College Stress

EFFECTS OF STRESS ON YOUR BODY
Tension headache	Excess weight or decreased weight
Muscle pain, spasms	Excessive nervous energy
Acne, eczema	Chronic diarrhea or constipation
Constant fatigue	Stomach or intestinal ulcers
Allergies	Increased cholesterol levels
Increased blood pressure	Tendency toward fainting or nausea
Migraine headaches	Increased susceptibility to infection
Frigidity/impotence	Increased possibility of heart disease
Frequent heartburn	Cardiovascular disorders
Shortness of breath	Inability to laugh easily or openly
Recurring feelings of hopelessness in coping with life	Tendency toward sudden outbursts of tears or an inability to cry

WARNING SIGNS OF STRESS
Lowered self-esteem	Impulsive behavior, emotional instability
Fatigue	Floating anxiety, irrational fears
Trembling, nervous tics	Tendency to be easily startled
Tooth grinding	Nervous, generally high-pitched laughter
Insomnia	Stuttering and other speech difficulties
Sweating	Lower back pain, neck pain, chest pain
Frequent urination	Loss of appetite, compulsive eating
Migraine headaches	Increased use of prescribed drugs
Excessive smoking	Alcohol dependency, drug addiction
Nightmares	Impotence, sexual difficulties
Neurotic behavior	Emotional tension, sense of being &quotKeyed up"
Psychosis	General irritability, hyperexcitation, or depression
Accident-prone behavior
Inability to concentrate, general disorientation	Premenstrual tension, abnormal menstrual cycles
Diarrhea, indigestion, stomach ailment vomiting	Feelings of weakness, dizziness, loss of reality

CAUSES OF STRESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS
Not enough money	Academic Achievement (tests, grades, deadlines, etc.)
Unrealistic expectations	Time urgency - too much work/pressures
Social pressures	Change in eating and sleeping habits
Extra-curricular activities	Stress prone diet i.e. coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, not enough vitamin C & B complex
Dissatisfaction	A break-up with a boy or girlfriend, changing to a new environment/ changes in responsibilities
A part-time or full-time job	A bad Roommate or not enough privacy
Parental Expectations -pressure of "Being Mature"
Too much studying and not enough physical activity	Loneliness (especially at Christmas, vacation times)

HOW TO HANDLE STRESS

Find a physical activity that you enjoy and make time for it. (i.e. racquetball, jogging, walking, bicycling, swimming, etc.)

Prioritize your time on paper and set reasonable goals that can be accomplished. Don't expect too much from yourself.

Don't make unnecessary appointments or unachievable deadlines. Learn to say "No".

Create opportunities when you can relax your entire mind and body.

Tense then relax the major muscle groups in the body (calves, etc.) until the entire body feels relaxed.

Avoid a stress prone diet: eat breakfast, space meals evenly throughout the day, avoid excess caffeine and sugar (sugar depletes the body's store of vitamin B complex), take vitamin C and B complex supplements.

Use family or friends as a support group.

Recognize your own body's physical and mental signs of stress and develop your positive strategies of coping.

Learn to develop a sense of humor about yourself and your problems.

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College Stress

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