What is Stress? Stress is your response to any physical, emotional or intellectual demands.
College students face many forms of stress, such as moving away from family and friends to school, new friendships and intimate
relationships, academic demands, financial concerns, etc.
The optimal level of stress challenges you but still allows you to succeed (for example, feeling a little anxious before a test may help
you study harder). It may allow you to perform better, work more quickly or efficiently and think more clearly. You may not feel stressed at
this point.
When we say we are stressed, we generally mean that
our stress levels feel out of balance. This includes
not only times when you are feeling overwhelmed by work
or studying, but also times when you are bored. Slight
imbalances of stress force you to adapt, making you
stronger and allowing you to grow, but larger imbalances
can be very overwhelming.
The aim is not to eliminate stress altogether, but to use stress to your best advantage by maintaining a balance between stress and your
coping techniques.
Symptoms
Mental symptoms may include
persistent negative thoughts, indecisiveness, poor
memory, worrying, boredom, impaired judgement, loss
of concentration, bad dreams and hasty decisions.
Behavioral symptoms may include
unsociability, restlessness, changes in eating, exercising
and sleeping habits.
Physical symptoms may include
being accident-prone, insomnia, excessive sweating,
indigestion, rashes, nausea, racing heart, teeth grinding,
headaches, clenched muscles, rapid weight changes,
breathlessness, fatigue, vague aches and pains, constipation
or diarrhea, frequent illnesses, and increased use
of alcohol, tobacco, other drugs.
Please note that stress and illness have been linked, although the connection has not yet been fully defined. Discussing stress with
your clinician may allow for better care.
Emotional symptoms may include
irritability, anxiety, mood swings, crying spells,
tension, lack of enthusiasm, cynicism, feelings of
alienation, loss of confidence and a sense of dissatisfaction.
How Can I Manage Stress?
Change Your Mindset
Develop hardiness—an appreciation for challenge,
a commitment to living and a belief that you have
control over your life. This can lead to greater resilience.
Talk to friends, family, counselors. Ask for help or just share your feelings. See For More Information.
Evaluate your coping responses. Replace those that are negative (e.g. excessive drinking, smoking, procrastination) with positive
responses (e.g. planning ahead, taking care of your body, facing problems).
Look for the positive aspects of each stressor.
Laugh—it's good for body and soul!
Take Care of Your Body and Mind
Find out how much sleep your body needs—and rearrange your schedule to get it! See Sleep: Snooze
or Lose.
Eat a balanced diet including a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains.
Exercise—even a ten-minute walk provides great stress relief.
Limit caffeine intake. Excess caffeine can add to anxiety-related feelings such as nervousness, irritability, sweating and tremors.
See Caffeine for more information.
Avoid using alcohol and other drugs to relieve stress. Drink in moderation (one drink per hour with a maximum of three for women,
four for men) or not at all. See Wolverine Wellness Alcohol and Other Drugs for more
information.
Manage Your Time
Make a "To Do" list and prioritize tasks. Let some of the unimportant tasks go. Don't just prioritize your schedule—schedule your
priorities!
Take time to identify your stressors. Plan to minimize or even avoid those that are dragging you down.
Compete only with yourself. You have no control over how other people perform, only how you perform.
Ask for help when you need it! Advisors, professors, teaching assistants and counselors are there to help YOU!
Arrange your schedule so that it fits your needs whenever possible. Think carefully about your preferences—for example, do you
like morning or afternoon classes, like time between classes, have a work schedule to consider and so on.
Prepare for tests and papers ahead of time so that you don't have to cram! See Test Anxiety
for more suggestions.
When Should I Get Help? People often feel as though they should be able to cope with
everything. If your stress has gotten to the point of having a prolonged negative effect on your daily life, such as with depression
and anxiety disorders, you should get help!
For More Information
MI Talk is a website for UM students with mental health resources such as online
screenings for depression and anxiety, skill-building tools, and recorded workshops, lectures and relaxation exercises.
UM Counseling and Psychological Services
3100 Michigan Union
734-764-8312
CAPS is UM students' primary resource for mental health. Individual and group counseling, workshops on study skills, relaxation
training. Free and confidential for UM students.
