9 Stress Management
What Is It?
Stress is “the process by which a person reacts when faced with external or internal problems and challenges” (Kassymova et al., 2018).
Stress management is “using techniques to improve how you respond to life stressors” (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
Why Is It Important?
While stress is a normal human reaction to different types of stimuli, the way we react and manage that stress is what can impact health, quality of life, and well-being.
Uncontrolled, long-term stress can lead to increased, fatigue, depression, anxiety, substance use, sleep disturbances, and other mental health concerns (Kassymova et al., 2018).
Stress is extremely prevalent among college students. This is due to multiple factors including forming relationships with other students, moving away from home, trying to balance school work with other responsibilities, financial instability, and poor living conditions (Kassymova et al., 2018).
Research has found that doing jigsaw puzzles, such as word searches, may prevent chronic stress states (Fissler et al., 2018).
Complete this word search to uncover some common signs of stress (Jackson, 2013).
Physiological implications of stress:
- Decreased sleep quality (sleeping too much, too little, or not at all)
- Decreased mental clarity
- Decreased focus
- Decreased overall functioning
Tools You Can Use
Watch this clip where Andrew Huberman, host of the Huberman Lab podcast, talks with Jimmy Fallon about the physiological sigh and its benefits on your health!
The Perceived Stress Scale is one of the most well-known and widely used screening tools to measure one’s perception of stress. Try it for yourself!
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