Counselor explains fallout of stress
by Sharon Duong, Reporter

 

     Stress affects every person and can be very dangerous if not handled properly, a South Campus counselor told students.
    "Stress is not bad," Sandra Johnson said. "It's how we respond to stress that can make it bad."
     In Stress-Coping with the Pressures of School, Work and Family last semester, Johnson spoke about the difficulties of trying to cope and dealing effectively with stress.
    "We deal with a lot of different types of stress, and sometimes we don't even know that we are having stress," she said.
    Johnson said stress took the world by storm many years ago when it was brought into the world's attention through the media.
   "Stress was treated like a disease when it was first introduced to the world. It was treated like it was cancer," Johnson said.
    Stress has become such a large part of lives today, Johnson said, the thought of stress creates a very scary, overwhelming reaction. Stress, itself, causes stress.
    "It's a fallacy to think that you don't have stress," she said. "Everyone has it; it's about what we do with it."
    Stress is a physical and emotional reaction to change, and stressors are the situations that make a person react. For students, stressors come in many different forms.
    Students stress over more things than they realize, Johnson said. Students stress over school: getting to class on time, making homework deadlines, passing classes, taking tests and graduating. Students, who also work, have additional stress: paying bills, getting to work on time, doing their jobs correctly, paying for school.
    Students also stress over family issues: attending important family functions, dealing with family problems, making the family proud.
   "Sometimes we react negatively toward certain stressors because it has a root. It has an origin," she said.
    According to Johnson, family traditions or the ideals set by society can cause stress on a student. For example, if a student is under a lot of pressure from his family to graduate college, then the student will have a negative reaction to graduating college.
    Society sets certain ideals and standards on how a woman should look. Girls struggling with their weight stress out whether or not they look beautiful.
    Johnson recommended that students do what they know they can handle. "Know your limits. Be conscious of how far you can go.
    Don't push yourself because you feel like you have to," she said. "Life is short; this is not a dress rehearsal. You should be happy with your life and be able to look back and be proud of what you've done because you wanted to do it."
    Dealing with all of these stresses daily cause physical problems as well as other consequences, Johnson said. Students who stress too much can cause a number of problems on their bodies. Fatigue, exhaustion, headaches, hyperventilation and indigestion are factors that create problems with the body.
   Johnson said stress also affects one's mood. Irritability, forgetfulness, loss of concentration, hostility and anxiety make up some of the psychological consequences of stress.
   "We are always in a rush to get things done," she said. "Why do we all of a sudden feel like we need to hurry? In order to take control of our lives, we need to retain our conscious and keep reality in the forefront of our minds."
   Johnson said students should take care of their bodies.
   "You know when something is going on with your body; it is which path that you choose to go on and whether or not you continue to go down that path," she said.  
    Johnson painted out several simple things that can alleviate these consequences and make life easier to go through. Getting enough sleep relaxes the body and gives it the energy it needs to deal with facing another day. Physical exercise also eases tension in the body. A healthy diet keeps the body nourished and gives it the vitamins and nutrients to keep the body strong.
   Johnson also said that it is important to try to keep an open mind on life. Looking at stress in a holistic way makes it easier to face stress.
   In order to alleviate stress, Johnson suggested doing something that is relaxing.
   "If you are on your feet all day, getting pedicures or rubbing your feet can help lessen stress. Nothing can eliminate stress. It's in your control. It's how you deal with it. Don't let stress control you," she said.
   Johnson reminded the students that people only get one chance at life.
   "You need to give it the best you have because you are uniquely different from everybody else. You have a contribution to make, first to yourself and then in this life," she said.
   "You can do it step by step, little by little, by the choices that you make, what you do, what you put in your body and how you think. What you believe is what you'll do," she said.