1. Managing Stress : A Guide for Graduate Students

2. How stressed are you?
Take the quiz!

3. Stress Quiz Key
20 – 30: Chances are you are non-productive or your life lacks stimulation.
31-50: Designates a good balance in your ability to handle and control stress.
51-60: Your stress level is marginal and you are bordering on being excessively tense.
60 +: You may be a candidate for heart disease or other serious health conditions.

4. What makes you feel stressed?

5. What is Stress?
We all know the feeling of stress, but what is it exactly?
A response to a demand that is placed upon you
Short-term tension and mental alertness that goes away when that challenge is met
Can stress ever be a good thing?
Helps you perform well in sports
Helps you finish your paper

6. Responses to Stress You can respond to stress in many ways
Physical effects: headache
Emotional effects: fear, sadness
Mental effects: increased anxiety
Stress becomes negative when you cannot return to a relaxed state
Effects on the body
Increased heart rate
Higher blood pressure
Muscle tension
Impacts your immune system

7. How to Manage Your Stress
Find what works for you!
Attitude is EVERYTHING!
Healthy Eating
Physical Activity
Relaxing Your Mind and Body
Sleep
Healthy Relationships
Time Management
Alcohol and other Drugs
Money Management
Relaxation Exercises

8. Attitude is EVERYTHING
Differences among people
Change the way you think about it
Can’t control everything that is going to happen
But you can change how you think

9. Positive Self-talk
Think about a situation that you have experienced recently. Come up with both negative and productive self-talk for the situation

10. Example 1 Situation: I have a huge paper in two days
Irrational self-talk: I will never get it done. Why did I take that stupid class in the first place, when I know I’m going to fail.
Rational Self-talk: I’ve worked well under pressure in the past. I know I can do it now! I have plenty of time

11. Example 2
Situation: I came back to the room and found that my roommate left everything a mess
Irrational self-talk: She is so disrespectful. Two people have to live here, why can’t she think about anyone else but herself?
Rational self-talk: I know she has a lot going on this week. She will clean it up when she has time.

12. Your Turn: Situation: ____________________________
Irrational self-talk: _____________________
Rational self-talk: ______________________

13. Healthy Eating
Carbs, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals are important for energy, mental concentration and emotional stability.
Stress can increase your body’s need for certain nutrients
Most college students use high sugar food and caffeine to keep their energy going
Too much of this will contribute to poor quality sleep
After about an hour or 2 you may find that you have less energy and need even more food

14. Exercise Boosts energy Increases ability to concentrate
Improves self-esteem
Helps you fall asleep faster and have better quality sleep
Fewer illnesses
Make it fun!!
Do things that you enjoy (dancing, hiking, biking)
Do it to music
Go with someone

15. Money $$$ Follow a budget for yourself How much do you make?
How much do you spend?

16. Sleep
How much sleep do you need?
Are you getting restorative sleep?

17. Relationships
Starting, maintaining and ending relationships can cause stress
Being Single:
A lot of social pressure to be in a relationship
Spend as much time as you want on other things
Not have to “check” in with someone
Being in a relationship:
Is your relationship stressing you out?
Healthy relationships
Have fun together
Feel like you can be yourself
Build a friendship
Handle conflicts well

18. Time Management
Helps you deal with deadlines and complete priorities with minimal stress
Anticipate and plan
Keep track of your life
Plan in advance
Don’t know how long things will take
Cross things off

19. Alcohol and Other Drugs
Myths
Alcohol and other drugs can sometimes reduce stress
“escape from reality”
Can actually create more stress
Cause health problems and legal problems that can make you more stress out
Miss class, get arrested, thrown up, had a hangover, gotten into trouble, had alcohol poisoning, performed poorly on a test, gotten into a fight…
Did these improve or reduce your stress level???

20. Relaxation Deep Breathing One of the easiest ways to reduce tension
Put one hand on your stomach, just below the rib cage
Slow breathe in through your nose
Exhale slowly through your mouth
Repeat several times
Visit these links for free relaxation downloads:

21. Works Cited http://www.uhs.uga.edu/stress/