College Students and Stress Stress is a physical and psychological reaction to issues and events emanating from one's

environment. Perceived obstacles to goal achievement, environmental change, life challenges and periods of significant transition are common stress triggers for college students. All of us experience stress on a regular basis. Most of this stress is actually positive serving to motivate us. However, like most things in excess, too much stress is negative. Excessive stress usually develops over a period of time and often goes unnoticed by the individual until a physical or emotional toll has been exacted. One can learn to manage and maintain stress at relatively healthy levels. The onset of unhealthy stress is similar to blowing air into a balloon. If you blow and blow more air into the balloon without any controlled outlet, eventually the balloon explodes in an unpredictable and destructive fashion. However, if you blow air in, stopping periodically to let some air out, and blowing more air in, you can repeat the process indefinitely without any negative consequences. Managing stress is a similar process. Throughout life you will experience stress. Learning to recognize the physical and psychological warning signs of stress is the key. Warning Signs

Changes in sleep patterns; taking longer to fall asleep; waking up tired and not well rested Changes in eating patterns More frequent headaches than is normal for you Shorter temper than is normal for you Recurring colds and minor illness Frequent muscle ache and/or tightness More disorganized than normal for you Increased difficulty in task completion A greater sense of persistent time pressure Increased generalized frustration and anger

If this list seems like it describes you, seek some assistance at your campus counseling center. A counselor can assist you in reducing an unhealthy level of stress. Proactive Stress Management Mind and body are integrated as can be seen with the issue of stress. It is no secret that psychological stress and physical illness are related. Stress triggers physiological and chemical (hormones) changes in the body. Physical illness is commonly accompanied with increase stress. Thus, as we learn to manage stress we must address physical as well as psychological factors. As you consider the following tips, keep in mind that maintaining balance between your intellectual, social and personal development is the key to a well adjusted college experience.

Add a physical workout to your schedule at least every other day. One does not need to be gifted athletically to accomplish this. You can jog, power walk, use stepper, rowing or biking machines, swim or any other form of exercise. Do not see this as 'recreational time' that can be blown off. Physical activity is a great way to insure that life's minor stresses do not build. Set both long term (this semester or this year) and short term (this day or this week) goals. Write them down. Make them part of your time management schedule. Manage your time. Develop a schedule that provides for academic, social and physical time. Follow the schedule! Seek the help of an advisor in developing better time management skills. Each day find twenty minutes of 'alone time' to relax. Take a walk, write in a journal or meditate. Don't sweat the small stuff...always ask yourself if the issue at hand is worth getting upset about. If it isn't affecting your goal achievement, it may not be worth fretting over. Humor and positive thinking are important tools in stress management. Most importantly, communicate! Talking to a person who you trust be they a friend, roommate, family member, professor, significant other or co-worker about issues of concern is helpful. We all need someone to listen.

Stress is a normal part of everyday life. However, college students face many unique forms of stress, such as experiencing pressure to get good grades, having to juggle schoolwork with other responsibilities, making a decision about future career choice, and developing a variety of new interpersonal relationships. Mild amounts of stress can be beneficial: stress can serve to motivate and stimulate, which may actually improve your performance. Too much stress, however, begins to interfere with your functioning. Stress levels tend to build over time, and chronic high levels of stress can lead to a condition called overstress. When not managed well, overstress can result in physical illness as well as anxiety and depression. Being overstressed is like running your car past the red line, leaving your toaster stuck in the "on" position, or running a nuclear reactor past maximum power: sooner or later, something will break, burn up, or melt down. Therefore, learning how to manage your stress levels is vital for maintaining your health and overall well-being. To determine if you are Overstressed, take this Stress Quiz. Scores of 250 or greater are a sign

of overstress, although those with a low stress tolerance may be overstressed at levels as low as 150. For tips on managing stress, keep reading!

