FINALS GUIDE
13
Finding positive ways to manage finals stress
BY RACHEL SCHWARTZ
rschwartz@kansan.com
Students who are suffering from stress at the end of the semester can find ways to cope.
Tanya Fisher, Olathe psychotherapist, said everybody has stress at some time or another.
"Whenever someone is doing too much or when they don't have the coping skills to make it through what they're doing, they will get stressed," Fisher said. "You're going to have it, so you need to find a good coping strategy or a way to deal with it that's healthy."
Fisher said people cope with stress in different ways. Because this is the case, she said people need to find the certain activities that relieve their stress.
Kristin Constance, Augusta sophomore, has found her personal stress-reliiving activity.
"I watch the Food Network," Constance said. "Barefoot Contessa is the best. It really helps calm me down."
While watching television helps some people, it is just one of many stress relievers. Fisher said prioritizing, making lists, getting rest and asking for help are some other good ways to relax. However, she said that some people do try to cope with stress in negative ways. She said two of the worst ways are drinking and eating too much.
Something else that should be avoided is trying to ignore the stress.
"Ignoring your stress is bad." Constance said. "I used to do that. I thought I could just keep pushing myself, but it made it worse. You should try to find a way to deal with stress that calms you down instead."
Andrew Cirocco, Mission Hills sophomore, finds that activities such as listening to music, rock climbing and "just kind of chilling out" help him.
"They get my mind off of what I'm doing," Cirocco said. "It's all these things I enjoy doing that, for the most part, I can quit whenever I want or need to. So when I'm stressed out I can
do those things for a bit and then go straight back to my work."
He said he thinks that keeping these two things separate - relaxing and studying - is a key factor in staying on track and keeping stress to a minimum.
"When you do something half-way, not only is it unproductive but it also wastes time," Cirocco said. "You could be studying in front of the TV for three hours and think you're getting stuff done, but in reality you're not getting anything done. I think it is better to relax and then study; don't mix them. If you mix them, you won't retain a lot of the information you're trying to remember and you'll be wasting your time completely."
Failed attempts to cope with stress can not only waste time but can cause more severe problems.
"Stress can affect you physically," Fisher said. "It can cause things such as high blood pressure and anxiety or panic. It can cause depression in the more severe cases. It can also affect relationships, school and work if it's not handled right."
That is why it is important to deal with stress in a positive way, such as the ways mentioned above or by exercising.
"The endorphins and other good-feeling chemicals are released in your body when you exercise," Fisher said. "That's why it helps you feel better and deal with stress."
— Edited by Samantha Foster
Constance agreed with this and said she goes to the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center sometimes when she is stressed out. She said she knows that it helps because of the endorphins but thinks there are other reasons too.
"It's kind of mindless," Constance said. "You just move, you know. It gives your brain a rest. When you're stressed, just do anything that will calm you down."
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