Capsule Stress Management Techniques: Outline Term Paper

Prioritize. Try not to schedule too many things at once. In the words of one article by the health center at Colorado University entitled "10 Great Stress Reducers," learn to say 'no.' Also, learn to live within your budget. In other words, don't sweat the small stuff, and don't make yourself crazy by overcommitting yourself and leaving everything to the last minute. Ask yourself, do I need this? Do I have to do this?

Of course, no one can completely avoid stress in their life, and in fact, some forms of stress can be good. Lots of people like the positive, controlled stress of exercise or performing. There is a different 'perfect' balance of stress and relaxation for every person. But everyone can benefit from learning some ways to counteract the physical strains of being under stress. Stretching -- and stretching often, even simply rolling down your spine, touching your toes, or doing yoga if so inclined, can work against the heart-pumping, muscle-stiffening effects of the stress response. By encouraging your body to relax, your brain will begin to feel relaxed. Breathing in through your nose, out through your mouth counteracts the shallow breathing of the stress response.

Another important stress mitigation technique is getting enough sleep and eating properly. One of the difficult things about stressful times like finals is that when we are stressed we don't often have enough time to take care of our health, but it is during stressful times that we need to be more, rather than less careful about sleeping, eating, and taking a break."Even missing 2 hours of sleep 2 nights in a row can cause sleep deprivation, leading to that foggy, spaced-out feeling," according to the Colorado University Health center's advice on "How to Survive Finals." So long as you budget your time wisely, don't feel guilty about taking the time to work out at the gym and get some mood-busting endorphins churning in your brain, or going to the dining hall with friends!

But what if you always feel stressed out, even when nothing much is going on in your life? Chronic anxiety, even after you try these stress-busters, and even if the pressures of life that cause you the most stress are removed, is a severe problem for some people and may require more intensive counseling. Not all stressful situations can be dealt with simply by breathing, whether they have an external or psychological cause. However, regardless of your state of mental or physical wellness, time management and saying no, breathing and stretching, and having regular healthy habits can help reduce the stress in your life.

Works Cited

10 Great Stress Reducers." (2008). Colorado University. Retrieved 24 Feb 2008 at http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/wellness/NewSite/StressHelpfulTips10Great.htm

How to survive finals with less stress. (2008). Colorado University. Retrieved 24 Feb 2008 at http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/wellness/NewSite/StressHelpfulTipsFinals.html

Stressed Out?" (Jan 2007). The National Institute of Health. NIH. Retrieved 24 Feb 2008 at http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/pdf/NIHNiH%20January07.pdf

Stretch Often." (2008). Colorado University. Retrieved 24 Feb 2008 at http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/wellness/NewSite/StressHelpfulTipsStretch.html.....