Managing Stress : A Guide for Graduate Students

How stressed are you?• Take the quiz!

Stress Quiz Key• 20 – 30: Chances are you are non-productive or

your life lacks stimulation.• 31-50: Designates a good balance in your ability

to handle and control stress.• 51-60: Your stress level is marginal and you are

bordering on being excessively tense.• 60 +: You may be a candidate for heart disease

or other serious health conditions.

What makes you feel stressed?

What is Stress?• We all know the feeling of stress, but what is it

exactly?• A response to a demand that is placed upon you• Short-term tension and mental alertness that goes

away when that challenge is met

• Can stress ever be a good thing? • Helps you perform well in sports• Helps you finish your paper

Responses to Stress You can respond to stress in many ways

› Physical effects: headache› Emotional effects: fear, sadness› Mental effects: increased anxiety

Stress becomes negative when you cannot return to a relaxed state

Effects on the body› Increased heart rate› Higher blood pressure› Muscle tension › Impacts your immune system

How to Manage Your Stress Find what works for you! Attitude is EVERYTHING! Healthy Eating Physical Activity Relaxing Your Mind and Body Sleep Healthy Relationships Time Management Alcohol and other Drugs Money Management Relaxation Exercises

Attitude is EVERYTHING• Differences among people • Change the way you think about it

• Can’t control everything that is going to happen • But you can change how you think

Positive Self-talk • Think about a situation that you have experienced

recently. Come up with both negative and productive self-talk for the situation

Example 1• Situation: I have a huge paper in two days • Irrational self-talk: I will never get it done. Why

did I take that stupid class in the first place, when I know I’m going to fail.

• Rational Self-talk: I’ve worked well under pressure in the past. I know I can do it now! I have plenty of time

Example 2• Situation: I came back to the room and found that

my roommate left everything a mess• Irrational self-talk: She is so disrespectful. Two

people have to live here, why can’t she think about anyone else but herself?

• Rational self-talk: I know she has a lot going on this week. She will clean it up when she has time.

Your Turn:• Situation: ____________________________• Irrational self-talk: _____________________• Rational self-talk: ______________________

Healthy Eating• Carbs, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals

are important for energy, mental concentration and emotional stability. • Stress can increase your body’s need for

certain nutrients • Most college students use high sugar food

and caffeine to keep their energy going• Too much of this will contribute to poor quality

sleep • After about an hour or 2 you may find that you

have less energy and need even more food

Exercise Boosts energy Increases ability to concentrate Improves self-esteem Helps you fall asleep faster and have better quality sleep Fewer illnesses Make it fun!!

› Do things that you enjoy (dancing, hiking, biking)› Do it to music › Go with someone

Money $$$• Follow a budget for yourself • How much do you make?• How much do you spend?

Sleep• How much sleep do you need?• Are you getting restorative sleep?

Relationships• Starting, maintaining and ending

relationships can cause stress • Being Single: • A lot of social pressure to be in a relationship • Spend as much time as you want on other

things• Not have to “check” in with someone

• Being in a relationship:• Is your relationship stressing you out?• Healthy relationships• Have fun together• Feel like you can be yourself• Build a friendship• Handle conflicts well

Time Management• Helps you deal with deadlines and complete

priorities with minimal stress • Anticipate and plan • Keep track of your life • Plan in advance

• Don’t know how long things will take

• Cross things off

Alcohol and Other Drugs• Myths• Alcohol and other drugs can sometimes reduce

stress• “escape from reality” • Can actually create more stress• Cause health problems and legal problems that can make

you more stress out • Miss class, get arrested, thrown up, had a hangover, gotten into

trouble, had alcohol poisoning, performed poorly on a test, gotten into a fight…

• Did these improve or reduce your stress level???

Relaxation• Deep Breathing• One of the easiest ways to reduce tension

• Put one hand on your stomach, just below the rib cage• Slow breathe in through your nose• Exhale slowly through your mouth • Repeat several times

Visit these links for free relaxation downloads:• http://medweb.mit.edu/wellness/resources/downloads.h

tml• http://medweb.mit.edu/audio/test_anxiety.mp3• http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/media/CC%20Website%

20Relax%20Steve.mp3• http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/media/CC%20Website%

20Relax%20Bonnie.mp3

Works Cited http://www.uhs.uga.edu/stress/• http://www.sleepfoundation.org/site• http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/

Health_Education/general_health/sleep.htm• http://healthed.tamu.edu/pdfs/General/sleep.pdf• http://www.sleep-deprivation.com/articles/causes-of-sleep-d

eprivation/students-and-sleep.php• http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/counseling_relax.aspx• http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/counseling_relax.aspx