TIPS FOR MANAGING STRESS

Change Your Actual Stress Load

Drop a class or reduce your work hours. Don't take on any new or extra responsibilities. Say "no" more often. o Need help with saying no? Try a book on assertiveness from Counseling Services' Self-Help Lending Library such as When I Say No, I Feel Guilty (Smith, 1975), Making Assertiveness Happen (Burns, 2001),What About Me, What Do I Want? (Small, 2005), or The Assertiveness Workbook (Paterson, 2000). Postpone any major changes, such starting a new job, moving to a new apartment, etc. Set both long- and short-term goals. o Exercise: Try taking out a piece of paper and writing "I want..." at the top. Brainstorm as many things you can think of to finish this sentence, whether short- or long-term. Some example might include things such as "I want to get an A in Humm," "I want graduate on time," "I want to study abroad next year," "I want to have a better relationship with my sister," "I want to learn to drive stick," etc. Once you are done your list, pick out 3-5 desires that are most important to you right now. Then, begin to identify the steps you need to take to reach these goals. Develop a schedule to manage your time. o For assistance with both setting goals and developing a schedule, see the Time Management links below.

Take Care of Your Physical Needs

Engage in a Relaxation Activity

Eating Well: Take a multivitamin and mineral preparation; eat more fruits and vegetables; limit alcohol intake. Exercise: Aim for at least twenty minutes three times a week; ideally, include both aerobic and strength training. Sleep: Set regular sleep times; avoid rapid time changes to your sleep schedule. Visit our Hot Topics! page for more on each of the above issues; also, for a quick reminder on basic self-care techniques, print out our Self-Care Strategies handout. Exercise regularly, even just walks around campus (read about the knight striders program for more information as well as a list of local walking routes). Read something just for fun (i.e., NOT schoolwork!). Do arts and crafts or other hobbies. Listen to music, sing, or go dancing. Practice yoga and/or meditation (for help getting started with meditation, check out the books and CDs available to be borrowed from the Counseling Services Lending Library or download the Resource List provided below). Try a basic breathing strategy: sitting in a comfortable position, count "one" to yourself as you exhale. The next time you exhale, count "two," and so on up to "five." Then begin a new cycle, never counting higher than "five" and counting only when you exhale. Try to do for 10 minutes. Or, try diaphragmatic (deep) breathing--review this handout, Just BREATHE!

Utilize Health & Counseling Resources

Go on a Stress Recess!

Check for hidden illness or physical causes; call Health Services at Receive help with stress though short-term therapy; call Counseling Services at Attend Stressbusters!, our workshop series focused on stress management. The Counseling and Mental Health Center at the University of Texas at Austin offers Stress Recess: Stress Management and Reduction, a wonderful program designed for college students. On their pages, you will find videos to guide you through relaxation strategies, tips on stopping stress both now and in the future, and countless other helpful techniques.

Stress is the body's reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response. Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious. Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or "stressor." Dealing with a serious illness or caring for someone who is can cause a great deal of stress.

Resource from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(biology) Stress (biology)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the concept of "stress" in relation to biology. For the concept of "stress" in physics and mechanics, see Stress (mechanics). Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance. It refers to the consequence of the failure of anorganismhuman or other animalto respond adequately to mental, emotional, or physical demands, whether actual or imagined.[1] When the person perceives a threat, their nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rouse the body for emergency action. The stress response is the bodys way of protecting the person. When working properly, it helps in staying focused, energetic, and alert.

Origin and terminology

The term stress was first employed in a biological context by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s.
[2] [when?]

He later

broadened and popularized the concept to include inadequate physiological

response to any demand. In his usage stress refers to a condition and stressorto the stimulus causing it. It covers a wide range of phenomena, from mild irritation to drastic dysfunction that may cause severe healthbreakdown. [edit]Symptoms Signs of stress may be cognitive, emotional, physical, or behavioral. [edit]Cognitive

symptoms

Memory problems Inability to concentrate Poor judgment Seeing only the negative Anxious or racing thoughts Constant worrying

[edit]Emotional Moodiness

symptoms

Irritability or short temper

Agitation, inability to relax Feeling overwhelmed Sense of loneliness and isolation Depression or general unhappiness

[edit]Physical

symptoms

Aches and pains Diarrhea or constipation Nausea, dizziness Chest pain, rapid heartbeat Loss of sex drive Frequent colds

[edit]Behavioural

symptoms

Eating more or less Sleeping too much or too little Isolating yourself from others Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

[edit]Models [edit]General

adaptation syndrome

A diagram of the General Adaptation Syndrome model.

