for phyllis young

Narrator: STRESS IS A PART OF NORMAL, EVERYDAY LIVING AT COLLEGE. THE MANY CHALLENGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES YOU HAVE AS A STUDENT, INCLUDING MANAGING CLASSES, WORK, OR SPORTS MAKE STRESS A NORMAL PART OF YOUR COLLEGE LIFE. WHILE UNMANAGED STRESS CAN HAVE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS,STRESS - WHEN MANAGED WELL - CAN HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON YOUR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND ON YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE. THIS VIDEO WILL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT STRESS IS. IT WILL HELP YOU LEARN THREE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH STRESS. IT'S A COMBINATION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL RESPONSES TO AN EVENT. YOUR BODY RESPONDS BY USING ITS NERVOUS AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS TO HELP IT COPE WITH THE STRESS IT IS EXPERIENCING. Gail Zimmerman: STRESS IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. IT'S ... IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO LIVE WITH STRESS. NOW, WHAT IS STRESSFUL FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL IS NOT NECESSARILY STRESSFUL FOR ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL. STRESS IS HOW WE REACT TO AN EVENT.

Narrator:COLLEGE LIFE IS FULL OF STRESSFUL EVENTS, OR STRESSORS, SUCH AS KEEPING UP WITH YOUR READING ASSIGNMENTS, WRITING PAPERS, TAKING TESTS, MAKING NEW FRIENDS, AND PLAYING SPORTS.YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND RESPOND TO THESE STRESSORS IN WAYS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP YOU ACCOMPLISH TASKS AND FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION.INITIALLY, THESE RESPONSES CAN INCLUDE A NUMBER OF POSITIVE PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES. STRESS CAUSES YOUR BODY TO INCREASE ITS ADRENALINE AND HEART RATE. YOUR LUNGS EXPAND TO TAKE IN MORE OXYGEN,WHICH IN TURN HELPS YOUR BRAIN TO BE MORE ALERT.OTHER SYMPTOMS INCLUDE IMPROVED HEARING AND DILATED EYES WHICH LET IN MORE LIGHT FOR PERCEPTION. IN COMBINATION WITH THE PHYSICAL REACTIONS, OUR MIND BECOMES MORE ALERT, INCREASING OUR ATTENTION AND ABILITY TO FOCUS.UNMANAGED STRESS CAN BE HARMFUL. IT CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO LEARN AND CAN INCREASE YOUR SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SICKNESS AND DEPRESSION. PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF UNMANAGED STRESS INCLUDE FATIGUE AND SLEEPING DISORDERS.COGNITIVELY, THE MOST COMMON NEGATIVE EFFECTS CAN INCLUDE POOR CONCENTRATION, LOWERED SELF-ESTEEM, PROCRASTINATION AND THE ABUSE OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS. Mark Reed: SOME PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE STRESS BY GETTING AN UPSET STOMACH, YA KNOW, THE BUTTERFLIES. OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT GET HEADACHES, OR EVEN MIGRAINES, A LOT OF US WILL GET TENSION IN OUR NECKS, SHOULDERS, LOWER BACKS, EVEN EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL PAIN.

Narrator: WHEN STRESSFUL EVENTS OCCUR, ESPECIALLY OVER TIME AND WITHOUT RELIEF, YOUR BODY USES A GREAT DEAL OF ENERGY TO COPE AND RECOVER FROM YOUR RESPONSES TO THESE EVENTS. THIS EXPLAINS THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION YOU MAY FEELWHEN YOU'RE UNDER CONTINUOUS STRESS. Mark Reed: AND PEOPLE CAN GET DEPRESSED, THEY CAN ... WITH CHRONIC STRESS, THEY CAN BECOME DEMORALIZED, LOSE HOPE, LOSE INTEREST.

