What is stress?
Stress is defined as any change that we must adapt to in our ever changing world. In particular, stress is any demand, force or pressure placed on the body and the body's reaction to it. Stress is therefore experienced by everyone.
Stress is not all that bad. A certain level of stress improves performance but performance begins to deteriorate if stress is excessive. Stress therefore can range in intensity from the fear and panic of being in physical danger to the satisfaction and joy of completing a desired goal, to feeling bored when there is lack of stimulation or stress in our lives.
A major difference between those who feel overwhelmed by stress and those who do not is not necessarily the presence or absence of stress, but the ability to recognise high stress when it occurs and to manage it.
What are some signs of stress?
Signs of too much stress include some or all of the following:
- Being more irritable or short-tempered
- Memory is affected (e.g. cannot recall details)
- Racing heartbeatStomach and intestinal cramping
- Feeling out of control
- Sleep problems (too little or too much)
- Inability to concentrate
- Feeling that everything you do is a chore
- Headache and muscle aches
What are some sources of stress?
Studying in university can be stressful. There are so many activities, decisions, expenses, expectations and new roles involved.
Before you will be able to manage your stress effectively, you need to know where your stress is coming from. Taking time to deal with your stressors can make a big difference in your day to day experience of stress. We all see and experience stress differently. A source of high stress for you may not be so for another person.
Remember also that other sources of stress do not go away because you are attending university. In fact, these additional stressors add on to the stress you experience while studying in a university. The following are some examples of sources of high stress you may experience:
- Academic issues
- Selection of subjects
- Failing
- Meeting assignment / project deadlines
- Preparing and taking quizzes / exam
- Relationships (Partner, friends, roommate, coursemate, etc)
- Conflicts
- Break-ups
- Maintaining relationships
- Lack of or having too many relationships
- Group situations
- Giving a presentation
- Working together with coursemates on a project
- Other sources of university stress
- Adjusting from Junior College/Polytechnic/National Service to university life
- Adjusting to studying and living in a different country
- Adjusting to hall life (e.g. communal living)
- Managing your finances independently
- Commuting
- Juggling studying and working part-time
- Other Sources of Life Stressors
- Loss of a family member, friend, pet
- Illness in yourself or a loved one
- Moving house
- Sudden change in family's financial situation
- Family conflicts
What are Some Ways to Cope with Stress?
Take a Deep Breath
Stress often causes us to breathe shallowly and this in turn almost always causes more stress! Mentally scan your body for physical tension.
Does you chest feel tight? You may be holding your breath without even knowing it! Shallow breathing puts less oxygen in the blood stream, producing an increase in muscle tension. You may experience headaches; you may feel more uptight.
The next time you feel "uptight," try taking a minute to slow down and breathe deeply. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Exhale slowly.
Learn to plan and manage time
Plan your projects and tasks by breaking them down into smaller parts and estimating time needed and time you can afford for each part and then work on each part or on one task at a time. Determine which projects are important and urgent and work on these first. Be aware that you are not taking on too many projects or responsibilities at a time.
Learn to play and rest
You need to give yourself permission to escape from the pressures of life and have fun or to just rest. Find activities or hobbies which are absorbing and enjoyable to you. Have periods daily, even if they are for short periods of time, where you can relax and enjoy an activity, or to just rest.
Deal with the problem
Determine what the problem is and deal with it. If tension comes from your relationship with a person, talk out your differences at an appropriate time. If tension comes from an unfinished task, restructure your priorities so you can get the task completed. However, if a problem is not within your control, you may need to learn to accept what you cannot change. If you are not sure what the problem is or how to deal with it, consider talking this out with a friend or a Student Counsellor at the NTU Student Counselling Centre.
Be a positive person
Learn to praise the things you like in others or to compliment on their successes rather than just focusing on what you do not like or find wanting in others. Focus upon the good qualities that those around you possess.
Be also aware of your Inner Critic; the part of you that is very self-critical. Learn to also be nurturing and encouraging to yourself.
Avoid competitive situations that are unnecessary for you
Our present lifestyle can involve many competitive situations that we cannot avoid. Being overly concerned with winning in too many areas of our lives however can create excessive tension and stress, make us unnecessarily aggressive and can affect our performance negatively.
Adjust your expectations
Be aware of the expectations that you set for yourself. Do you feel overstressed because these expectations are usually set too high in the sense that you never or seldom meet them? Be willing to adjust your expectations based on your own wants and needs, and on what you have accomplished in the past. This will enable you to achieve your goals realistically.
Get regular physical exercise
Choose an activity that you enjoy. Start slow if you have not been exercising for a while. Exercise discharges stress and tension from the body.
Get adequate sleep
Get an adequate amount of rest/sleep and try to have a regular sleeping schedule. Most problems seem huge in the small hours of the night but appear very different first thing in the morning, so do not skip sleep as a way of trying to manage your stress.
Learn a method of relaxing
Meditation, yoga, and relaxation techniques can be learned and practiced regularly. The Student Counsellor at the NTU Student Counselling Centre can teach you brief relaxation techniques that would take five minutes or less to do. In our fast-paced lifestyle, stress and tension is built up daily. Practising brief relaxation techniques as many times as you can each day is one simple way of breaking or reducing the buildup of daily stress and tension. You can also refer to our section on Brief Relaxation Techniques.
Eat healthily
Healthy eating through having a well balanced diet can increase our performance and well-being, strengthen our immune system and enable us to cope better with stress. A healthy diet consists of balanced amount of nutrients, varied food including fruits and vegetables, and moderate to minimal amounts of sugar, fat and salt. Have regular meals daily and avoid drastic diets. Allow time to sit down and enjoy your food when eating.
Focus on the process
We are more likely to be stressed when we become overly concerned about achieving a certain result (e.g. getting a certain grade). Focus on the process of doing an activity not just on the end result. Evaluate your success not only in terms of what you accomplished but also in terms of how much you enjoyed doing the task. Become fully involved with each task as you are doing it each moment.
Talk out your troubles
Confide to a friend, family member or counsellor you can be open with. Expressing "bottled up" tension to a listener can be very helpful. Another person may help you to see your problem in a new light. Whatever problem you are facing, others may have faced it before and finding out what others have done in similar circumstances may be helpful.
Seek help
If you find that you are still experiencing signs of high level of stress, consider seeing a counsellor at the NTU Student Counselling Centre. To make an appointment, contact the Counselling Centre at 6790 4462 or email scc@ntu.edu.sg
