Stress ManagementII
Print This Page
What is Stress?
Stress is a normal part of life. Everyone needs a
little bit of stress to stay motivated and alert. Without stress, we
would probably sit on the couch all day eating potato chips and watching
TV or playing video games. Too much stress means that our body is
overreacting to life events. If I get a B on a test and I feel as if the
world is going to end, this might mean that my body is having a reaction
that exceeds whatever it is that’s making me anxious.
Why do we have Stress
Our physical stress reaction has developed over a long period of
time, and it’s usually referred to as the “fight or flight” response.
This response happens when we perceive that there is a threat in our
environment and our bodies physically prepare for action. Our pupils
dilate, our heart rate speeds up, the blood vessels in our muscles
dilate, and our reflexes accelerate, among other things. This response
works well to save us from physical threats we might encounter (such as
being mugged by an armed thief.) The problem is that our bodies can’t
tell the difference between a literal life-or-death threat and a threat
from a different source. So for some of us, we have a similar reaction
to a professor calling on us in class when we didn’t do the reading and
being threatened by someone with a gun.
Research shows that as our stress level increases, our level of
performance will increase correspondingly. So the right amount of stress
causes us to feel motivated, alert, and ready for a challenge. However,
everyone has a cutoff point where the stress becomes too much and our
fight or flight response is triggered. Once we pass this cutoff point
our performance quickly drops. Everyone has a different cutoff point,
and knowing where this cutoff point is can help you to maintain the
right amount of stress level in your life. No stress usually means
little or no motivation.
An example of is shown in a team playing basketball. Have you ever seen a really good team get beaten by a really bad team? This might be because the good team didn’t have enough stress going into the game, and so their performance was also low because of it. Likewise, have you ever seen two really good teams face off in a championship game and they both make too many errors? This is probably because their stress levels passed the cutoff point and their performance declined as a result. Most pro athletes will tell you that they perform best when they feel like they have something to prove (pressure) but aren’t so focused on their performance that they get stuck in their own heads. The same holds true for any activity that we do that causes stress, whether it’s taking a test, asking someone on a date, or interviewing for a job
Causes of Stress in College
While sources of stress vary from person to person, there are some
common sources of stress for many college students.
The first of these is separation
from family. While it’s probably a good thing to gain some independence,
being away from family can also mean losing the immediate social support
that you had back home. This also means that you have pressure to
establish a new social network, and this takes effort.
Freedom and independence are another significant stressor for
students. Freedom always sounds like a good thing, but it can pose some
problems as well. Freedom means making choices, but also living with the
consequences of those choices. In other words, we are free to stay awake
until 4:00 in the morning playing video games, but we are not free to be
alert and attentive at our 8:00 class. Also, in college there is a lack
of structure that was previously built into our lives (as in high
school). This can introduce a fair amount of stress.
Competition is another source of stress. This source becomes even
more apparent as students get further in college. You may feel like
you’re in competition to get in to medical school or law school, or you
may compete to get assistantships or even to find a job. There can also
be competition between our wants and our needs (for example, your need
to study may be competing with your want to play basketball).
Another significant source of stress is peer pressure. You might be
tempted to think that you outgrew peer pressure in high school, but
consider the following questions. What would you do if your friends were
pressuring you to drink more than you wanted to? How would you handle it
if they made fun of you? What if you needed to study but your friends
were going out and wanted you to come? These can also big sources of
stress, especially if by acquiescing to their demands you make a mistake
that you have to pay for later (like getting an MPI or DWI).
Most people would agree that choosing a career is a significant source of stress. This actually encompasses most of the prior sources of stress listed – family, freedom (and consequences), competition, and maybe even peer pressure. How do you satisfy your needs for a job, your parents’ wishes, make a lot of money, and get respect for your career? What if you pick something you later don’t like?
How Do You Experience Stress?
When people experience stress they usually do so on
multiple levels. Below are some cognitive (thought), emotional,
behavioral, and physical symptoms of stress. Everybody experiences
stress a little differently, but see which of these symptoms apply to
you.
