Managing Stress This essay is about managing the stress of university studies. We will look at many different people's ideas and perspectives on how to manage stress. I will also give my opinions on how I think stress can be controlled or alleviated. The first thing we need to do is ask ourselves a very important question: "what is stress"? WHAT IS STRESS? According to an Australian doctor, Hans Selye (1979), stress is the body's non-specific response to any demands placed on it. The body responds in many ways. One is blood loss and the other is lack of sleep. Both are nonspecific responses, yet all demands made on the body evoke generalized, nonspecific responses. For example, they do not allow you to concentrate as you would normally expect, they activate the sympathetic nervous system and also increase the amount of the hormone epinephrine that is released into your body. When people say they've been under a lot of stress, they're usually referring to a couple of unpleasant experiences. Now that we have an idea of ​​what stress is, the next question we should ask ourselves is “what is or can cause stress?”. CAUSES OF STRESS There are many different things that cause stress. One would be if you have an important essay to hand in and want to do your best to impress your seminar leader. Another might be related to peers or family. All in all, it is things, events, situations and people that cause stress. It is how we perceive them that will determine whether or not stress will be the result of the encounter. Not only negative situations are the cause of stress. Joy and happiness can also cause stress, even if they are positive. In a sense, we choose our own stressors. Selye noted that in the absence of stress there is death. Current researchers are also finding that insufficient stress can be a major cause of depression or boredom. It is therefore up to us to choose the best stressors and the optimal stress level. As we have now started to understand the definition of stress and the causes, we now ask ourselves “what can I do to control my stress”? STRESS CONTROL Many studies have been conducted on stress management. A group of researchers found that many college students tended to gain weight during their first year away from home. These ³...... middle of paper ......and how some are for your own emotional well-being. There are even some that help with both. All in all stress seems to occur depending on the perception of everyday events, people and things, as stress occurs on different occasions for different people. Stress Management #REFERENCES Adams, J.D. (1980). Understanding and Managing Stress, San Diego: University Associates. Kalat, J. W. (1993). Introduction to Psychology: Third Edition. Pacific Grone: Brooks/Cole Publishing House. Pfeifer, J. E., & Ogloff, J. R. P. (1990). Getting the grade: Strategies for succeeding in college. Lincoln: J. E. P. and J. R. P. O. Rathbone, J. L. (1969). Relax. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger. Reni, Kuala Lumpur (1985). Stress and illness. Pleasantville: Human Relations Media Inc. Romano, J. L. (1984). Stress management and well-being: Going beyond the counselor's office. Journal of Personnel and Orientation, 62(9), 533-537. Ross, J. (1993). The Original Student Calendar, Winlaw: Polestar Calendars Ltd. Williams, J.M., Decker, T.W., Libassi, A. (1983), The impact of stress management training on the academic performance of low-achieving college students. Journal of College Student Personnel, 24(6), 491-494. Word count: 2062