We have all had this feeling before. Our muscles go tense from it, our bodies feel drained, and our minds go crazy. Yes, the feeling is stress. According to Merriam-Webster.com stress is defined as, "A constraining force or influence as a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation (2011)." As a college student I'm faced with all kinds of different stress. As well, most of you probably witness a little stress in your life too. Having to cope with stress as a student is not uncommon. A recent MSN article reports that the Associated Press conducted research on college student stress at many colleges throughout the United States.
A person suffering from stress can start using the more emotional parts of the brain, shutting down the more logical side of the brain. This has the effect of lowering your intelligence whilst in this state, and effecting our judgment. It can affect performance at work, and our personal relationships.We all have an Ultradian Rhythm, which is a 90-120 minute cycle of stress and relaxation. The relaxation dips are usually around 90 minutes apart. This is when your mind and body is telling you to slow down and relax. Typically you may find yourself daydreaming, which is a natural form of meditation and self hypnosis. Some people instead choose to carry out addictive behavior instead, such as drinking, drugs, and smoking.
This is not healthy because aside from the physical harm such addictions present, there are also psychological problems this can cause. A person cannot learn how to naturally deal with stress if they always turn to their addictions for a release. They do not adequately learn how to cope with the knocks that life inevitably presents. Instead they grow increasingly dependent on their addictions as a means of coping, which often creates many other problems in the long run.
In addition to financial stress we have work place stress. Workplace stress maybe brought on by many factors. You may be worried about getting you next promotion, or you may be worried about losing your job since the economy is so bad. Other factors could be the experience of negative behavior from you coworkers or boss. You might not be reaching your career goals or there are major changes happening at your work place and you worry about how it will affect you. Many factors in a work place can bring on stress and overwhelm us, especially if we don't know how to cope with stress.
As mentioned above, when there is a pressing concern; an essay deadline for instance, it is quite natural for a stressed person to use avoidance as a coping mechanism. In the case of a student with less time on their hands, the essay ignored but the stress of it will continue to prey on the students mind. It seems easier to avoid doing the university work than to attempt it and fail.There are two factors here that are diminishing the students self esteem, the pressure to afford to be at university and the pressure to achieve what should be achievable whilst suffering from fear of failure that has been induced by the financial stress, lack of rest and general chaotic lifestyle that a poor student has to endure.
Avoidance only complicates and feeds the stress into a downwards spiral. The problem has to be dealt with at some point and leaving it to build up and explode at the last minute is much more stressful than doing it bit by bit over time. The only effective technique is to confront the source of the issue and resolve it. To start with, don't bottle up, talk to friends and family about problems. Everyone suffers the same concerns and feels the same problems but on different levels.Many people who find it hard to deal with stress bury their heads in the sand and hope their problems will go away. It is becoming more and more common for young people to turn to drugs and alcohol to assist in this oblivion technique. Intoxication, whilst it can be fun is certainly not healthy especially if substances are being used to cope. In most circumstances it will only lead to further financial, emotional and academic stress and anxiety. Instead, a healthy relationship should be built with alcohol and drinking as a reward for finishing coursework would be wise.
Young people dealing with the stresses of student life can also be prone to developing eating disorders as a form of coping. Anorexia, Bulimia and over-eating are all ways to exert control of life when everything else seems to be chaotic and out of hand. Again, this will only cause the student further difficulties. It is very hard to overcome eating disorders and the disease has a knock on affect on all areas of the person's life. Eating three meals a day and having a healthy diet is very important for a healthy mind and healthy body.A recent survey of student mental health showed a drastic increase in the amount of students suffering with emotional problems, anxiety and depression. More and more students are seeking counseling for their problems and 10% of those students are suicidal. It seems to be a very dark statistic but it is important to highlight the seriousness of the issue. For many people, student years are the times of their lives, but for those who find it difficult to cope, it can be very very hard.
Many of the debilitating and chronic diseases that plague humans today can be directly attributed to recurring stress reactions. Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are just some of the serious illnesses that could be prevented with the help of stress management.
Coping with stress at work is primarily a psychological function that requires some practice. Different individuals may react with varying degrees of stress given the same situation and stress factors. Some people are easily irritable while others are more resilient. Regardless of the individual differences, effectively managing stress can be divided into three general categories.Attitude - Coping with stress will largely depend on individual attitude. People who are generally optimistic in their outlook in life can adjust better to the various challenges in life. As the saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Positive attitude can be learned and practiced. It is mainly about hope and good prospects, focusing on finding solutions rather than being burdened by problems.
Stresses and problems aside, university life is over all very rewarding and very worthwhile. Skills learned and friends made at university shape lives and build careers. There are plenty of good times to be had despite the pressures.More advice on student lifestyle can be found on the Student Book website.Student Book is a website for prospective and current students. It offers a university comparison tool and a wealth of information on the ins and outs of applying to university. The site is also a guide to student life with advice on finance, welfare, study skills, accommodation and a lot more. These are helpful, relevant and entertaining articles aimed at students and future students.
