Stress Management
Introduction
Stress is a fact of life, wherever you are and
whatever you are doing. You cannot avoid
stress, but you
can learn to manage it so it doesn’t manage you.Changes in our lives such as
going to college, getting married, changing jobs,or illness are frequent
sources of stress. Keep in mind that changes that cause stress can also benefit
you. Moving away from home to attend college, for example, creates personal-development
opportunitie new challenges, friends, and living arrangements. That is why it’s important to
know yourself and carefully consider the causes of stress. Learning to do this
takes time, and although you cannot avoid stress, the good news is that you can
minimize the harmful effects of stress, such as depression or hypertension. The
key is to develop an awareness of how you interpret, and react to,
circumstances. This awareness will help you develop coping techniques for
managing stress. For example, as an Army platoon leader, managing stress will require
techniques that include an awareness of yourself and your Soldiers. As you will
see, the stress you encounter as a student differs in intensity from
what you may
experience in the Army, particularly while deployed or in combat.
Defining
Stress
Stress is the way
human beings react both physically and mentally to changes, events, and situations
in their lives. People experience stress in different ways and for different
reasons. The reaction is based on your perception of an event or situation. If
you view a situation negatively, you will likely feel distressed overwhelmed,
oppressed, or out of control. Distress is the more familiar form of stress. The
other form, eustress,
results from a “positive” view of an event or situation, which is why it is
also called “good stress.”
helps you rise to a challenge and can be an antidote to
boredom because it
engages focused
energy. That energy can easily turn to distress,
however, if something causes you to view the situation as unmanageable or out
of control. Many people regard public speaking or airplane flights as very
stressful causing physical reactions such as an increased heart rate and a loss
of appetite while others look forward to the event. It’s often a question of
perception: A positive stressor for one person can be a negative stressor for
another.
Causes of
Stress
The most frequent
reasons for “stressing out” fall into three main categories:
The unsettling effects of change
The feeling that an outside force is challenging or
threatening you
The feeling that you have lost personal control.
Life events such
as marriage, changing jobs, divorce, or the death of a relative or friend
are the most
common causes of stress. Although life-threatening events are less common,
they can be the
most physiologically and psychologically acute. They are usually associated
with public
service career fields in which people experience intense stress levels because
of imminent
danger and a high degree of uncertainty police officer, fire and rescue
worker,emergency relief worker, and the military.You may not plan to enter a
high-stress career, but as a college student, you may find that the demands of
college life can create stressful situations. The National Institute of Mental
Health (NIMH) notes some of the more common stressors for college students:
• Increased academic demands
• Being on your own in a new environment
• Changes in family relations
• Financial responsibilities
• Changes in your social life
• Exposure to new people, ideas, and
temptations
• Awareness of your sexual identity and
orientation
• Preparing for life after graduation.
Managing
Stress
As noted in the
Introduction, you can learn to manage stress. The first step is understanding
yourself better how
you react in different situations, what causes you stress, and how you
behave when you
feel stressed. Once you’ve done that, take the following steps:
Set priorities. Use the time-management tips you learned
in Section 1. Make a To-Do
list. Decide what
is really important to get done today, and what can wait. This helps
you to know that
you are working on your most immediate priorities, and you don’t
have the stress
of trying to remember what you should be doing.
Practice
facing stressful moments.
Think about the event or situation you expect to
face and rehearse
your reactions. Find ways to practice dealing with the challenge. If
you know that
speaking in front of a group frightens you, practice doing it, perhaps
with a trusted
friend or fellow student. If the pressure of taking tests causes you to
freeze up, buy
some practice tests at the school bookstore or online and work with
them when there
are no time pressures.
Examine your
expectations. Try to set
realistic goals. It’s good to push yourself to achieve,
but make sure
your expectations are realistic. Watch out for perfectionism. Be satisfied
with doing the
best you can. Nobody’s perfect not you, not your fellow Cadet, nobody.
Allow people the
liberty to make mistakes, and remember that mistakes can be a good
teacher. Live
a healthy lifestyle. Get plenty of exercise. Eat healthy foods. Allow time
for rest and relaxation. Find a relaxation technique that works for you prayer,
yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises. Look for the humor in life, and enjoy
yourself.
Nothing stays the same. Develop a support
system of friends and relatives you can talk to when needed. Believe in
yourself and your
potential.
Remember that many people from disadvantaged backgrounds have gone on to enjoy
great success in life. At the same time, avoid those activities that promise
release from stress while actually adding to it. Drinking alcohol (despite what
all those TV commercials imply), drinking caffeine, smoking, using narcotics
(including marijuana), and overeating all add to the body’s stress in addition
to their other harmful effects.
Here
are some other strategies for dealing with stress:
• Schedule time for vacation, breaks in
your routine, hobbies, and fun activities.
• Try to arrange for uninterrupted time
to accomplish tasks that need your
concentration.
Arrange some leisure time during which you can do things that you
really enjoy.
• Avoid scheduling too many
appointments, meetings, and classes back-to-back.
Allow breaks to
catch your breath. Take a few slow, deep breaths whenever you
feel stressed.
Breathe from the abdomen and, as you exhale, silently say to yourself,
“I feel calm.”
• Become an expert at managing your
time. Read books, view videos, and attend
seminars on time
management. Once you cut down on time wasters, you’ll find
more time to
recharge yourself.
• Learn to say “no.” Setting limits can
minimize stress. Spend time on your main
responsibilities
and priorities rather than allowing other people’s priorities or needs
to dictate how
you spend your time.
• Exercise regularly to reduce muscle
tension and promote a sense of well-being.
• Tap into your support network. Family,
friends, and social groups can help when
dealing with
stressful events
Key Points
1 Defining Stress
2 Causes of Stress
3 Symptoms of Distress
4 Managing Stress
Conclusion
Today you have learned that stress can be caused by positive
or
negative events.
By learning how to identify the stress factors in your life
and strategies to
cope with these factors you take control of your life. The
basic points to
remember are: be aware of the symptoms of stress, identify
the source of
your stress, and choose a strategy to control your stress.
Knowing how to control stress will improve the quality
of your life as a
learner, parent/family member, or worker.
As you grow and develop your skills, the potential for stress
in
your life may
become greater. Don’t let that stop you! You now have some
basic strategies
to help you meet your challenges. Re-read “What Every-
one Should Know
About Stress,” A Scriptographic Booklet by Channing
L. Bete Co. Inc. Apply the techniques to your school life, family
life, and
community life
