By: Kaydence M. On the medical side, stress is caused by a release of hormones caused by the fight-or-flight response - the body’s response to danger that allows you to quickly react to dangerous situations, by preparing you to either, well, fight or flee. This response evolved because of human’s dangerous lives in early history, but it is still triggered by less immediately life-threatening events today. Someone’s response to stress depends on what side of the fight-or-flight response they fall on. The symptoms of stress also depend on another factor, which is whether the stress is acute or chronic. Acute stress is a short burst of stress that goes away quickly, like when you have to take a test. Long term stress is called chronic stress, and it lasts for weeks or months. This is where you will most likely start feeling the effects most associated with stress: tension, nausea, sleep problems, etc. In a survey conducted at LANV, all respondents said they were stressed a majority of the time, and most answered that more than half of their stress was caused by school. 50% of students said they had an average ability to cope with stress , and only 6.3% said they dealt with it extremely well. 75% of students believe stress affects their physical health. Some mentioned lack of sleep due to stress, headaches, or a general inability to think clearly. Another common experience was someone not being able to enjoy their favorite activities due to stress. While some respondents said that stress can motivate them to get their work done, others said it was overwhelming or paralyzing. It’s clear, then, that stress management is a skill that most people could improve on. First, some stress relief you could do from your desk. To start, you could take a break, as many survey respondents suggest doing. For something quick to do on your break, meditation and breathing exercises can decrease your heart rate and clear your mind. Guided meditation is available through phone apps, youtube, or even Netflix! Another thing you could do is repeat calming phrases to yourself to mitigate the fight-or-flight response. According to a stress class taught by Mrs. Parker, the part of our brain that triggers fight-or-flight can’t tell the difference between something life threatening and not, so repeating phrases like “we are not in danger” and “nothing will hurt us,” can calm our brains down from thinking that we are in immediate life-threatening danger, reducing the feeling of panic stress causes. Other respondents mentioned art, journaling, or music. Art and journaling can be good ways to vent emotions, and music heals, strengthens, and relaxes our brains. It’s recommended that you listen to complex music like baroque music, which is more helpful than the often simple chord structures found in pop songs. Outside of your desk, there are other options, both long-term and not, for reducing stress. Exercise is a great way to provide some relief. If you’re feeling anxious, it can be an outlet for the adrenaline from fight-or-flight. Exercise that isn’t hardcore can even help. Taking a walk, for example, can give some fresh air and peaceful scenery. Then there’s the classic habit changes that keep your brain from feeling fried. Staying hydrated and eating healthy gives your body adequate fuel to keep working. Maintaining a healthy sleep schedule is also preferable, so you don’t get burnt out in the middle of the day. A couple respondents even suggested taking a nap during your aforementioned breaks. It’s also important to set realistic expectations for how much work you can do before overloading your schedule. In a similar vein, find a style of work that suits you - splitting larger tasks into smaller ones, finding a study group, or trying the pomodoro technique (25 minutes of work and a 5 minute break). This was touched on with the journaling suggestion, but venting to friends and family can get some weight off your chest. You might even find helpful advice from the people around you. It is important to mention, though, that it’s also important to talk to a professional when stress and anxiety go too far. You could read all the articles in the world, but there’s nothing better for managing anxiety than some good professional help. Overall, it is incredibly important that we learn to manage stress, both acute and chronic. Although it may be motivating in small amounts, if left unchecked the fight-or-flight response can have less than desirable effects on someone’s physical and emotional wellbeing. It can never hurt to have more de-stressing techniques. References:
“Stress and Your Health.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Stress, reviewed by Carol Der Sarkissian, MD. WebMD, 01 Nov. 2021. “How to Do the 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise.” Cleveland Clinic, 6 Sept. 2022. Parker, Ruth. Stress Less, Enjoy More. Leadership Academy of Nevada,26 Sept. 2022. Webinar. (Only viewable to those with LANV google accounts)
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