Seminar illustrates stress release
by Farida Onderi
reporter

   “Happiness is an inside job, and all people are responsible for their own happiness,” a SE counselor told students Feb. 18.
   John D. Huchingson joined by Joyce Fisher, counselor, presented Be Good to You—Decrease Stress and Increase Happiness Through Biofeedback.
   “Due to stress, a lot of changes take place in the human body,” he said. “Stress-related symptoms include little appetite, irritable bowel syndrome, lack of sleep, teeth grinding, muscle aches, feeling unhappy with your life and feeling tired, cranky or depressed.”
   According to Huchingson, a person can also take initiative to see to it that he lives a happy life.
   Huchingson used a device to measure the intensity of the stress. The finger temperature was measured with a thermistor and the muscle tension with an electromygraph (emg). If the reading exceeded a certain range, then the student could tell the level of stress.
   The counselors also discussed strategies to reduce that stress.
   One of the strategies was a combination of three stress management techniques: relaxation breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and visualization. Fisher said the body responds to this action of managing stress in different ways: the heart rate slows, blood pressure decreases, circulation improves, extremities warm and muscles relax.
   Another cause of stress, according to Fisher, is negative thinking. If one wants to feel satisfied with his life, it is important to protect the immune system.
   “Your body and mind have to be healthy, and this can be achieved by reframing your negative thoughts and encouraging positive self-talk. Talk to yourself but say all the right things.” she said.
   Huchingson explained the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, which mostly happens when talking to oneself.
   “When an event occurs, it triggers automatic thoughts and leads to a certain feeling, which then influences behavior,” he said.
   Fisher recommended several books as further aid for students under stress. One of them, What To Say When You Talk To Yourself by Shad       Helmstetter, discusses what people should talk about when they are talking to themselves at any time.
   “Your talk should be positive and will act as a makeover for your brain,” she said.
   Students should use cognitive restructuring, eliminate disasterizing, awfulizing or catastrophizing and should avoid magnification of problems, Fisher said. Students must eliminate can’ts, musts and shoulds. Adjusting all-or-nothing thinking is also effective, Fisher said.
   “When thinking, ask yourself if your thinking is honest, rational, realistic and if it is based on facts. If it meets these criteria, then your thinking is positive. In return, you are relaxed, hence, suffering from no stress,” Huchingson said.
   The counselors ended by reminding students to be good to themselves and make themselves happy from the inside.
   “All it takes is one’s effort and determination,” both counselors agreed.