Stress Management
Presidio Education® Content Editor (College Intern) Brittney Powers relaxing by watering cucumber plants. Photograph by: Presidio Education® Sustainability Team Captain Sofia Robles, 2020.
Whether we like stress or not, many people experience stress. Stress can often be caused by one’s surroundings and is the body’s reaction to physical or mental change. Stress is an inherent bodily reaction that can be caused by one’s thoughts, surroundings, or other factors. The stress that we feel can affect our bodies and minds in both positive and negative ways. However, we tend to look down upon stress as a negative feeling.
Learning from the Mayo Clinic
Learning how to cope with stress is an important skill to learn at a young age. When we are young, we tend to have more support channels, but as we grow up, our support may thin out as we may deal with more on our own. Stress is a natural occurrence, and although it is inevitable, there are ways that one can go about controlling stress. The Mayo Clinic has an excellent way to describe stress relief by providing four coping strategies. The “Four A’s” are the Mayo Clinic’s strategies to coping with stress and include: avoid, alter, accept, and adapt (Mayo Clinic, 2020). Using these four strategies can help restore the balance caused by stress.
Avoiding Stress
Oftentimes, one is able to avoid stress. Avoiding is the first step to stress management and is one of the best ways to cope with stress. This does not mean that one should stray away from responsibilities, but rather use proper judgment on how problems should be faced. Although stressful thoughts and situations can occur without warning, one can work to avoid situations that would increase or lead to stress. For students, this can come down to planning. Oftentimes, they are given a lot of homework, but they are also given due dates for projects. Procrastinating until the day before a project is due can cause a great deal of stress. However, planning to work on a project over time can lessen or even avoid stress altogether.
Another important tip is to be able to avoid people who do more harm than good. If one has friends that are bad influences, or constantly bothering, avoiding them can help quell unwanted situations. Many people tend to have a hard time simply saying “no”. Being aware of one’s own capabilities is important to recognize when one is taking on too many unwanted responsibilities. One may be asked to do something rather than decline. However, one will accept even though one knows one already has a lot going on. It is acceptable to say “no” to people, especially when taking on a lot of responsibilities. There is no need to overwork oneself to please another. By declining, one is saving oneself from unnecessary stress. When avoiding problems is not an option, there are still other techniques that can be used to manage stress.
Presidio Education® Content Editor (College Intern) Brittney Powers working diligently on her notes for her summer class. Photograph by: Presidio Education® Sustainability Team Captain Sofia Robles, 2020.
Altering One’s Stress Level
If avoiding stress was always an option, then people’s lives would be a lot easier. However, avoiding stress is not always possible. When stress is imminent, taking control of the situation can help to stop the stress, or at least to ease the stress. I experience stress a lot, especially during the school year. However, I learned how to deal with my stress through various ways. I made organized schedules on days when I would study for particular subjects to allow myself plenty of time to study for specific tests. I also changed my sleep schedule on weekdays to wake up more energetic, giving me more time in my day to complete daily tasks. Changing certain situations will work to benefit one’s stress level. Resolving problems at their roots, or at least when they are small, will help prevent them from growing and making them unmanageable in the future. If relationships with another cause stress, then talking with people to resolve problems can help greatly with easing stress.
It is also important to speak out for oneself when experiencing stress. Letting another know one’s situation can often help. Another may be able to help one find solutions to mitigate stress levels. For example, if one is worried about a deadline, updating a boss or teacher may foster additional guidance. Changing stressful situations is one of the ways to take control of one’s stress to make life a little easier.
Accepting Stress
Unfortunately, just like there are times when stress cannot be avoided, there will also be times when taking control or altering the situation is not possible. When the first two options are nonexistent or exhausted, the next best step is to accept the situation. Whether there are romantic or friendly relationships, they can often be very stressful at times. Talking with another person or friend may help because instead of bottling up emotions, one can come to terms with what they are. When we are angry, we can also undergo a lot of stress.
Being angry is work for the body and forgiving someone rather than being angry can be beneficial in reducing stress. There will be times when one is faced with a stressful situation that cannot be controlled, but it is important to analyze mistakes. Learning from mistakes can help avoid the situation in the future.
Presidio Education® Content Editor (College Intern) Brittney Powers reduces stress by spending time with her hobby on arts and crafts. Photograph by: Presidio Education® Sustainability Team Captain Sofia Robles, 2020.
Learning and Adapting
The last of the “Four A’s” (Mayo Clinic, 2020) is to adapt. Adapting contrasts from altering in that altering is when one attempts to change the situation. However, to adapt, one trains and fixes oneself in ways that can be the most helpful in managing stress. Oftentimes, we can cause our stress. For example, we may have an idea of how a certain situation is going to play out, but when it does not, we get stressed. Being able to adjust one’s standards when it comes to how one lives can help with reducing stress.
Another way we bring on our stress is through our thoughts. When we think negatively, we can inadvertently be stressing ourselves out. Being able to stop unnecessary negative thoughts is essential with managing stress. One can look at the situation at hand and determine its significance for the present and the future. Many times, we make decisions thinking about our future when it actually has nothing to do with our future. Adapting to stressful situations, and training ourselves to be more flexible within our thoughts can have great effects on managing stress.
More on Managing Well-Being
For more information on managing stress, please check out our Well-Being page from Diva Wong, Presidio Education® Sustainability Logistics College Intern. Stay strong students!
Reference
“Need Stress Relief? Try The 4 A’s”. Mayo Clinic, 2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044476. Accessed 6 Feb. 2023.