COGNITIVE:
-
Can’t concentrate
- Racing thoughts
-
Can’t think logically
- Forgetfulness
-
Confusion
- Thoughts of worthlessness
-
Suicidal thinking
- Loss of motivation
EMOTION:
-
Irritable
- Apathetic
-
Nervous
- Feeling out of control
-
Feeling helpless
- Feeling alone
-
Anxiety/panic
- Sad/hopeless
BEHAVIORAL:
-
Isolates
- Loses motivation
-
Workaholic response
- Lashes out
-
“Breakdowns” (uncontrollable crying, etc)
- Neglecting self-care
-
Self-medicating the stress (through
drugs, alcohol, video games, etc.)
PHYSICAL:
-
Headaches
- Upset stomach
-
Racing heart
- Dizziness
-
Not enough/too much sleep
- Shortness of breath
-
Feeling lethargic
- Tight/tense muscles
-
Decreased sex drive
- Lowered immune system
Stress usually works in a cycle in which symptoms
on one level can contribute to symptoms on other levels. For example,
too much stress about failing a test can lead to problems focusing,
forgetfulness, and other cognitive symptoms. As we experience problems
focusing during the test, emotional symptoms may appear in the form of
anxiety and even panic. These emotional responses trigger physical
symptoms such as racing heartbeat, upset stomach, shortness of breath,
and dizziness. All of these symptoms combined can eventually become
strong enough that they lead to the behavioral response of leaving the
test without finishing it.
One of the keys to managing stress effectively is
to learn what your optimal level of stress is and what your stress
“cutoff” is. While everybody experiences some of the symptoms listed
above at various times, if you experience a high frequency of these
symptoms or if you have symptoms of high intensity then these are
probably signals that you’re reaching your own stress cutoff point.
Breaking The Stress Cycle
Since stress occurs in a cycle, changing even one
piece of the cycle will force changes throughout the whole cycle. Stress
management can occur on any level of the cycle, or even on multiple
levels at once. Listed below are some suggestions on how to practice
stress management on our cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical
levels. Remember, the goal is not to eliminate stress, but rather to
reach the right level of productive stress for us.
COGNITIVE COPING:
-
Challenge negative thoughts
o
A “C” grade means I don’t enjoy algebra,
not that I’m stupid or worthless
-
Maintain perspective
o
How will I feel about this in a day? A
month? A year?
-
Set realistic goals and celebrate their
accomplishment
o
I’m willing to put in a “B” effort on
this paper, and if I got a “B” I’d be satisfied.
-
Practice forgiving yourself for mistakes,
then learning from them.
o
That “D” grade sure showed me how NOT to
study for thermodynamics; next time I’ll try something different.
-
Pray or meditate
EMOTIONAL COPING:
-
Face your anxiety; don’t avoid
o
Avoiding is easy in the short term but
doesn’t solve the problem. Anxiety is usually intense but time-limited,
so endure it and then reward yourself for enduring it. Usually the more
you face your anxiety the less intense it becomes.
-
Reach out for emotional support
o
Talk to friends that you can count on.
Sometimes just venting can release much of our stress.
-
Practice humor and positive emotion
o
Find something you can appreciate about
each day, even if it’s only that you made it through the day.
o
Seek out laughter. Watch funny movies,
joke with friends, etc. Humor is one of the best ways to keep
perspective
o
Affirm yourself for the positive things
you do. You may be failing your chemistry course, but that grade only
applies to your chemistry abilities – not to your worth as a
son/daughter, sister/brother, friend, employee, etc.
BEHAVIORAL COPING:
-
Practice time management
o
Make lists of what you need to do, then
prioritize those lists. Consider dropping things that are low priority.
-
SOCIALIZE! Do NOT isolate
o
Usually when we feel like isolating is
when we could benefit the most from social support. Spending time with
friends can recharge us enough to tackle our stressors.
o
Assert your needs in your relationships.
Relationships can be one of the biggest stressors in our lives.
Communicate what you need and expect from the relationship or friendship
and give others chances to meet these needs.
-
Learn to enjoy activities by yourself.
PHYSICAL COPING:
-
Practice good nutrition
o
Healthy eating habits contribute to a
sense of physical well-being. Avoid too much caffeine since the
physiological effects of caffeine can exacerbate the physical symptoms
of stress.
