Stress Management and Coping

Karlene CunninghamOutreach Coordinator Auburn University Psychological Services Center

Overview

•What is Stress?•Signs and Symptoms of Stress•Coping with Stress •Rethink Your Stressors•Other Helpful Tips•When You Can’t Cope•Suggested Books

What is Stress?

•Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to the environment.

What is Stress?

•When stress is seen as a stimulus it’s a stressor▫Stressors can be internal

Lifestyle Personality characteristics

▫Or External Environmental Social Familial Occupational

Stressors

•What are some current examples of stressors in the graduate school environment?▫Thesis/Dissertation▫Financial Demands▫Deadlines▫Productivity Demands▫Social Demands▫Family Demands

What is Stress?

•When stress is viewed as a response it’s considered distress

•Distress can manifest itself as▫Behavioral signs▫Physiological signs ▫Affective (feeling) signs▫Cognitive (Thinking) signs

Signs and Symptoms of Stress• Physiological signs

▫ Gut responders (nausea, ulcers, GI problems)

▫ Respiratory responders (shortness of breath, wheezing)

▫ Muscular responders (neck aches, chest pains)

▫ Vascular Responders (Tension headaches)

• Behavioral signs▫ Heightened arousability

(startle response)▫ Irritability ▫ Restlessness▫ Disorganization▫ Change in sleeping

pattern▫ Change in eating▫ Substance use/abuse

Signs and Symptoms• Affective Signs

▫ Irritability ▫ Depression▫ Anxiety▫ Hypervigilance

• Cognitive▫ Catastrophising▫ Poor Concentration▫ Disorganization

Signs and Symptoms

•Your health both influences and is effected by your level of distress▫Stress impacts your immune system

Catching the cold during finals Hypertension, cancer, heart disease

Coping

What is Coping?•Process of managing the discrepancy

between the demands of the situation and the available resources.

•Ongoing process of appraisal and reappraisal (not static)

•Can alter the stress problem OR regulate the emotional response.

How do you Cope?

•What are some ways you currently cope with stress?

•Typical (and sometimes harmful) strategies include▫Procrastination▫Anger/irritability▫Depressive behavior▫Cigarette, alcohol or substance use

Better Coping Strategies

•Relaxing (not escaping)•Improving eating habits•Sleep•Exercise•Rethink your stressors

Relaxation

•Protecting time for yourself is key to managing stress

•Short relaxation breaks help to relieve built up tension▫Robot/Ragdoll▫Deep breathing▫Meditation

Improving Eating Habits

•Eating better will help your body function better overall▫Drinking more water▫Consuming less caffeine (sorry)▫Vitamins

Sleep….

•Get more SLEEP!•When you’re sleep deprived your body

does not function at optimal levels.•This can lead to clouded thought and

feeling overwhelmed because you can’t think straight.

Exercise

•It improves blood flow to your brain•It also causes the release of chemicals

called endorphins. ▫These give you a feeling of happiness and

positively affect your overall sense of well-being.

Rethink Your Stressors

•How you perceive a stressor greatly influences how much distress you feel.

•High levels of stress is usually associated with thoughts such as:▫“I can’t do this.”▫“There is not enough time.”▫“What is the perfect answer?”▫“It may be a mistake.”

Rethink Your Stressors

•When evaluating a stressor you should:1. Open up to all of the possibilities and

visualize each one.2. Banish vague fears.3. Let go of the idea of a perfect answer.4. Trust yourself and take action.

Tips and Resources

Other Helpful Tips

•Study & work effectively▫Have a personal work space▫Minimize distractions from others▫Set a mood for completing tasks▫Try to handle one thing at a time

Other Helpful Tips

•Money management▫Major source of stress▫Budget needs vs. wants▫Avoid impulse buying (retail therapy)

Other Helpful Tips

•Build strong interpersonal relationships▫Develop good relationship skills▫Conflict resolution▫Listening skills

When You Can’t Cope

•Mental health professionals can help when you feel you can’t cope.

•There are places on campus where you can seek help:▫AUPSC: 844-4889▫Student Counseling Center: 844-5123▫Crisis Hotline 821-8600

Suggested Books

•Groves, D., (2004). Stress Reduction for Busy People: Finding Peace in an Anxious World

•Covey, S. R., The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

•Davis, M., Eshelman, E.R. & McKay, M. (2008) The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook (5th edition)

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