[How To Coping With Stress]
A person suffering from stress can start using the more emotional parts of the brain, shutting down the more logical side of the brain. This has the effect of lowering your intelligence whilst in this state, and effecting our judgment. It can affect performance at work, and our personal relationships.We all have an Ultradian Rhythm, which is a 90-120 minute cycle of stress and relaxation. The relaxation dips are usually around 90 minutes apart. This is when your mind and body is telling you to slow down and relax. Typically you may find yourself daydreaming, which is a natural form of meditation and self hypnosis. Some people instead choose to carry out addictive behavior instead, such as drinking, drugs, and smoking.
This is not healthy because aside from the physical harm such addictions present, there are also psychological problems this can cause. A person cannot learn how to naturally deal with stress if they always turn to their addictions for a release. They do not adequately learn how to cope with the knocks that life inevitably presents. Instead they grow increasingly dependent on their addictions as a means of coping, which often creates many other problems in the long run.
In addition to financial stress we have work place stress. Workplace stress maybe brought on by many factors. You may be worried about getting you next promotion, or you may be worried about losing your job since the economy is so bad. Other factors could be the experience of negative behavior from you coworkers or boss. You might not be reaching your career goals or there are major changes happening at your work place and you worry about how it will affect you. Many factors in a work place can bring on stress and overwhelm us, especially if we don't know how to cope with stress.
As mentioned above, when there is a pressing concern; an essay deadline for instance, it is quite natural for a stressed person to use avoidance as a coping mechanism. In the case of a student with less time on their hands, the essay ignored but the stress of it will continue to prey on the students mind. It seems easier to avoid doing the university work than to attempt it and fail.There are two factors here that are diminishing the students self esteem, the pressure to afford to be at university and the pressure to achieve what should be achievable whilst suffering from fear of failure that has been induced by the financial stress, lack of rest and general chaotic lifestyle that a poor student has to endure.
Avoidance only complicates and feeds the stress into a downwards spiral. The problem has to be dealt with at some point and leaving it to build up and explode at the last minute is much more stressful than doing it bit by bit over time. The only effective technique is to confront the source of the issue and resolve it. To start with, don't bottle up, talk to friends and family about problems. Everyone suffers the same concerns and feels the same problems but on different levels.Many people who find it hard to deal with stress bury their heads in the sand and hope their problems will go away. It is becoming more and more common for young people to turn to drugs and alcohol to assist in this oblivion technique. Intoxication, whilst it can be fun is certainly not healthy especially if substances are being used to cope. In most circumstances it will only lead to further financial, emotional and academic stress and anxiety. Instead, a healthy relationship should be built with alcohol and drinking as a reward for finishing coursework would be wise.
Young people dealing with the stresses of student life can also be prone to developing eating disorders as a form of coping. Anorexia, Bulimia and over-eating are all ways to exert control of life when everything else seems to be chaotic and out of hand. Again, this will only cause the student further difficulties. It is very hard to overcome eating disorders and the disease has a knock on affect on all areas of the person's life. Eating three meals a day and having a healthy diet is very important for a healthy mind and healthy body.A recent survey of student mental health showed a drastic increase in the amount of students suffering with emotional problems, anxiety and depression. More and more students are seeking counseling for their problems and 10% of those students are suicidal. It seems to be a very dark statistic but it is important to highlight the seriousness of the issue. For many people, student years are the times of their lives, but for those who find it difficult to cope, it can be very very hard.
Many of the debilitating and chronic diseases that plague humans today can be directly attributed to recurring stress reactions. Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer are just some of the serious illnesses that could be prevented with the help of stress management.
Coping with stress at work is primarily a psychological function that requires some practice. Different individuals may react with varying degrees of stress given the same situation and stress factors. Some people are easily irritable while others are more resilient. Regardless of the individual differences, effectively managing stress can be divided into three general categories.Attitude - Coping with stress will largely depend on individual attitude. People who are generally optimistic in their outlook in life can adjust better to the various challenges in life. As the saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Positive attitude can be learned and practiced. It is mainly about hope and good prospects, focusing on finding solutions rather than being burdened by problems.
Stresses and problems aside, university life is over all very rewarding and very worthwhile. Skills learned and friends made at university shape lives and build careers. There are plenty of good times to be had despite the pressures.More advice on student lifestyle can be found on the Student Book website.Student Book is a website for prospective and current students. It offers a university comparison tool and a wealth of information on the ins and outs of applying to university. The site is also a guide to student life with advice on finance, welfare, study skills, accommodation and a lot more. These are helpful, relevant and entertaining articles aimed at students and future students.
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