'Tis the season for stress

-- Anna Middleton

The last couple months of the year can be very stressful for students, due to final exams, holiday preparations and much more.

One Metropolitan State University student, Jennifer Lambert-Smith, recalls a time during the holiday season that she felt particularly stressed. "Let's just say that in the midst of panic, I ended up unplugging our deep freezer and ruined Thanksgiving Dinner," she says.

How does stress work?

Brown University's Health Education Web page (http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/) explains that the body reacts to stress in three stages: alarm, resistance and exhaustion. The fight-or-flight response is the most common type of alarm stage. This is when the nervous system releases chemicals that prepare the body for action by increasing heart rate, breathing, alertness, muscle response and metabolism.

The body usually adapts to a prolonged stressor, such as an upcoming final, by entering the stage of resistance. Following resistance, the body enters exhaustion. Repeated exposure to this response can cause mental and physical damage.

How do I know when I'm overly stressed?

Brown University lists a few warning signs:

• Out-of-proportion anxiety
• Excessive moodiness
• Withdrawal from responsibility
• Constant insomnia
• Poor emotional control
• Marked Change in appetite or sex drive
• Chronic fatigue

How does stress affect my health?

Most people are familiar with the feelings of tension and anxiety that stress can produce and may not view it as a potential health threat. However, high-levels of stress can have serious physical and mental affects.

According to the Ohio State University Medical Center, emotional stress can lead to high blood pressure, increased susceptibility to substance abuse, less resistance to disease and depression.

How do I prevent stress?

Fellow students have some good ideas. Lambert-Smith says, "I try to remember what I've learned in my meditation classes, i.e. take a deep breath and count to five." She also recommends staying away from caffeine.

Mona Rath, another Metropolitan State student, says, "To reduce stress, I run. I love to wake early and go for a jog before work. I also take one day on the weekend to replenish and reflect. This gives me a fresh perspective on Monday mornings. There's something to be said for a day of Sabbath. We all need a mini-sabbatical from time to time."

Since spending holidays with a large extended family can be very stressful, Rath says she and her husband spent last Christmas by themselves at a North Shore lodge.

Rath sums up stress prevention by saying, "Life is unpredictable and ridiculous. Keep a sense of humor and you'll be just fine!"