Physiologists define stress as how the body reacts to a stressor, real or imagined, a stimulus that causes stress. Acute stressors affect an organism in the short term; chronic stressors over the longer term.

Selye researched the effects of stress. Alarm is the first stage. When the threat or stressor is identified or realized, the body's stress response is a state of alarm. During this stage, adrenaline will be produced in order to bring about the fight-or-flight response. There is also some activation of the HPA axis, producing cortisol. Resistance is the second stage. If the stressor persists, it becomes necessary to attempt some means of coping with the stress. Although the body begins to try to adapt to the strains or demands of the environment, the body cannot keep this up indefinitely, so its resources are gradually depleted. Exhaustion is the third and final stage in the GAS model. At this point, all of the body's resources are eventually depleted and the body is unable to maintain normal function. The initial autonomic nervous system symptoms may reappear (sweating, raised heart rate, etc.). If stage three is extended, longterm damage may result, as the body's immune system becomes exhausted, and bodily functions become impaired, resulting indecompensation. The result can manifest itself in obvious illnesses such as ulcers, depression, diabetes, trouble with the digestive system, or evencardiovascular problems, along with other mental illnesses. [edit]Selye:

eustress and distress

[3]

Selye published in 1975 a model dividing stress into eustress and distress. Where stress enhances function (physical or mental, such as through strength training or challenging work), it may be considered eustress. Persistent stress that is not resolved through coping or adaptation, deemed distress, may lead to anxiety or withdrawal (depression) behavior. The difference between experiences that result in eustress and those that result in distress is determined by the disparity between an experience (real or imagined) and personal expectations, and resources to cope with the stress. Alarming experiences, either real or imagined, can trigger a stress response.
[4]

[edit]Lazarus: Lazarus
[5]

cognitive appraisal model

argued that, in order for a psychosocial situation to be stressful, it must be appraised as

such. He argued that cognitive processes of appraisal are central in determining whether a situation is potentially threatening, constitutes a harm/loss or a challenge, or is benign. Both personal and environmental factors influence this primary appraisal, which then triggers the selection of coping processes. Problem-focused coping is directed at managing the problem, whereas emotion-focused coping processes are directed at managing the negative emotions. Secondary appraisal refers to the evaluation of the resources available to cope with the problem, and may alter the primary appraisal. In other words, primary appraisal includes the perception of how stressful the problem is and the seconday appraisal of estimating whether one has more than or less than adequate resources to deal with the problem that affects the overall appraisal of stressfulness. Further, coping is flexible in that, in

general, the individual examines the effectiveness of the coping on the situation; if it is not having the desired effect, s/he will, in general, try different strategies. [edit]Neurochemistry
[6]

and physiology

Although the basic neurochemistry of the stress response is now well understood, much remains to be discovered about how the components of this system interact with one another, in the brain, and throughout the body. In response to a stressor, neurons with cell bodies in the paraventricular nuclei (PVN) of the hypothalamus secrete corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and argininevasopressin (AVP) into the hypophyseal portal system. The locus ceruleus and other noradrenergic cell groups of the adrenal medulla and pons, collectively known as the LC/NE system, also become active and use brain epinephrine to execute autonomic and neuroendocrine responses, serving as a global alarm system.
[7]

The autonomic nervous system provides the rapid response to stress commonly known as the fightor-flight response, engaging thesympathetic nervous system and withdrawing the parasympathetic nervous system, thereby enacting cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, and endocrine changes.
[7]

The HPA axis, a major part of the neuroendocrine system involving the interactions of

thehypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands, is also activated by release of CRH and AVP. This results in release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary into the general bloodstream, which results in secretion ofcortisol and other glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex. The related compound cortisone is frequently used as a key anti-inflammatory component in drugs that treat skin rashes and in nasal sprays that treat asthma and sinusitis. Recently, scientists realized the brain also uses cortisol to suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation within the body.
[8]

