7.7: Study Skills- Coping with Stress

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Study Skills: Coping with Stress

Going to college is stressful. You have classes to attend, homework to do, tests and exams to write. On top of this, you may be working at a job, raising children, taking care of other people in your community—or doing many other demanding tasks. Stress can often be the result.

What Is Stress?

Stress is a state of mental or emotional tension that results from being in a difficult situation.

Stress has a variety of causes, some positive, some negative. Positive stressors (things that cause stress) include moving to a new home, having a baby, starting a new relationship, or getting a better job. Negative stressors include being in debt, the end of a relationship, a death in your family, or getting fired from work.

Stress is not necessarily a bad thing. Many people report that they perform better in college (particularly on exams) if they feel slightly stressed. However, if there is too much stress in your life, it can have negative effects.

Signs of Stress

How can you tell that you are stressed? Different people respond to stress in different ways, but here are some signs to look out for.

You may feel tension in your neck or shoulders. You may experience headaches, upset stomach, or frequent colds and infections. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma, extreme stress can make those conditions worse.
You may be short-tempered and easily upset. Little things make you want to explode. Your roommate eats your lunch, or your kids forget to give you a phone message. Normally, this would not be a crisis, but when you are stressed, you may find yourself over-reacting.
You may be unable to sleep at night. If you are stressed, you may lie awake thinking about things that you may not be able to control.
You may be too stressed to eat, or you may be eating “comfort” food, such as burgers and donuts. You may also be drinking more alcohol or smoking more than usual. It is particularly important to pay attention to your body when you are feeling stressed.

What to Do When You Are Stressed

If you often feel stressed, you need to find ways to handle the situation. There are two parts to this:

a) understand what causes you to feel stressed and find ways to minimize this;

b) learn to cope with the stress already present in your life.

Understand and minimize your stress

1. Learn to identify what causes you to feel stressed. When you identify your stressors, you can take steps to minimize their effect on your life. For example, if you are stressed by raising young children, understand that this is very normal. All parents feel stressed. See if there is someone who can watch your children for a few hours during the day. This does not make you a bad parent; it means that you are taking care of your own needs.

2. Know the signs you display when you are feeling stressed. Do you have headaches, insomnia, or stomach upsets? Do you find yourself drinking or smoking more than usual? Everyone is different; understand how you react under stress.

3. Learn to say, “I’m stressed,” and to do something about it. This may mean opting out of an activity or saying “no” to someone who asks you for help. Don’t be afraid to put yourself first. If your body is telling you that you are stressed, listen to it.

Cope with the stress in your life

There are many ways that people deal with stress. Here are a few.

Exercise. It is a scientific fact that exercise releases endorphins (hormones) that make you feel more relaxed. You don’t even need to exercise vigorously. Think about how good you feel after a simple walk outside in the fresh air.
Take a break. Get together with friends, listen to music, watch a movie. Sometimes just taking your mind off the stressful situation will make you feel better.
Relax. Make sure you get enough sleep. Stress is hard on your body, so you need to rest and recuperate.
Eat healthy food. It may be tempting when you are stressed to binge on junk food, but you won’t be doing yourself any favours. It is better to eat food that nourishes you.
Have a relaxing bath. Let the water wash away your stress.
Try meditation. Imagine your stress disappearing from your body. Some people find that activities like yoga can be useful.

You Try It!

Answer the following questions.

1. What causes you to feel stressed?

________________________________________________________________________

2. What are your own warning signs that you are stressed?

________________________________________________________________________

3. Identify some ways you can help yourself to relieve stress. Use the space below.

Next time I feel stressed, I will …