Narrator: HOW CAN YOU AVOID THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF STRESS? THERE ARE THREE STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP YOU MANAGE YOUR LIFE AND FACILITATE YOUR LEARNING: HAVE A HEALTHY ATTITUDE, HAVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, AND USE RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. HAVING A HEALTHY ATTITUDE MEANS TAKING THE TIME TO EXPLORE WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE. BEGIN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING YOUR ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL GOALSBY CREATING A LIST OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR. BREAK THESE GOALS INTO OBTAINABLE, CONCRETE TERM OR SEMESTER BASED TASKS. FINALLY, BREAK THESE TASKS DOWN TO WEEKLY OR DAILY TO-DO LISTS. ALSO, TAKE TIME TO:VISUALIZE SUCCESS AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. LEARN TO SAY NO TO REQUESTS FROM FRIENDS THAT WILL ADD UNNECESSARY STRESS TO YOUR LIFE. INTERRUPT SELF-DEFEATING THOUGHTS BY SAYING "STOP" WHEN SUCH THOUGHTS ENTER YOUR MIND. POSITIVE ATTITUDES WILL HELP YOU TO WORK TOWARDS POSITIVE RESULTS. THEY WILL HELP YOU MAINTAIN A SENSE OF CONTROL OVER YOUR LIFE AND THE EVENTS WITHIN IT. YOU CAN HELP YOUR BODY MANAGE STRESS BY PAYING ATTENTION TO PROPER NUTRITION, SLEEP, AND EXERCISE. EAT WELL. GOOD NUTRITION FORTIFIES YOUR BODY'S ABILITY TO HANDLE STRESSORS AND TO CREATE HEALTHY RESPONSES TO THEM. SEEK OUT WELL-BALANCED FOOD CHOICES INCLUDING PLENTY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. SLEEP IS ONE OF THE BODY'S MAIN DEFENSES AGAINST THE PRESSURES THAT BUILD UP DURING THE DAY. GETTING REST ALLOWS YOUR BODY TO RECUPERATE FROM YOUR DAY'S ACTIVITIES, AND ALLOWS YOU TO BE MORE ALERT DURING YOUR WAKING HOURS. Mark Reed: IF WE'RE SO STRESSED THAT WE TRY TO LAY DOWN AND SLEEP, BUT WE CAN'T BECAUSE OUR MIND IS JUST RUMINATING,RUNNING THROUGH ALL THE THINGS THAT I HAVE TO DO TOMORROW, HOW AM I GOING TO DO ON ALL THESE THINGS.

Narrator: IMPROVE YOUR SLEEPING HABITS AND THE QUALITY OF YOUR SLEEP BY WAKING UP AT THE SAME TIME EVERY MORNING AND GETTING TO BED AT A REASONABLE TIME EACH EVENING. FINALLY, REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OR EXERCISE IS A PROVEN STRATEGY TO PREVENT AND REDUCE STRESS. EVEN MODERATE AMOUNTS OF EXERCISE SUCH AS A NOONTIME OR EVENING WALK CAN HELP YOU MANAGE STRESS.SCHEDULE SPECIFIC TIMES EACH WEEK TO EXERCISE OR BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE. EATING RIGHT AND GETTING REST AND EXERCISE WILL HELP MANAGE STRESS AND FACILITATE LEARNING. THE LAST STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGY IS RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. Mark Reed: STUDIES HAVE SHOWN, YA KNOW, THERE'S THIS THING CALLED THE RUNNER'S HIGH, AND THAT'S NOT JUST FOR RUNNERS, THAT, THAT CAN BE FOR WALKERS OR BIKERS OR SWIMMERS, WHERE, UM, THE BRAIN RELEASES ENDORPHINS, WHICH IS THE BRAIN'S FORM OF OPIOIDS, WHICH HAS A CALMING, RELAXING EFFECT.

Narrator: THESE TECHNIQUES CAN HELP YOUR BODY AND MIND MANAGE THE STRESS OF COLLEGE LIFE. YOU CAN TEACH YOURSELF TO INDUCE THE "RELAXATION RESPONSE" THROUGH VARIOUS MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. THE FIRST METHOD TO TRIGGER THE RELAXATION RESPONSE IS THROUGH CONTROLLED BREATHING. WHEN STRESSED, YOUR BREATHING IS MORE SHALLOW AND YOUR HEART RATE INCREASES.WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE THESE SYMPTOMS, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND BEGIN INHALING AND EXHALING SLOWLY AND DEEPLY. THESE DEEP BREATHS WILL INCREASE OXYGEN TO YOUR BLOOD STREAM, REDUCE YOUR HEART RATE, AND HELP YOU FOCUS AND CONCENTRATE ON YOUR WORK. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT STRESS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT BY READING BOOKS, MAGAZINE OR JOURNAL ARTICLES. THE COUNSELING OFFICE WILL ALSO HAVE MATERIALS AND COUNSELORS TO HELP YOU LEARN ABOUT STRESS MANAGEMENT. IN DOING SO, YOU WILL DEVELOP A LIFELONG UNDERSTANDING AND THE SKILLS TO HELP YOU BE A SUCCESSFUL AND HEALTHY HUMAN BEING. STRESS IS A NORMAL AND NATURAL PART OF YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE. WHILE STRESS CAN BE BENEFICIAL, UNMANAGED STRESS CAN INTERFERE WITH YOUR LEARNING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE; IT CAN ALSO CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS. THIS VIDEO PRESENTED THREE STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIESTHAT CAN HELP YOU MANAGE YOUR LIFE AND FACILITATE LEARNING: HAVING A HEALTHY ATTITUDE, HAVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, AND USING RELAXATION STRATEGIES. BUILD THESE STRATEGIES INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE TO MANAGE STRESS AND BECOME A MORE SUCCESSFUL STUDENT.

[MUSIC]