These corticoids involve the whole body in the organism's response to stress and ultimately
[7]

contribute to the termination of the response via inhibitory feedback. [edit]Impact

on disease

Chronic stress can significantly affect many of the body's immune systems, as can an individual's perceptions of, and reactions to, stress. The term psychoneuroimmunology is used to describe the interactions between the mental state, nervous and immune systems, and research on the interconnections of these systems. Immune system changes can create more vulnerability to infection, and have been observed to increase the potential for an outbreak of psoriasis for people with that skin disorder.
[9]

Chronic stress has also been shown to impair developmental growth in children by lowering the pituitary gland's production of growth hormone, as in children associated with a home environment involving serious marital discord, alcoholism, or child abuse.
[10]

Chronic stress is seen to affect parts of the brain where memories are processed through and stored. When people feel stressed, stress hormones get over-secreted, which affects the brain. This secretion is made up of glucocorticoids, including cortisol, which are steroid hormones that the adrenal gland releases.
[11]

Studies of female monkeys at Wake Forest University (2009) discovered that individuals suffering from higher stress have higher levels ofvisceral fat in their bodies. This suggests a possible causeand-effect link between the two, wherein stress promotes the accumulation of visceral fat, which in turn causes hormonal and metabolic changes that contribute to heart disease and other health problems.
[12]

[edit]Post

traumatic stress disorder

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual's ability to cope. As an effect of psychological trauma, PTSD is less frequent and more enduring than the more commonly seen acute stress response. Diagnostic symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousal such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hypervigilance. Formal diagnostic criteria (both DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10) require that the symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. [edit]Common

sources

Both negative and positive stressors can lead to stress. The intensity and duration of stress changes depending on the circumstances and emotional condition of the person suffering from it (Arnold. E and Boggs. K. 2007). Some common categories and examples of stressors include: Sensory input such as pain, bright light, noise, temperatures, or environmental issues such as a lack of control over environmental circumstances, such as food, air and/or water quality, housing, health, freedom, or mobility. Social issues can also cause stress, such as struggles with conspecific or difficult individuals and social defeat, or relationship conflict,deception, or break ups, and major events such as birth and deaths, marriage, and divorce. Life experiences such as poverty, unemployment, clinical depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, heavy drinking,
[13]

or insufficientsleep can also cause stress. Students and workers may

face performance pressure stress from exams and project deadlines. Adverse experiences during development (e.g. prenatal exposure to maternal stress, attachment histories,
[16] [14][15]

poor

sexual abuse

[17]

) are thought to contribute to deficits in the maturity of an

individual's stress response systems. One evaluation of the different stresses in people's lives is the Holmes and Rahe stress scale. [edit]Stress

tests

See also: Holmes and Rahe stress scale Measuring stress level independent of differences in people's personalities has been inherently difficult: Some people are able to process many stressors simultaneously, while others can barely address a few. Such tests as the Trier Social Stress Test attempted to isolate the effects of personalities on ability to handle stress in a laboratory environment. Other psychologists, however, proposed measuring stress indirectly, through self-tests. Because the amount of stressors in a person's life often (although not always) correlates with the amount of stress that person experiences, researchers combine the results of stress and burnout selftests. Stress tests help determine the number of stressors in a person's life, while burnout tests determine the degree to which the person is close to the state of burnout. Combining both helps researchers gauge how likely additional stressors will make him or her experience mental exhaustion.
[18]

[edit]Adaptation Main article: Stress management Responses to stress include adaptation, psychological coping such as stress management, anxiety, and depression. Over the long term, distress can lead to diminished health and/or increased propensity to illness; to avoid this, stress must be managed. Stress management encompasses techniques intended to equip a person with effective coping mechanisms for dealing with psychological stress, with stress defined as a person's physiological response to an internal or external stimulus that triggers the fight-or-flight response. Stress management is effective when a person uses strategies to cope with or alter stressful situations. There are several ways of coping with stress,
[citation needed]

such as controlling the source of stress or

learning to set limits and to say "No" to some demands that bosses or family members may make. A person's capacity to tolerate the source of stress may be increased by thinking about another topic such as a hobby, listening to music, orspending time in a wilderness. [edit]History

and usage
[19]

The term stress had none of its contemporary connotations before the 1950s. It is a form of the Middle English destresse, derived via Old French from the Latin stringere, "to draw tight."

