What stress management exercises do you recommend?

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QUESTION: I have had a lot of stress lately related to my classes, so much so that some mornings I will wake up with stomach cramps. Are there any stress management exercises you would recommend?

ANSWER: I'd like to start out by saying - every one has stress in their lives, it's how they perceive the situations that make it stressful. This is the way I look at stress; there are three phases, if you will.

• First phase: having a stressor like a term paper, exam, traffic jam, late train, misplacing keys, etc.
• Second phase: your perception of the stressor. For instance, if the train is late you can think positive or negatively: "the train's late, but I can't do anything about it so I might as well read for class/finish an assignment/listen to the radio" or "oh my gosh, the train's late, I'm going to be late for class, I won't be able to turn my assignment in on time, etc, etc."
• Third phase: body's response to your perception. This is where you lose sleep, wake up with cramps, appetite change, among many other signs and symptoms of stress.

There are many stress management techniques you could try. Everyone is very individualized when it comes to reducing/managing their stress. I recommend trying one thing at a time and if it works for you then stick with it, if it doesn't work, try something else.

With finals just around the corner, students may have final papers, projects, or exams due. Dealing with stress is crucial during this time.

Tips to deal with stress

Ways to reduce stressors:

• Time Management: play your daily activities, exercise, meetings, study times, relaxing times, social activities, etc AND stick to the schedule. This technique can be very useful in planning specific times and days to study for each final/work on papers. When you do this, try to stick to your plan.
• Learning to say "NO": to activities you just can't fit into your schedule. You don't need to do everything.
• Delegating: knowing when to turf things to other people.
• Prioritizing: this would go along with time management. When making a "to-do" list, try to prioritize what is most important and least important, what needs to be done first and what can wait.

Ways to Monitor/change perceptions:
• Humor: Laugh with your friends/family, attend a comedy club, or try to find the humor in tough situations.
• Monitor attitude: think of HOW you are thinking. Are most thoughts positive or negative? Are you able to change the situation? Do you have control of the situation?
•Ways to reduce the body's response:
•Yoga
•Exercise (non-competitive): Campus Recreation offers students free use of their facilities in CCC, PEB, and CIU.
•Meditation
•Diaphragmatic Breathing: breathing through your abdomen/diaphragm and not through your chest. It's a deeper type of breathing, which can reduce stress levels quickly.
•Imagery: thinking of "happy" places or places that are relaxing to you. Ideas could be forest, ocean, sand beaches, place of interest, etc.
•Massage: Campus Recreation offers massage at reduced rate for students. You would contact the Human Performance Lab at 3.5266 to schedule an appointment.
• Journaling
• Knitting

Now, I was not able to list all the different options here, but there are two Wellness Center staff members available to talk to individuals on stress management. We are located in room B19 of the Student Center East (formerly CCC). If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment, please phone 312.413.2120.