200 McCannel Hall UND University Counseling Center UND.edu/Counseling-Center

Stress Relief True or False Exercise and mindfulness practices have both been found to improve mood and reduce perception of pain. Setting your standards very high and criticizing yourself leads to higher achievement and better college adjustment Chewing gum can help improve your ability to focus.

True of False continued… Mindfulness involves thinking and analyzing things over and over Acknowledging and accepting all types of feelings is harmful to emotional health. When feeling anxious it is extremely urgent to get rid of the feeling immediately. Sleep plays an important role in memory consolidation and cognitive functioning. Lack of sleep can cause you to hallucinate. During this presentation I will identify one thing I would like to do differently or add to my routine based on our discussion.

Top Stressors for college students  Many Adjustments  Academics  Social – Feeling alone  Financial  Work  Other-unique to individual

Things people do under stress believing they will help  Drinking  Drugs  Tobacco  Eating  Isolating  Avoiding, procrastinating tv, video games

Effective ways of changing stressed state….  Breathing  Exercising  Creating small goals that are achievable- next action step  Checking your expectations  Meditating  Talking with others  Counseling  Doodling or creating art  Listening to music, singing or playing an instrument  Other things that soothe the senses

Basic Self-Care Sleep Nutrition Water Socializing, connecting with others

Exam Days!!!  Basic self-care most important  Breathe  Don’t get anxious if you are feeling anxious- some stress is helpful  Get there early if you can to adjust to the room  Feel your feet on the ground as you walk or sit in your chair  Repeat a phrase that helps you to manage anxiety, notice the hidden perfectionist  Focus on one question at a time and if you can’t answer it let it go and come back rather than wrestling with it for a long time  Scan your body for where you are tense, breathe in and out of that area  Plan something that you will enjoy afterward to reward yourself

Services and Staff Walk-In Hours (8am-4:30pm M-F) Crisis and Non-Crisis Individual Counseling Group Counseling Trauma Treatment Alcohol or Drug Counseling and Evaluations Education and Outreach Staff Support/Debriefing and Training Online Self-Assessments on Website Bio-Feedback (Stress Eraser) Training Licensed Psychologists, Licensed Practical Counselors Licensed Addiction Counselor, Interns, Practicum Students