It had long been in use in physics to refer to the internal distribution of a force exerted on a material body, resulting in strain. In the 1920s and 1930s, the term was occasionally being used in psychological circles to refer to a mental strain or unwelcome happening, and by advocates of holistic

medicine to refer to a harmful environmental agent that could cause illness. Walter Cannon used it in 1934 to refer to external factors that disrupted what he called homeostasis. The novel usage arose out of Selye's 1930s experiments. He started to use the term to refer not just to the agent but to the state of the organism as it responded and adapted to the environment. His theories of a universal non-specific stress response attracted great interest and contention in academic physiology and he undertook extensive research programs and publication efforts.
[20]

However, while the work attracted continued support from advocates of psychosomatic medicine, many in experimental physiology concluded that his concepts were too vague and unmeasurable. During the 1950s, Selye turned away from the laboratory to promote his concept through popular books and lecture tours. He wrote for both non-academic physicians and, in an international bestseller entitled Stress of Life, for the general public. A broad biopsychosocial concept of stress and adaptation offered the promise of helping everyone achieve health and happiness by successfully responding to changing global challenges and the problems of modern civilization. He coined the term "eustress" for positive stress, by contrast to distress. He argued that all people have a natural urge and need to work for their own benefit, a message that found favor with industrialists and governments.
[20]

He also coined the term stressor to refer to the

causative event or stimulus, as opposed to the resulting state of stress. From the late 1960s, academic psychologists started to adopt Selye's concept; they sought to quantify "life stress" by scoring "significant life events," and a large amount of research was undertaken to examine links between stress and disease of all kinds. By the late 1970s, stress had become the medical area of greatest concern to the general population, and more basic research was called for to better address the issue. There was renewed laboratory research into the neuroendocrine, molecular, and immunological bases of stress, conceived as a usefulheuristic not necessarily tied to Selye's original hypotheses. By the 1990s, "stress" had become an integral part of modern scientific understanding in all areas of physiology and human functioning, and one of the great metaphors of Western life.
[20]

Focus grew on stress in certain settings, such as workplace stress. Stress

management techniques were developed. Its psychological uses are frequently metaphorical rather than literal, used as a catch-all for perceived difficulties in life. It also became a euphemism, a way of referring to problems and eliciting sympathy without being explicitly confessional, just "stressed out." It covers a huge range of phenomena from mild irritation to the kind of severe problems that might result in a real breakdown of health. In popular usage, almost any event or situation between these extremes could be described as stressful.
[19]

The most extreme events and reactions may elicit the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to one or more terrifying events that threatened or caused grave physical harm. PTSD is a severe and ongoing emotional reaction to an extreme psychological trauma; as such, it is often associated with soldiers, police officers, and other emergency personnel. This stressor may involve viewing someone's actual death, a threat to the patient's or someone else's life, serious physical injury, or threat to physical or psychological integrity, overwhelming usual psychological defenses coping. In some cases, it can also be from profound psychological and emotional trauma, apart from any actual physical harm. Often, however, the two are combined. The US military became a key center of stress research, reduce combat neurosis and psychiatric casualties. [edit]Diagnosis A renewed interest in salivary alpha amylase as a marker for stress has surfaced. Yamaguchi M, Yoshida H (2005) have analyzed a newly introduced hand-held device called the Cocorometer developed by Nipro Corp., Japan. They state that this can be reliably used to analyze the amylase levels and is definitely a cheaper alternative as compared to the more expensive ELISA kits. The working consists of a meter and a saliva collecting chip, which can be inserted into the meter to give the readings. The levels of amylase obtained have been calibrated according to standard population, and can be categorized into four levels of severity.
[citation needed]

attempting to understand and