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College students work hard and face high stress. Be Well to Do Well is a campus effort to encourage students to take control of stress. Merely working harder does not ensure doing better. A small investment in stress reduction can yield significant benefits now and for a lifetime. In fact, students who seek help do better academically. Find out more here . . .

  • Resources & campus services
    • How to help yourself
    • How to help someone else
    • Body image help
    • Financial stress help
    • Tang Center's massage chair


Stress Can Be Toxic to Your Body!

Graphic courtesy of Mental Health America: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/

 

 

Fact: Stress Impacts Your Academics

Chronic stress interferes with learning and memory1 and students who are stressed-out have lower GPAs than their classmates2. For those students who have learned to manage stress, their grades are not affected by the level of stress2, but approximately one-third are unable to effectively manage their stress3.

A July 2008 study of 24,000 students from 14 colleges and universities showed stress is a problem for 70% of students, and stress has impaired the academic performance for thirty-three percent4.

In a 2007 study, Stress in America, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that stress has had a significant negative impact on the lives of one-half of all Americans, causing physical symptoms (77%), psychological symptoms (73%), and fighting with friends or loved ones (54%).

Other research has found that if we manage our stress we can feel better and function more effectively in school. Studies show:

  • Proven: A single all-nighter lowers GPA5. Adequate sleep is necessary for the brain to process and recall information efficiently1.
  • Effective time management supports lower stress and higher satisfaction13.
  • Healthful eating reduces stress6.
  • Regular exercise reduces stress.7, 8
  • Spirituality and mindfulness meditation leads to lower stress, less depression, greater empathy, higher satisfaction of life, and lowered risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and possibly cancer.1, 8, 9, 10, 11
  • Social support reduces stress.14

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What is Stress?

Stress is your body's response to changes and challenges in your daily life, sometimes described as physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension. Often it results when demands exceed resources-such as time, money, sleep, or support.

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Common Stressors

Undergraduate students:

  • Finances
  • Academics
  • Time management
  • Relationships
  • Distant professors
  • Family expectations
  • Sexual and gender identity
  • Adjusting to new environment/culture
  • Immigration/visa issues
  • Housing difficulties
  • Parental conflict
  • Roommate conflicts
  • Death/illness of loved one
  • Career and graduate school decisions

Graduate students:

  • Difficult advisor
  • Research/teaching
  • Pressure to publish
  • Immigration/visa issues
  • Finances
  • Grant writing
  • Death/illness of loved one
  • Adjusting to new environment/culture
  • Balancing relationship/family/school
  • Dysfunctional cohort
  • Departmental politics
  • Sense that life is "on hold"
  • Disillusionment with chosen field/path
  • Job market

In short-term doses, moderate stress can help with focus, motivation, energy, and productivity, but chronic stress is harmful.

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Common Signs, Symptoms and Effects of Harmful Stress:

  • Fatigue
  • Tearfulness
  • Disrupted sleep
  • Impaired concentration and memory
  • Irritability, hostility
  • Feeling nervous or anxious
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Strained relationships
  • Weight gain or loss
  • Sexual dysfunction or loss of interest
  • Physical complaints
  • Compromised healt

Your perception, flexibility, and repertoire of responses to stress will affect your capacity to cope and restore balance.

 

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Are You a Stress-Head?


1. How vulnerable are you to stress? Take this simple test.

2. What do you know about stress? Take this simple test.

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Coping with Stress:

The APA recommends the following tips12 :
  • Identify the sources of stress in your life
  • Learn your own stress signals (i.e. headaches, anger, fatigue, muscle tension)
  • Recognize how you deal with stress (do you use unhealthy behaviors?)
  • Find healthy ways to manage stress (see below)
  • Take care of yourself to maintain health even when not stressed
  • Reach out for support (i.e. friends, family, faith leader, professional)

When faced with stress, it's natural for people to make an effort to respond, but not all efforts are potentially effective. The range of coping behaviors and attitudes is broad and some can actually worsen stress or diminish our capacity to cope.

