STRESS

Have you been having trouble sleeping?  Do you find that you spend a lot of time worrying about when assignments are due, so much so that it is difficult to actually begin doing the work?  Do you find that as you sit down to take an exam, all the information you studied over the past weeks has vanished and you can't even seem to remember what the class is about?  If so, you might be suffering from the negative effects of stress.

Stress is something which most people experience on a daily basis.  Stress is, simply put, your body's natural reaction to a situation in which you feel threatened, either physically, emotionally, or mentally.  This reaction has been called the "fight or flight" response and is one which is supposed to help you overcome physical challenges of a sort rarely seen today, such as escaping from an adversary or fighting for your life.  Unfortunately, our stress response is not nearly as useful in academic situations as it is in a situation in which we face a physical threat.  While it might seem appealing sometimes, running away from your professors isn't actually going to improve your grades!

The thing about stress is that in small quantities stress is actually helpful; feeling a little nervous about taking an exam helps your mind focus better and keeps you motivated to study.  The danger is that if you feel stress all the time or to an intense degree, it can interfere with your ability to think clearly and can be paralyzing.  This is often what is happening if your mind "blanks" on an exam.

Stress can be caused by any number of influences in your life.  It can be caused by:

  • Academic Pressures:  Mid-Terms and Finals cause everyone stress!  It is also common for students to feel stress around particular academic areas.  It might be a subject you just don't like or it might be test taking or public speaking.
  • Personal Relationships:  Roommate conflicts and relationships with friends and significant others are common causes of stress.
  • Financial Concerns:  Not knowing how you are going to pay off your credit card bills or explain to your parents why you need more money can be a very stressful experience.  This is a cause of stress for all students, but is often a bigger concern for non-traditional students who may have additional responsibilities.
  • Family Stress:  While talking to a supportive family member can help relieve stress, parents and other family members with high expectations or who place demands on your time can add to your stress level.

While you might be able to deal with a stressor in one of these areas, it is normal to feel overwhelmed if you have pressures coming at you from more than one area or if you have a whole bunch of stressors in one area or another.

Here are some of the warning signs that might indicate you are feeling stress:

Thoughts:                                                                  

Loss of confidence                                                      
Fear of failure                                                              
Trouble concentrating                                                  
Worrying about the future                                            
Forgetting things                                                         
Worrying endlessly about everything                        
         you need to do                                               

Physical Reactions:

Sweaty palms (or general perspiration)
Increased heart rate
Dry mouth
Feeling tired
Headaches
Susceptibility to illness
Nervous Tics
Nausea
"Butterflies" in the stomach

Behaviors:                                                           

Acting impulsively                                                  
Becoming withdrawn                                             
Using drugs or alcohol                                           
Grinding your teeth                                                
Sleeping too much or too little
Eating too much or too little
Crying for no apparent reason

Feelings:

Anxiety
Irritability
Moodiness
Feeling scared

Never fear; there are a number of strategies which you can use to help keep your stress at manageable levels.  Not every one of these tools will work for everyone and some will work better in some situations than others.  Be flexible and try them all to see what works for you.

  • Exercise:  Exercising is an excellent way to work through your body's natural stress reaction.  It takes your stress response and puts it back to its original use.  Take a walk or (for those cold winter months)spend an hour at the Reynolds Center/Fitness Center.  This helps you to burn off the adrenalin which your body is producing as part of your stress response and can help to clear your mind so you can think clearly.
  • Meditate:  Meditating is a good way to get your body and mind to slow down and to overcome that stressed feeling that you need to Go! Go! Go!  Meditation can take as little as five minutes and there are a number of strategies which you can find quickly and easily online.  It can be particularly useful to use this stress reduction strategy if you have a lot you need to do or directly before you take an exam.  Here is a quick guide for the beginner:   Make sure that you have all your electronic distractions turned off, TV, MP3 player, computer, whatever.  Sit in a relaxed position with your arms hanging limply at your sides or resting on your legs.  Concentrate on the feeling of your breath as you draw it into your lungs and allow your mind to grow still.  Try to concentrate on your breath and not on thinking.  If  you find that you have started thinking or worrying, just stop and return to your breath.  Just five minutes is often enough to clear away all the clamoring and competing thoughts in your head so you can concentrate.
  • Eat and Sleep Well:  Most people have difficulty with these areas while they are feeling stressed out.  They either eat and sleep too much or too little.  Be conscious of your patterns of behavior.  If you notice you are sleeping more than eight or nine hours a night be sure to set your alarm and make yourself get up; missing class only leads to more stress!  If you notice you can't seem to fall asleep because your mind is racing or if you wake up after just a few hours of sleep, try counting your breath or other relaxation techniques.  Don't let yourself eat too much (or too much junk food) but make sure that you are maintaining a healthy diet.  You can see Suzanne Mace in the Student Health Center for tips on a healthy diet.
  • Manage Your Time:  Poor time-management skills and procrastination can cause a great deal of stress in your life.  Properly managing your time you can help you to avoid getting overwhelmed with work and is an excellent strategy to help you to work more efficiently.  For techniques follow this link.
  • Take Time to Have Fun:  Taking a short break to see a basketball game, listen to music, or hang out with friends can be an effective stress-reduction technique.  Doing something fun and exciting and taking your mind off of your stress helps you to focus better once you come back.  Just be sure that you don't use this as an excuse not to do your work at all!
  • See a Counselor:  UMM's counselor offers free counseling services right here on campus.  If you would like to schedule an appointment, you can call 255-1233.

There are a lot of different stress reduction techniques out there and the best thing to do is to try a couple to figure out which ones are going to work for you.  Remember, having a little stress in your life is good, but having a lot of stress can prevent you from thinking clearly and just makes it harder to complete the tasks which you need to do.

 

 


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