2008 Woodie Awards
Slowly Falling Apart
Stress proves difficult to manage
By Rachel Seeman
Rocket News Editor
Issue date: 2/10/06 Section: News
Two tests next week, a presentation tomorrow, two more classes this afternoon, a meeting in five minutes and you still haven't had lunch.
Sound familiar? The good news is, there something you can do about it. The bad news is, you're not alone.
According to the Occupational Health and Safety News and the National Council on Compensation Insurance, "up to 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints."
"Many students overlook the stress involved in making so many big changes in such a brief period of time," such as leaving behind your school, family, friends and home to move to a new place, according to Collegeboard.com.
Once students adjust to college, the stress doesn't go away, because it's unavoidable. The demands of schoolwork, extracurricular activities, social life and other personal expectations can be too challenging at times.
According to the University Health Center and the University Stress Planning Group at University of Georgia, "stress is defined as a response to a demand that is placed upon you."
Responses to stress can be physical, emotional and mental. However, stress is not always bad.
Eustress, good stress, can be defined as things such as nervousness before a date or sport competition. Distress, bad stress, can negatively affect a person if nothing is done to reduce the symptoms.
Distress can be caused by lack of sleep, lack of exercising, an unhealthy diet, procrastination, poor time management skills and worrying about things you can't control, according to Stanford University.
Symptoms of stress include, but are not limited to, changes in eating or sleeping patterns, short temper, recurring colds due to a weak immune system, frequent disorganization and muscle aches.
Steve Winslow, a sophomore history major, said he knows when he is stressed because he gets headaches.
"I try to go with the flow," he said. "I find (problems) usually work themselves out.
Sound familiar? The good news is, there something you can do about it. The bad news is, you're not alone.
According to the Occupational Health and Safety News and the National Council on Compensation Insurance, "up to 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints."
"Many students overlook the stress involved in making so many big changes in such a brief period of time," such as leaving behind your school, family, friends and home to move to a new place, according to Collegeboard.com.
Once students adjust to college, the stress doesn't go away, because it's unavoidable. The demands of schoolwork, extracurricular activities, social life and other personal expectations can be too challenging at times.
According to the University Health Center and the University Stress Planning Group at University of Georgia, "stress is defined as a response to a demand that is placed upon you."
Responses to stress can be physical, emotional and mental. However, stress is not always bad.
Eustress, good stress, can be defined as things such as nervousness before a date or sport competition. Distress, bad stress, can negatively affect a person if nothing is done to reduce the symptoms.
Distress can be caused by lack of sleep, lack of exercising, an unhealthy diet, procrastination, poor time management skills and worrying about things you can't control, according to Stanford University.
Symptoms of stress include, but are not limited to, changes in eating or sleeping patterns, short temper, recurring colds due to a weak immune system, frequent disorganization and muscle aches.
Steve Winslow, a sophomore history major, said he knows when he is stressed because he gets headaches.
"I try to go with the flow," he said. "I find (problems) usually work themselves out.
