Working With Your Stress Response

Managing existing stress (at Cornell or in the future) requires a bit of effort on your part. It will take some time and practice to learn to change the sources of stress in your life and/or your reactions to it. The good news is that learning to manage stress is not rocket science. Everyone can learn at least one way to improve their skills. Where can you start?

1. Recognize your stressors and reactions.

• Notice your distress. Don't ignore it. Don't gloss over your problems.

• Determine what specific events distress you. What are you telling yourself about the meaning of these events?

• Consider expectations about responding to the stressors. Are they realistic? Are you taking on too much? Whose expectations are you trying to meet?

• Be aware of how your body and mind respond to the stress. Do you become nervous or physically upset? angry or withdrawn? Be specific about what happens.

2. Learn what stressors you can alter.

• Eliminate any unnecessary stressors first.

• For those situations/tasks that you can't control or eliminate, determine if you can reduce their intensity. For instance, if reading an entire book feels overwhelming, focus on breaking the book into a manageable number of chapters and set aside adequate time to tackle them one at a time.

• Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break, leave the physical premises)?

3. Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions.

• Stress is triggered by your perception of a threat or challenge—(physical and/or emotional). Are you viewing your stressors in exaggerated terms and/or taking a difficult situation and making it a disaster? Are you expecting to please everyone? Are you expecting to be prefect? If so, watch out; this can only lead to disappointment over time.

• Are you overreacting and viewing things as absolutely critical and urgent? Do you feel you must always prevail in every situation? News flash: This is impossible!

• Work at adopting more moderate views; try to see the stress as something you can cope with rather than something that overpowers you.

• Try to temper your excess emotions. Put the situation in perspective. Do not dwell on the negative aspects and the "what if's." Remember, this particular test or paper will not really determine the rest of your life, even if it FEELS like it might!

4. Learn to moderate your physical reactions.

• Slow, deep breathing will bring your heart rate and respiration back to normal. Practice this, as well as other relaxation techniques, to reduce muscle tension. 

• Medications, when prescribed by a physician, may help in the short term in moderating your physical reactions. However, they alone are not "the" answer. Learning to moderate these reactions on your own is a preferable long-term solution.

5. Build your physical reserves.

• Exercise for cardiovascular fitness regularly (moderate, prolonged rhythmic exercise is best, such as walking, swimming, cycling, or jogging).

• Consider complementary approaches (e.g., acupuncture, massage, yoga) and other forms of holistic healthcare to boost energy reserves and stimulate your immune system.

• Eat well-balanced, nutritious meals.

• Avoid self-medicating (with alcohol, tobacco, sugar, caffeine, another's prescription medication, etc.)

• Take breaks from your work when you can. Even a ten minutes of stepping away and doing something different can refresh you.

• Get enough sleep. Be as consistent with your sleep schedule as possible.

6. Maintain your emotional reserves.

• Develop mutually-supportive friendships.

• Pursue realistic goals which are meaningful to you, rather than goals others have for you that you do not share.

• Expect frustrations, failures, and sorrows along the way. Reframe these as learning opportunities.

• Be kind and gentle with yourself. Treat yourself the way you treat your best friend.