Understand the causes of stress and the coping mechanisms for alleviating stress
The objective is to enable you to take control so you can avoid stressful situations, but when they do arise, have the ability to deal with the stress and mitigate its impact so you can enjoy your daily life
Using the handout for reference, rate how often on a
scale of 1 to 10 (1 being never, 10 being more than 5-6 times a week) you experience the below mentioned symptoms:
Headaches
Back/neck pain
Chest pain or discomfort
Problems with digestion/nausea
Dizziness, numbness or tingling in your fingers or toes
Irritability
Frustration
Emotional Fatigue
Concentration/Memory Problems
If you’ve rated 6 or more of the symptoms on the handout with a 5 or higher, you should consider reviewing your stress level and possibly taking some action to reduce it. If you have rated 6 or more of the above with a 4 or less, it shows you manage your stressful situations well.
If you’ve rated 6 or more of the symptoms on the handout with a 5 or higher, you should consider reviewing your stress level and possibly taking some action to reduce it. If you have rated 6 or more of the above with a 4 or less, it shows you manage your stressful situations well.
It can’t hurt to get some ideas on different ways of coping with stress regardless of your personal score. So, let’s take a look.
If you determine that you are experiencing excessive stress, what can you do?
Find out what is causing stress in your life and determine ways to reduce or eliminate the cause.
Change your response to the stress by using old and new coping techniques
Learn healthy ways to prevent stress and reduce its harmful effects.
Some of these may include:
Some of these may include:
Being fired
Being Promoted or Demoted
Moving/Relocation
Marriage/Divorce
Pregnancy
Death of family or friends
These are just examples of major life changes that can have a serious impact on our lives and cause our bodies to react with stress. Often times, the most common and stressful things happen on a daily basis.
Adjustments to your daily routine
Adjustments to your daily routine
Sleeping and eating habits
Time-management due to additional academic work loads, finding the balance of studying, free time and deadlines
Missing your social support network of high school friends and family
Learning new navigations such as getting around campus, living on your own, choosing your classes, choosing new friends, choosing your life’s direction and career path for your future
Using the handout, take a few minutes to honestly consider what causes your daily stresses
Family?
School?
Friends?
Work? Etc…
List the top 10 on your worksheet
Time Management can be a huge cause for stress in many peoples’ lives. Consider taking a class or course or reading information available online or in magazines or books on how to better manage your time and tasks.
Time Management can be a huge cause for stress in many peoples’ lives. Consider taking a class or course or reading information available online or in magazines or books on how to better manage your time and tasks.
Schedule - You may get more done with less stress if you make a schedule. Think about which things are most important, and put those at the top of your schedule/list to do those things first.
Take good care of yourself. Exercise, get plenty of rest, try to eat well, don't smoke and limit how much alcohol you drink.
4) Stop negative thoughts. Easier said then done right? Well, it’s a skill that would be beneficial to develop. Try writing down your worries and work on letting go of things you cannot change. Don’t worry about things that have past. Focus on the positives and the future that you can still impact.
4) Stop negative thoughts. Easier said then done right? Well, it’s a skill that would be beneficial to develop. Try writing down your worries and work on letting go of things you cannot change. Don’t worry about things that have past. Focus on the positives and the future that you can still impact.
5) Speak up. Assertive communication can help you express how you feel in a thoughtful, tactful way.
6) Ask for help. People who have a strong network of family and friends manage stress better.
6) Ask for help. People who have a strong network of family and friends manage stress better.
7) Do something you enjoy. A hobby, a bath, meditation, walking, or volunteering are good, helpful ways to help you feel better and relieve stress. Listen to relaxing music.
8) Keep a journal. Try including dates, time of day, time of year, current events in your life, even your food intake and exercise routine (if any).
9) Focus on the present. Try meditation, imagery exercises, or self-hypnosis. Don’t keep thinking back to your mistakes and reliving the negative things that happened. There is nothing you can do about it. Let it go and look ahead, not behind.
9) Focus on the present. Try meditation, imagery exercises, or self-hypnosis. Don’t keep thinking back to your mistakes and reliving the negative things that happened. There is nothing you can do about it. Let it go and look ahead, not behind.
10) Laugh it up! Try to look for the humor in life. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Everything will pass eventually and keeping a sense of humor will help lighten the load. Laughter really can be the best medicine!
From Exercise 2, select your top two factors of stress in your life from Handout B
From Exercise 2, select your top two factors of stress in your life from Handout B
For each of these two, ask yourself the following questions:
1) Can this situation be changed or improved? If so, how?
(As an example: Relationship stress - assertive communication training, setting boundaries, resolving conflict
Grief and loss stress - seeking support, journaling, finding enjoyable activities to fill your day)
2) What coping mechanisms (old or new) may help me to better handle the current stressful situation in my life?
2) What coping mechanisms (old or new) may help me to better handle the current stressful situation in my life?
(As an example: Meditation, Exercise, Engaging with friends, Listen to relaxing music, write down in a journal what things you want to let go)
3) Is there anything I can do to prevent or avoid having this situation reoccur in the future?
(As an example: Implement a schedule to better manage my time, ask for help if there are too many actions on my to-do list, go to bed earlier to have a better night’s sleep and more productive day)
There are times you might need external help in dealing with your stress
There are times you might need external help in dealing with your stress
If it becomes too much to handle reach out . . . The university offers several resources to help:
Student Services Center
Moderators
Department Heads
Health Counselors
Upper Classman Associations
In Conclusion, make a commitment to yourself to change the situation(s) causing you stress, seek new and different ways to cope with the daily stresses and attempt to become more efficient so that you may foresee what stresses may arise and possibly, avoid or alleviate them.
In Conclusion, make a commitment to yourself to change the situation(s) causing you stress, seek new and different ways to cope with the daily stresses and attempt to become more efficient so that you may foresee what stresses may arise and possibly, avoid or alleviate them.