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Common Things to Avoid in Managing Stress:

  • Use of alcohol or other drugs
  • Unhealthy eating (overeating, fasting, eating junk/sugar/caffeine)
  • Binging on TV, video games, or internet
  • Self berating and belittling
  • Working harder not smarter
  • Sleeping fewer hours
  • Isolating from others
  • Lashing-out with anger and hostility
  • Taking on more work and responsibilities

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Healthy Ways to Manage Stress:

Information (books, journal articles, videos, links, podcasts, etc.) about stress management is available below for the following highlighted items.
  • Adequate sleep*
  • Healthful diet*
  • Regular exercise*
  • Optimism*
  • Social support*
  • Time management*
  • Relaxation*
  • Humor, laughter
  • Generosity
  • Playfulness
  • Spirituality*
  • Journaling*
  • Sex*
  • Forgiveness (of self and others)
  • Creative activities
  • Meditation*
  • Music
  • Hot bath
  • Prayer*
  • Set reasonable limits
  • Positive and realistic self talk*
  • Control only what's controllable-accept the rest

For general information, self-tests, and tips on much of the above:

  1. Stress Management Techniques and Practices, About.Com: Stress Management, The New York Times Company, 2008
  2. Stress, MayoClinic.com, 2008
  3. Managing Stress and Transitions Podcasts, University of Minnesota, 2008

To learn more about stress, read:
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-related Diseases and Coping, by Robert M. Sapolsky.

Or watch it on DVD:
National Geographic Specials: Stress: Portrait of a Killer
Available from Shop PBS (Item No. NAGS424)

For more information about mental health, click here.

 

For printable handouts about ways to manage stress:

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Campus and Self-Help Resources

 

CARE services provides stress-reduction services and support for UC Berkeley faculty and staff.

Self-help Resources

did you know Studies show students who seek help for their stress and depression perform better academically than those who don't.

>Check Your Mental Health Online
Brief anonymous screenings for depression, anxiety, eating disorders and more. Find out if you could benefit from counseling.
>Stress & stress management: Be Well to Do Well
>Information about depression: Look for the Signs
>Online training on how to help with depression
>Articles on how to stay well at Cal

did you know Did you know all students get 5 free counseling visits?
Connect with CPS today!

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How to Help Someone Else

did you know Whether you are student, faculty, staff or just a concerned friend or loved one, you have many options for helping a student you are concerned about.

>How to connect with counseling
>Urgent help when Tang is open or closed
>Consultation on how to help someone else
>Helping a friend
>Links to online screenings and trainings

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Body Image Help

Cal's Eating Disorder Awareness Week is featured during Mind & Body Awareness Week

did you know 1500-3000 students here at Cal may be suffering from an eating disorder and up to 30% of any U.S. college may be struggling with an eating disorder

>More information about eating disorders
>More information on Tang's Eating Disorder Treatment Team
>Lots of handouts and online resources to help
>Information about the Tang Center's "Food and Feelings" group
for those with concerns about the effects of chronic dieting, exercise obsession, body image and acceptance.

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Financial Stress Help

did you know 95 percent of college students say the nation's economic crisis impacted their family's finances last year, and 93 percent have seen an effect on their own bank account.

>Get 5 hints for reducing your stress about money NOW
>Check out the many campus resources that can help

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Tang Center's Massage ChairMassage Chair at Tang

did you know “Having 15 minutes to myself really helped me get through the day (as I had a horrible day prior to my massage). Sitting on the chair and listening to my iPod took me to aplace of relaxation.  I did not want to leave; the massage was GREAT!”

Did you know the Tang Center has an electronic massage chair? To help students reduce their stress levels, this chair will be available FREE to students for 15 minute massages on a drop in, first-come first-served basis. Find out more here.

Massage Chair hours: first come, first serve, Monday - Friday 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm

Directions: Go to the Self-Care Resource Center in Health Promotion, 2nd floor of the Tang Center (2222 Bancroft Way).

 


 

 

 

 

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Additional Information and Links Related to Stress and Stress Management:

Attitude:

Positive thinking: Practice this stress management skill, 2007 http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/positive-thinking/SR00009/METHOD=print

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Diet:

Emmons, H. (2006). The Chemistry of Joy. New York: Simon and Schuster.
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Joy-Three-Step-Overcoming-Depression/dp/0743265076

Good Nutrition: How to Combat Stress with Good Nutrition, About.Com: Stress Management, The New York Times Company, 2008
http://stress.about.com/od/dietandsuppliments/a/goodnutrition.htm

Stress: Can it cause weight gain? MayoClinic.com, 2007
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/AN01128

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Exercise:

Emmons, H. (2006). The Chemistry of Joy. New York: Simon and Schuster.
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Joy-Three-Step-Overcoming-Depression/dp/0743265076

Exercise fuels the brain's stress buffers, American Psychological Association, 2004, http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=25

Blumenthal, J. A., Sherwood, A., Babyak, M. A., et al., A. (2005). Effects of exercise and stress management training on markers of cardiovascular risk in patients with ischemic heart disease: A randomized controlled trial, JAMA, 293, 1626-1634.

Mansky, P., Sannes, T., Wallerstedt, D., et al., (2006). Tai Chi Chuan: Mind-Body Practice or Exercise Intervention? Studying the Benefit for Cancer Survivors. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 5, 192-201.

