Relax: Don't Do It
Symptoms of Stress
Causes of Stress
Stress Management
Symptoms of Stress (helpguide.org)
Cognitive Symptoms (just in time for finals!)
- Memory problems
- Indecisiveness
- Inability to concentrate
- Trouble thinking clearly
- Poor judgment
- Seeing only the negative
Emotional Symptoms
- Moodiness
- Agitation
- Restlessness
- Short temper
- Impatience
Physical Symptoms
- Headaches or backaches
- Muscle tension and stiffness
- Insomnia
- Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
- Weight gain or loss
- Frequent colds
- Face breakouts
Behavioral Symptoms
- Eating more or less
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Isolating yourself from others
- Procrastination
- Nervous habits
- Using alcohol, cigarettes or drugs to relax
- Teeth grinding
- Picking fights with others
- Overreacting to unexpected problems
Causes of Stress
The activities that cause stress depend on the individual. Something that may cause stress to one may be enjoyable to someone else.
For Jenna Nikkel, sophomore in pre-journalism, external aspects of stress come from trying to maintain a balanced schedule while participating in a number of activities, including PRSSA, the Iowa State Daily and Salt Company.
Stress can also be caused internally. Internal causes of stress include, but are not limited to:
- Pessimistic attitude
- Self-criticism
- Uncertainty or worries
- Unrealistic expectations
- Low self-esteem
- Perfectionism
- Unexpressed anger
- Lack of assertiveness
Chronic stress: a state of ongoing physiological arousal occurs when the body experiences so many stressors that the nervous system doesn’t have time to activate the relaxation response.
Demanding jobs, homework and sadness occur too frequently in our high-energy, fast-paced lifestyle, so (not surprisingly) our body is oftentimes in a state of perceived threat and chronic stress. Our fight-or-flight response, designed to help fight a few life-threatening situations spread over long periods of time, cannot handle regular stress, so our bodies become ill, either physically, emotionally or both.
Stress Management
Relax your mind
- Writing. There is evidence that writing about stressful events and circumstances may help relieve stress and improve diseases linked to stress. Write for ten to 15 minutes a day about stressful events and how you felt during them.
- Expressing your feelings. Discussing how you feel with friends, family members, or a counselor is an important way of coping with and relieving stress. Laughing and crying are also natural ways to release tension and frustration. They are both part of a normal emotional healing process.
- Mindfulness activities. Mindfulness activities help relax your mind and are often combined with body-centered relaxation exercises.
Self-hypnosis can open your mind to suggestions that can relieve stress or change the way you respond to stress.
Meditation during which you focus your attention on the things that are happening in the present moment. One way to do this is by paying attention to your breathing.
Music therapy can relax your body, improve your mood, and change the pace of your day. Listening to slow, calm ballads will help you relax.
Humor therapy helps to boost the body’s immune system and reduce stress. Listen to a comedian at the M-Shop or on you tube. Rent a comedy or read a funny book.
Relax your body
- Physical activity. Exercise has been proven to reduce stress. Aerobic exercise—the kind that increases your heart rate, such as walking, running or swimming—is especially useful for counteracting the harmful effects of stress. Additionally, stretching is a good way to relieve muscle tension.
- Do something you enjoy. A meaningful activity helps relieve tension. This can be a hobby (such as cooking), a creative activity like writing or artwork, or doing volunteer work for a cause that benefits others.
- Body-centered relaxation. Body-centered relaxation skills are especially useful for people who experience physical symptoms of stress. These skills include:
- Breathing exercises, such as deep breathing.
- Aromatherapy that uses the aroma-producing oils from plants to promote relaxation.
- Yoga and Pilates are forms of exercise and meditation. The Iowa State Recreational Services offer power yoga, fitness yoga, wellness yoga, Pilates and yo-Pi (a combination of yoga and Pilates) classes Mon. through Fri, in Beyer 301