| At what age do students have the greatest stress? | | | | a sense, ambush the stressors as a step of stress |
| Young parents might say preschoolers have the | | | | management. |
| greatest stress. They are leaving their parents for the | | | | 3. Stressor Identification: An important part of the |
| first time, and have many reasons to be afraid. Older | | | | stress management ambush is to learn to identify the |
| parents say middle school students have the most | | | | enemy. A focused tertiary student will see stressors |
| stress, having just entered adolescence. Still others will | | | | and know them for what they are. Every university |
| cite secondary school as the time of greatest stress. | | | | student has stressors. All of us have unusual demands |
| Most agree, however, that the stresses of university | | | | made on us. The key to stress management is to |
| life are very great. | | | | identify those demands as stressors. |
| Stress management among students in universities is a | | | | In universities and colleges, stressors take the form of |
| hit-or-miss matter. Some universities schedule optional | | | | unaccustomed activities. Sharing a room with a |
| stress management classes, but students often lack | | | | stranger makes demands on a student. A new form |
| the time to attend. If they have the time, they lack | | | | of study is demanding. Financial resources and |
| interest. | | | | potentially new dating standards can be stressors. |
| Stress Management Keys | | | | Whether students are in Italy or Iowa, they are free of |
| Specific keys will open the door to better stress | | | | the constraints of home, and that freedom is a |
| management among students in universities. Some of | | | | stressor. Freedom makes unusual demands on one |
| those keys are being used, but others are lost or | | | | who has not had it in fullness. |
| neglected. Without them, stress management is limited | | | | All of these and about 2000 more are stressors that a |
| for the students. We will not attempt to list here every | | | | student must identify in order to engage in stress |
| key, or to put them in any given order. Rather, we | | | | management. |
| would like to suggest stress management keys that | | | | 4. Turning Distress into Eustress: Another key that |
| may be lost in the rubble of today's society. | | | | helps unlock the doors to stress management is that |
| 1. Clear definitions: Effective stress management | | | | of turning distress into eustress. Students often act as |
| among students requires clear definitions of words | | | | victims of their stressors. They believe they can do |
| such as "stressor," "stress," "eustress," and "distress." | | | | nothing but suffer. Stress management requires that |
| Students who do not understand clearly what stress is | | | | they learn to turn a potentially negative response to |
| cannot be expected to succeed at stress | | | | stressors into a positive response. |
| management. They may be trying to manage | | | | Eustress, the beneficial stress, is what carries an |
| stressors, thinking they are managing stress. The | | | | excited, happy couple through the whirlwind of |
| outcome may very well be increased stress rather | | | | preparation for a large wedding. From the moment of |
| than stress management. | | | | the proposal, the couple may be surrounded by |
| Stress management among students in universities | | | | stressors. Extra demands, unusual demands are being |
| can begin only after they understand that the extra | | | | made on them. Yet they are not depressed. The |
| demands made upon them are stressors, not stress. | | | | demands do not weigh heavily on them. They |
| They then must understand that their response to | | | | embrace them, and respond with smiles. They accept |
| those demands constitutes stress. Finally, if they are to | | | | the challenge of getting everything done well and on |
| get a grasp on practical stress management, they will | | | | time because they choose to accept it that way. |
| need to know that there are two kinds of stress. One, | | | | The same type of response can be enlisted on other |
| eustress, is beneficial. The other, distress, is detrimental. | | | | occasions that call for stress management. Much of |
| Students who understand these concepts, and | | | | what students view as negative stress can be turned |
| embrace them, have unlocked the first door leading to | | | | around, energizing them to excel. |
| stress management. | | | | Is this a false, rosy-tinted view of stress management? |
| 2. Action Plan: With a firm understanding of the | | | | Not at all. Does this negate principles such as deep |
| definitions, students are ready to formulate a stress | | | | breathing, exercise, healthy diet, and regular sleep? No. |
| management action plan. They are ready for the | | | | As we said, this is not an attempt to provide every |
| proverbial locking of the barn door to prevent the | | | | key to stress management. It is an effort to look at |
| horse's escape. | | | | keys that are being neglected. |
| Armed with the knowledge that stress is the response | | | | Stress management among students in universities |
| to stressors, students can learn to control that | | | | can be stripped of many programs, drugs, and |
| response. They can determine to take specific, | | | | therapies if these keys are used well. |
| proactive steps to prepare for stressors. They can, in | | | | |