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Relationships and Social Support:

Social support: Tap this tool to reduce stress, MayoClinic.com, 2008
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/social-support/SR00033

Relationship Stress: Marriage, Relationship Skills & Social Support, About.Com: Stress Management, The New York Times Company, 2008

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Sex:

Sex and Stress: The Benefits of Sex, and How to Keep Things Hot When Stressed, About.Com: Stress Management, The New York Times Company, 2007
http://stress.about.com/od/generaltechniques/a/sexandstress.htm

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Sleep:

Spiegel, K., Leproult, R., Van Cauter, E. (1999). Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function. The Lancet, 354, 1435-1439.

Thacher, P. V. (2008). University students and the "All Nighter": Correlates and patterns of students' engagement in a single night of total sleep deprivation. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 6, 16-31.

Wagner, U., Gais, S., Born, J. (2001). Emotional memory formation is enhanced across sleep intervals with high amounts of rapid eye movement sleep. Learning and Memory, 8, 112-119.

Sleep Guide, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008 http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/handouts/sleep_guide.html

WebMD video about sleep and stress
What is the role of sleep in stress?
http://www.webmd.com/video/farrell-sleep-stress

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Spirituality, Relaxation and Meditation:

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. New York: Random House.
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Catastrophe-Living-Wisdom-Illness/dp/0385303122

Mansky, P., Sannes, T., Wallerstedt, D., et al., (2006). Tai Chi Chuan: Mind-body practice or exercise intervention? Studying the benefit for cancer survivors. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 5, 192-201.

Shapiro, S. L., Schwartz, G. E., Bonner, G. (1998). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21, 581-599.

Tuck, I., Alleyne, R., Thinganjana, W. (2006). Spirituality and stress management in healthy adults. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 24, 245-253.

Spirituality and stress relief: Make the connection, MayoClinic.com, 2008
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-relief/SR00035

For meditation instructions and online audio meditations:
Meditation for Stress Management
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/counseling/successstrategies/meditation.shtml

For a link to free podcasts of guided meditations:
http://www.meditationoasis.com/podcast/listen-to-podcast/

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Time Management:

Macan, T. H., Shahani, C., Dipboye, R. L.; Phillips, A. P. (1990). College students' time management: Correlations with academic performance and stress. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 760-768.

Time Management Guide - time management skill and techniques
http://www.time-management-guide.com/time-management-skills.html

Mind Tools - Tips about time-management skills
http://www.psychwww.com/mtsite/page5.html

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References

  1. Sapolsky, R. M., (2004). Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide To Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping, New York: Macmillan.
  2. 2007 College Survey Health Report - Health and Academic Performance: Minnesota Undergraduate Students, Boynton Health Service, University of Minnesota, 2008 http://www.bhs.umn.edu/reports/HealthAcademicPerformanceReport_2007.pdf
  3. Mental Health: University of Minnesota, Boynton Health Service, University of Minnesota, 2007 http://www.bhs.umn.edu/healthdata/results/chs/UMTC_07/UMTC_Report2.pdf
  4. Stress a Major Health Problem in the U.S., Warns APA, American Psychological Association, 2007 http://www.apa.org/releases/stressproblem.html
  5. Thacher, P. V. (2008). University students and the "All Nighter": Correlates and patterns of students' engagement in a single night of total sleep deprivation. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 6, 16-31.
  6. Emmons, H. (2006). The Chemistry of Joy. New York: Simon and Schuster.
  7. Exercise fuels the brain's stress buffers, American Psychological Association, 2004, http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=25
  8. Blumenthal, J. A., Sherwood, A., Babyak, M. A., et al., A. (2005). Effects of exercise and stress management training on markers of cardiovascular risk in patients with ischemic heart disease: A randomized controlled trial, JAMA, 293, 1626-1634.
  9. Mansky, P., Sannes, T., Wallerstedt, D., et al., (2006). Tai Chi Chuan: Mind-body practice or exercise intervention? Studying the benefit for cancer survivors. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 5, 192-201.
  10. Spiegel, K., Leproult, R., Van Cauter, E. (1999). Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function. The Lancet, 354, 1435-1439.
  11. Shapiro, S. L., Schwartz, G. E., Bonner, G. (1998). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21, 581-599.
  12. Stress Tip Sheet, American Psychological Association, 2007 http://apahelpcenter.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=pageA&item=42
  13. Macan, T. H., Shahani, C., Dipboye, R. L.; Phillips, A. P. (1990). College students' time management: Correlations with academic performance and stress. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 760-768.
  14. Social support: Tap this tool to reduce stress, MayoClinic.com, 2008
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/social-support/SR0003

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