Workshop helps students deal with stress

To kick off the semester, the Academic Resource Center (ARC) held the "Dealing with College Stress" workshop to inform students about various ways to manage stress. The workshops were offered on January 29 and January 30, and all GSU students were welcome to attend. The workshop offered insightful information into the causes and effects of stress.

The main question that was asked at the beginning of the presentation was how stress can be defined. Stress was defined as "anything that poses a challenge or a threat to [a person's] well being," and "the way [they] respond to that challenge."

Although stress is always looked upon as being a bad thing, it is not always the case for every situation. When people are stressed in small doses, it can help them perform better under pressure and even motivate them to do their best. However, the problem occurs when people "are constantly running in emergency mode."  When this occurs, both the body and the mind are negatively affected. In order to prevent this from occurring, people can protect themselves from the negative effects of stress by recognizing the signs and symptoms and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.

Some of the signs and symptoms of stress are memory problems, feeling overwhelmed, depression, general unhappiness, anxious or racing thoughts, aches and pains, nausea, constipation, a change in eating habits, and procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities. Stress can be caused by a lack of time, family problems, relationships, deadlines, and any other type of frustrations and demands.

Stress can either be prevented or reduced by avoiding certain situations that are stressful. For example, having a to-do list and avoiding people that caused stress can help reduce stress. Stress can also be alter by willing to compromise and by managing time better.  Learning to adapt to stressful situations can also be helpful. Individuals can do this by looking at the big picture, adjusting standards and being positive. Accepting is also another major way to deal with stress. Many circumstances in life are often out of a person's control. By accepting that fact, people are able to move on and become better able to give and communicate their feelings.

Rodney Williams, a mental health counseling intern from Lewis University, was a presenter at the workshop. He explained how students can benefit by use counseling services provided to them by their university. Students at GSU who need help, or could just use someone to talk to, are always welcome to visit the ARC. GSU Students can also contact Dr. Katherine M. Helm via e-mail or telephone at khelm@govst.edu  and 708-235-7334.