Counselor provides stress reducers
by Mikki McManus, reporter

    Stress is something all college students face, a South Campus counselor told students last week.

   Sandra Johnson provided students with methods to manage the stress in their lives in a positive manner as part of a series being presented by the Women in New Roles (WIN-R) program.

   The first step in dealing with stress, Johnson said, is to understand the meaning of the word.

   “Stress simply is your physical and emotional reaction to change. If you perceive the change to be negative or threatening, it can cause physical effects on your body,” she said.

   Some possible consequences of stress are anxiety, indigestion, fatigue and irritability. The objective is to understand how stress affects someone so that the person is able to make it work for his benefit.

   “The healthy reaction to stress involves one’s perception of it, as well as the way that one counteracts its physical effects. The largest factor in reversing its physical effects is not to allow it to build up,” she said.

   This reversal can be accomplished through various methods, including relaxed breathing, positive imagery or any form of enjoyable physical exercise, Johnson said.

   Stress also is brought on by things other than jobs, classes, friends, and loved ones.

   “It can also be caused by physical factors, such as wearing the wrong size clothes or shoes and having bad posture,” she said.

   “The proper standing posture consists of a tight abdomen, tilting the pelvis back lifting the chest and keeping the knees straight,” she said.

   Johnson told the group patience is needed when dealing with stress.

   “The key to dealing with stress is understanding yourself and your needs and realizing that there is no quick fix. Stress does not happen overnight and cannot be solved overnight,” she said.

   Treisha Light, WIN-R coordinator, said the WIN-R program was started in 1978 to aid women in their return to school and was added to the curriculum on the SE Campus this semester.

   The program consists of an integrated six hours of psychology credit, which fulfills part of the core curriculum.

   The group sponsors a presentation on the first Tuesday of every month.