{"id":1123,"date":"2021-10-18T14:38:28","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T21:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/?p=1123"},"modified":"2021-10-18T14:38:28","modified_gmt":"2021-10-18T21:38:28","slug":"mid-term-madness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/mid-term-madness\/","title":{"rendered":"Mid-Term Madness"},"content":{"rendered":"

3 Tips to Manage and Prevent Stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"Midterm stress is the worst. So much to do and we’re only half way. It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. <\/span><\/p>\n

Stress affects everything – motivation, sleep, eating habits, social life, and your body image – just to name a few. This is why it is so important to know how to manage your stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But what is stress, really<\/em>? By definition, stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. Stress is also the feeling of emotional or physical tension. <\/span><\/p>\n

When you start to feel overwhelmed or tense, your body produces a stress response. This response is called the \u201cflight or fight\u201d response. Adrenaline starts pumping, heart races, blood pressure rises, muscles tighten, and breath quickens. <\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019ve felt this way on a scary rollercoaster! Usually this feeling doesn\u2019t last for very long, but it can turn into chronic stress. Chronic stress causes fatigue, loss of appetite, hair loss, digestive problems, and difficulty concentrating. You can see how chronic stress can negatively affect many aspects of life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stress sounds pretty bad, huh? Well, it\u2019s not all bad. Your stress response helps keep you out of dangerous situations. It can even help boost you into a productive day! Chronic stress isn\u2019t all that great, but it can be managed so that it is only an amount of stress that can help you. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some helpful tips to MANAGE your mid-semester stress:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"Tip 1: Notice it<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Be mindful of how you are feeling. Stressed? Take a break from what you are doing and practice mindfulness. Talk to yourself and list out the facts. Try to put whatever is stressing you out into perspective. You can even write this down in a journal!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip 2: Breath<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When you start to feel tension build up, pause, and take a deep breath. Keep practicing deep breathing while being mindful of your body and how you are feeling in that moment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip 3: Self-care<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Do something you love. Bake, play an instrument, go for a walk, watch a movie, go to the gym, practice yoga, or paint a picture. Distract yourself for a bit with an activity you enjoy. You will feel better and when you turn back to the stressor, you will be able to approach it with a better attitude.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But how can we prevent stress from ruining our lives in the first place?<\/span><\/p>\n

Figure out what typically causes stress in your life. Maybe it\u2019s homework, arguments, your busy schedule, work, or an overwhelming friend. Obviously, you cannot prevent stress all the time. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are things you can do to PREVENT stress moving forward:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tip 1: Make a schedule. <\/strong><\/h4>\n

You will notice how writing down meetings, due dates, and social activities will help free up some brain space so you can focus on more important things. Sticking to a schedule will help you not feel stressed or overwhelmed during a busy day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip 2: Create a list. <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Each day, write down what needs to get done. Write down assignments, chores, and exercise routines. It always feels good to check an item off a list, and it also helps you remember what you need to accomplish each day. Don\u2019t overwhelm yourself with this list, just write down your top priorities and whatever extra time you have can be focused on less important responsibilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip 3: Get enough sleep. <\/strong><\/h4>\n

By getting enough sleep each night, you will be able to approach the day with a clear and rested mind. When a stressful event rises, you are more likely to experience a major stress response when you are lacking sleep. But if you are well rested, what should be a stressful event may not make you feel stressed at all!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you are noticing stress starting to negatively affect multiple aspects of your life, come book a FREE initial session with a health coach! We are here to help you manage and prevent stress so that you can make successful changes in your life to live a healthy lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\n Hannah Rahn, UCAN Health Coach Manager<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

3 Tips to Manage and Prevent Stress Midterm stress is the worst. So much to do and we’re only half way. It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Stress affects everything – motivation, sleep, eating habits, social life, and your body image – just to name a few. This is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1123"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1127,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1123\/revisions\/1127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}