spiritual

1.   Meditate. All that meditation requires is slow breathing and concentration. Look at a picture and concentrate on it breathing slowly and you will feel the relief spread through your body.

2.   Pray. You don't need to go through life alone. Prayer can be a great source of comfort and strength.

3.   Remember your purpose. Sometimes it is worth reminding ourselves why we are in a particular situation.

 

Use Mind and Body

1.   Take a Break. Get up from what you are doing and walk away for awhile. Don't think about the problem until you return.

2.   Get hug therapy. We need at least four hugs a day to survive eight hugs to feel okay, and twelve hugs to tackle the world. "Hugs" can come from many different sources and they can take many different forms. They can be bear hugs, smiles, compliments, or kind words or thoughts. If you have forgotten how to hug, ask a small child you know to teach you. Young children know that every time you give a hug, you get one back as fringe benefit!

3.   Laugh. Nothing is so important that we must suffer self-damage. The ability to laugh at your own mistakes lightens the load and allows the energy to return.

4.   Find a pet. Countless studies show that caring for, talking to, holding, and stroking pets can help to reduce stress.

 

Develop new skills

1.   Learn something. Sometimes the problem is that you lack skills in an area. The sooner you learn more about the subject the better.

2.   Practice a hobby. If you have one use it. If you don't, find one. The purpose of a hobby is to immerse yourself in an activity of your choice that provides you with a sense of accomplishment and pleasure.

 

                                                  Your College Experience, Strategies for Success, Third  Edition,

by John N. Gardner and A. Jerome Jeweler, Wadswoth Publishing Company, 1997, pp.329-332.