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Dealing with stress
Not all stress is bad. Up to a point, stress is necessary and can be beneficial. However, look out for the following signs as they can signal that you, or someone you know, is stressed out.
Symptoms of stress
Physical symptoms
- shortness of breath / unable to get a full breath
- stomach ache
- nausea
- tension headaches or migraines
- dizziness
- eye strain
- sleep problems (too little or too much)
Feelings
- moody
- feeling low or depressed
- anxious (tense, nervous, jumpy or unable to relax)
- irritable or hostile (getting angry over minor things)
- fearful (afraid to make decisions)
Thoughts
- can become overwhelming
- negative and pessimistic
- confused and disorganised
- decisions are harder
- prone to making mistakes.
Behaviours
- exaggerating normal behaviour (hard workers turn into workaholics or quiet people become isolated)
- withdrawal from friends, family and co-workers
- working harder (but getting less done)
- blaming others (finding fault, being critical or hard to please)
- having fewer stress-free conversations with family and friends
- having fights (about everything and nothing)
- sharing fewer satisfying experiences with family and friends
- causing stress in others (stress can be contagious)
- pretending that nothing is wrong (denial)
Managing stress
Tips to reduce stress
- Take control—consider how balanced your lifestyle is in terms of meeting your physical,
emotional, mental and spiritual needs.
- Identify sources of stress and decide what adjustments you can make to reduce them.
- Do not ignore the signs, do something before you reach crisis point or burnout.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle with regular physical exercise, sleep, rest and good nutrition.
- Avoid or limit smoking and recreational drug and alcohol consumption.
- Find out what helps you relax.
- Plan regular recreation breaks throughout your day.
- Build a supportive network of friends and family.
- Organise, prioritise and manage your time, break big goals into small steps, anticipate deadlines and demanding times in your calendar and reduce other commitments accordingly.
- Practise rational thinking—minimise rather than catastrophise.
- Develop realistic and meaningful short and longer term goals.
- Evaluate the stressors you are prepared to tolerate in light of your goals and values, and make some changes if necessary.
- If you are having problems don’t be afraid to ask for help, everyone has stressful times.
Seek advice and support
If you are experiencing the above symptoms, or feel that stress is negatively impacting your life, talk to a counsellor at USC. They can help you take action to manage stress and any other issues.
More information
Contact Student Services for more information or to make an appointment.
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