Actively Coping with Stress

1
Actively Coping with Stress

• Strategies that can help you achieve your goals
  when youre feeling the pressure

2
Experiencing Stress is Normal

• Both physically and mentally, stress is the wear
• and tear our bodies experience as we adjust to
• our continually changing environment

3
Negative Influences of Stress

• Stress may result in distrust, rejection, anger,
  and
• depression which can cause health problems.
• Related Health Issues Include
• Headaches, high blood pressure, rashes,
• upset stomach, insomnia, and weight loss/gain

4
Stress Causing Factors

• Transitioning to college
• Demanding major
• Outside pressures
• Family
• Relationship
• Extra-curricular
• Jobs Part-time/Full-time
• Math anxiety (guest speaker Terri Mathews)

5
Feeling Stressed

• Feeling stressed can make you want to give up on
• Classes
• Your major
• Assignments
• Relationships
• There are effective ways to cope with everyday
  stressors.
• Stress can help or hinder you depending on your
  reaction !!

6
Positive Influences of Stress

• Stress helps to compel you to action, and can
  result in a new awareness and new perspectives on
  life.

7
Positive Stress

• Stress adds anticipation and excitement to life
• Deadlines
• Frustrations
• Competitions
• Confrontations
• Idea is not to eliminate stress, rather to learn
  how to manage it.

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Good Coping Strategies

• 1. Active Coping
• a. Confront your challenges directly
• b. Execute your strategy
• c. Break challenges down into smaller steps
• 2. Planning
• a. Anticipate your challenges
• b. Think through the obstacles
• c. Develop a strategy

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Good Coping Strategies

• 3. Set Priorities and Manage Time
• a. Develop a weekly schedule
• b. How much time do you really have?
• 4. Change your Thinking
• a. What are the potential benefits of the
  challenge youre facing?
• b. What are you learning?
• c. How will you grow from it?
• d. How will it help you reach your goals?

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Bad Coping Strategies

• 1.Denial
• Ignoring the problem
• 2. Quitting
• Behavioral or mental disengagement
• 3. Focusing on negative feelings
• Thinking about how bad it is instead of whats
  good about it and making it better
• 4. Waiting too late to ask for help
• Asking for help at the end of the semester.
• 5. Being reactive rather than proactive
• Studying after the bad test grade instead of
  before

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Learning to Manage Stress

• Be aware of your stressors and your reactions.
• How does your body react to stress?
• Think about what you can and cannot change.
• Try reducing your emotional reactions.
• Moderate your physical reactions to stress.
• Relax, whatever that is for you
• Build your physical reserves.
• Exercise, get enough sleep
• Maintain your emotional reserves
• Develop mutually supportive friendships