-
Avoid drugs or alcohol
o
Using or drinking in response to stress
is dangerous because the consequences of using typically lead to more
stress. Smoking pot can definitely reduce anxiety in the short term but
it does nothing to help you learn how to manage the anxiety when you
don’t have any pot around. And sleeping off a hangover or missing class
because you’re high will only make your stress worse.
-
Practice relaxation techniques
o
Deep breathing exercises
o
Progressive muscle relaxation.
-
Get the right amount of sleep
o
Sleep is critical in managing stress. Too
little or too much sleep and our ability to deal with problems
decreases.
-
Exercise regularly
o
Exercise stimulates chemicals in the
brain that contribute to positive emotion, reduces social isolation, and
can increase health and self-esteem.
If you try these skills and they don’t seem to
work, don’t give up! Just like building a muscle, practicing these
stress management skills consistently will give good results. And
the more of these skills that you practice the better things will get.
Stress And Anxiety
Stress refers to the demand placed on us
physically, mentally, and emotionally. Anxiety is an emotional reaction
that we may have when we experience stress. Anxiety usually involves
feelings of worry, nervousness, fear, or panic. Not everyone who
experiences stress reacts with anxiety all the time, but anyone who
experiences anxiety is experiencing some form of stress. Since anxiety
is a basic emotion everybody experiences anxiety at one point or
another; however, some people experience anxiety that is sufficiently
intense or long-lasting as to require more in-depth treatment.
For some people anxiety may be mild most of the
time. They may feel jittery or nervous, fidget, or sweat. Other people
may experience anxiety more intensely, with racing heartbeat, dizziness,
trouble concentrating, or difficulty sleeping. To ease mild to moderate
anxiety, the coping strategies listed above should be effective;
however, someone with intense, long-lasting anxiety may benefit from
counseling and/or medication.
There are many different types of anxiety, and
knowing which type of anxiety you have is important as you seek
treatment. Listed below are some of the different types of anxiety with
brief descriptions attached.
Panic Attack:
A panic attack is a period in which a person feels
intense apprehension, fear, or terror. Panic attacks usually include
physical symptoms (shortness of breath, racing heart, etc) as well as
emotional and cognitive symptoms (fear of going crazy). Someone who
experiences recurrent panic attacks may be experiencing Panic
Disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder consists of at least 6
months of excessive anxiety or worry about many different events or
activities. The anxiety is perceived as difficult to control.
Social Phobia
Social Phobia consists of a persistent fear of
social or performance situations in which the individual may experience
embarrassment. Anticipating or being in the social situation provokes a
strong anxiety response, and often the individual will try and avoid the
social situation. Often the anxiety with social phobia may be manifested
through a panic attack.
Specific Phobia
Individuals with specific phobias experience
persistent fear of certain objects or situations. Exposure to the object
or situation provokes an immediate anxiety response which is excessive
and unreasonable. Often the individual will try and avoid the object or
situation. Examples of types of phobias include fear of certain types of
animals, fear of seeing blood or injuries, fear of driving, fear of
flying, or fear of getting sick.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder were
exposed to a traumatic event that involved a direct threat to themselves
or others and to which they reacted with intense fear or helplessness.
These individuals experience intrusive recollections of the event that
elicit strong anxiety responses. These responses often include increased
arousal or avoidance of thoughts, people, or events that remind them of
the trauma.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
People with obsessive compulsive disorder
experience obsessions and compulsions that interfere with their ability
to function in daily life. Obsessions are defined as recurrent and
persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as
intrusive and that cause anxiety or distress. Some examples of
obsessions may include persistent fears of contamination after shaking
someone’s hand, or persistent worries that one forgot to lock their door
or window, among others. Compulsions refers to repeated behaviors or
thoughts that have as their goal to prevent or reduce anxiety. Often
these compulsions involve ritualistic thoughts or behaviors that are
intended to reduce anxiety associated with the obsessions (for example,
by repeatedly washing hands to reduce fear of contamination after
shaking hands with someone.)
While there are many different types of anxiety, the key factor in determining whether you need help with your anxiety is if the anxiety interferes with your ability to function in daily life. Whether you experience chronic worries about things you can’t control, or if you constantly isolate yourself to avoid situations that make you anxious, seek help in managing you anxiety. The TTU Student Counseling Center is a good place to start. The Student Counseling Center is staffed by trained mental health professionals who can help you reduce your anxiety and live life without fear.