Finals
and The Holidays
Debra Lafler
Health Educator
December
is the month when everything seems to peak.
It comes at the end of the fall semester and right in the middle
of the holiday season. Students are not only dealing with the holidays,
but also with finals. Stress
is high on campus this time of year, and the Student Health Center would
like to make sure that students take care of themselves.
Holidays
are supposed to be joyous, so why are they so stressful? With holidays
come family - immediate and extended, friend, traditions, events,
dinners, parties, vacations, shopping cooking, food & eating.
alcohol & drugs, and gifts. Trying
to deal with all of the family and friends issues, shopping and planning
needs, and going to the dinners and parties, takes a toll on
everyone’s emotions. Furthermore,
in the middle of this whirlwind of events, students have to try to find
the time and energy to prepare themselves to take final examinations.
No wonder everyone is stressed out.
What
are some signs of stress?
-
Anxiety
-
Back
pain
-
Constipation
or Diarrhea
-
Depression
-
Fatigue
-
Headaches
-
High
Blood Pressure
-
Insomnia
-
Relationship
problems
-
Stiff
neck
-
Shortness
of breath
-
Upset
stomach
-
Overeating
or not eating
-
Weight
loss or gain
So
we are stressed, who cares?
Stress is
okay if it is not overwhelming. A
little stress can be good in that in causes an improvement in physical
and mental work. For example, if a person is anxious about a test or a race,
the stress give the person a boost to do well.
This is due to the body’s natural response to stress in an
emergency situation - when a person needs to fight of flee. But every person has a “push point;”
if
stress goes beyond that point, physical and mental work decrease. Again,
this is a natural response. When
stress goes past a person’s “push point” .
Around
finals and the holidays season, stress is at its max.
In order to cope with it. some
students turn to healthy means, such as working out or taking relaxation
time-outs. But many
students turn to unhealthy means to reduce stress, such as overeating,
drinking alcohol, and doing drugs. Here are some tips to getting through
this season:
Time
Management - plan your days and weeks in advance for:
-
Events,
parties, dinners, get-togethers,
-
Study
and homework time
-
Shopping
for food and gifts
-
Personal
time - time for yourself
Know
what your stressors are - and prepare for them
Know
how much you can handle - know when to say “No”
Don’t
worry about things that you can’t control
Set
realistic goals at home and work
Get
shopping done early
Make
sure to take time out for yourself (to reduce stress)
Sleep
- make sure to get enough sleep
Keep
up with your workouts - or at least go for walks (to reduce stress)
Try
not to overeat
Limit
sweet and fats
Limit
alcohol and cigarettes stay away from drugs.
Prepare
for dealing with relatives
Keep
smiling- enjoy seeing the family and friends that you don’t get to
see most of the year.
The
student Health Center is going to be reminding students and staff to
take it easy this season. They
will be preparing a poster campaign and will be handing out information
at certain times during the month.
Just before the break, the Student Health Center is also going to
be hosting the “Jingle Bell” campaign to remind students not to
drink and drive.
The
“Jingle Bell” campaign table will run Dec 8 - 10th from 10am to 2pm
in the cafeteria. Come by
the table to get your jingle bell and remind others not to drink and
drive during the break.
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