It’s that wonderful time of the year again when stress seems to abound. Whether it’s exams, graduation, the impending summer job or even a relationship, the worry can be overwhelming.
It isn’t uncommon to see students studying in Robarts who can only rub their eyes, glare at the same page for twenty minutes, and sigh desperately, believing the end is too near to do anything about it.
Well, these are all legitimate “stressors,” which means they all induce a stress response in the body. Even seemingly good things can be stressful. Promotion to a new rank and graduating from university are both thrilling experiences, but these can bring stress, as one is suddenly confronted with the task of handling new responsibilities, an experience that is always stressful.
The art of mastering these new responsibilities, through both cognitive and behavioural efforts, is called “coping.” Anyone can apply relatively simple techniques to deal with stress on their own.
Some stresses, mind you, like the kind brought on by a death in the family or sexual abuse, are best dealt with through social support networks of friends and family, or through the process of psychiatric evaluation and treatment.
This article deals primarily with ways of coping with the day-to-day stress that makes life difficult for most students.
You can’t just decide to cope. Actually dealing with the problem requires planning and follow-through, like most things. According to Silver and Whortman (1980), there are six stages to coping with stress.
The first stage is assessment, that is, identifying the sources and effects of stress. Sometimes, like in the case of people who suffer from panic attacks, simply identifying the problem can lead to temporary relief of high anxiety. In most cases, though, this is not enough.
The next step is goal setting. For example, within six months, what level of stress do you still want to be affecting you and what stressors do you hope to eliminate? (Note: Few people other than the monks of Lhasa are able to eliminate stress altogether. You are not a monk. Deal with it!). Now on to the next stage: planning. You must decide how much of your day will be spent relaxing. Modify your schedule as much as possible to allow yourself some down-time. Action is the step that follows immediately after. Do not procrastinate (despite what other articles in this supplement might prescribe).
The implementation of your plan is crucial, for even a minor deviation from the path can spell disaster in the stress-eliminating process.
Above all, the most effective way to combat stress is learning how to relax. If you can’t relax, stress will mount, and you’ll find yourself under a heap of unnecessary trouble. This pertains especially to people who fit the “Type A” personality profile, that is, people who rush to accomplish tasks because they have too many, always want to talk, and almost never take a moment for themselves. “Type A” people run the risk of burning out. This is not to say that working hard is bad for you, but without balancing it with some R & R now and again, it can become unhealthy. Remember that all work and no play make Jack and Jill dull kids.
There are techniques for coping with mounting pressure like meditation (not the Buddhist kind, but just as effective). According to Benson in his book Timeless Healing, the steps to inducing the “relaxation response” are as follows:
Focus on a word that is firmly rooted in your belief system (or one that makes you feel good).
Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
Close your eyes.
Relax your muscles using some form of progressive relaxation or body scan, (try to relax your muscles from your toes to your neck, one at a time).
Breath slowly and naturally and repeat your focus word as you breath out.
Assume a passive attitude. Don’t worry how well you’re doing. Let all intrusions fade away.
Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.
Do not stand immediately after you’re done. Stay for a minute sitting quietly, returning to other thoughts.
Practice this technique once or twice a day.
Dr. Jeff Graham, a psychology instructor at the Erindale campus, teaches a similar version, but he adds “visualization,” which means imagining warm light, as you place your attention on your body in step four of the process. For details on the origin of, and alternatives to, this procedure, go to www.erin.utoronto.ca/~w3psylab/jglecthealth.htm. Your brain is far more powerful than you think it is. It has the ability to heal you, to strengthen you, and even to quell long-term mental hang-ups, which most people have at least one or two of. Take the time to relax your body and your mind on a daily basis, even if it’s only for a few minutes, and you’ll discover that the benefits of those few minutes, to your health, are immeasurable.
