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By听Alexander Martinez, senior, peer educator with Counseling and Psychological Services

Welcome to the third issue of How to Help a Friend (HHF). HHF aims to provide students with information and resources on a variety of mental health topics, and to interact with and support the CU-Boulder community through monthly events and articles in CU-Boulder Today.

November is an especially busy time for CU students as papers, exams, projects and presentations all seem to be happening at the same time. It鈥檚 natural to feel overwhelmed and to feel stressed. But what exactly is stress and what do we need to know in order to deal with it?

Though there isn鈥檛 one best definition for stress, here鈥檚 one that does a pretty good job summing it up:

Stress is a physiological and psychological reaction to a challenge.

There鈥檚 a lot packed into that one sentence, so let鈥檚 break it down:

• The physiological reaction to stress is our body preparing us to deal with some sort of adversity. Our heart rate and blood pressure go up, we start to sweat, our pupils dilate and digestion slows down.
• The psychological reaction is best described as a feeling of pressure to do something.
• The challenge is not inherently positive or negative; it鈥檚 something we have to experience and work through.

Perhaps the most popular myth about stress is that it鈥檚 always a bad thing. This is a fundamental misunderstanding about what stress does for us. As we just saw, stress prepares us to take on a challenge; it motivates us to get stuff done. Without stress, we would never feel the drive to tackle the challenges we are presented with.

Left unmanaged, however, this good stress can quickly become distress. Distress keeps our body and mind on overdrive, and can not only damage our physical health, but our mental health as well. Recognizing this shift to distress can be difficult, especially for the person who鈥檚 in distress. If you find yourself feeling constantly exhausted and overwhelmed, having trouble focusing and being productive, and using maladaptive behaviors to cope, such as increased substance use and procrastination, it鈥檚 time to get some help.

The good news is that there are a lot of things we can do to manage stress and make sure it鈥檚 helping us instead of hindering us.

Some stress management techniques:

• Take care of your body. Eat regular meals and focus on nutrition instead of indulging on 鈥渏unk food.鈥�
• Sleep regularly. Get the amount of sleep that makes you feel good, not too much or too little. Try to keep a consistent sleep schedule.
• Exercise. Exercise makes you feel good and energized. Stretch. Move. Breathe.
• Center yourself. Engage in activities that relax you.
• Get outside. Go for a walk or hike. Enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.
• Get creative. Find something creative that you enjoy. Paint, draw, take pictures, play music.
• Get organized. Break up big assignments. Make to-do lists. Use a planner.
• Change your schedule. Simplify your life if you are feeling overcommitted, or increase your responsibilities if you feel bored. Boredom can also be stressful.
• Involve others in your life. Talk to family or friends or seek extra support from a counselor or mentor.
• Generate success. Do at least one thing a day that makes you feel competent and in control. Mastery leads to self-confidence and makes you more resistant to negative emotions.

This is by no means a complete list, and the most important thing is figuring out a stress management system that works for you.

While this article is written as a guide for the reader, it鈥檚 important to recognize that the goal of HHF is to empower people both to help themselves, and to help others. We all experience stress, and so, prepared with the knowledge and tools to recognize distress in others, we can offer ideas and resources to our friends and peers.

Resources:

• - Want more information on stress management or other topics? Worried about someone? This is a peer-to-peer resource to help students help each other.
• - A free counseling resource for CU-Boulder听students. CAPS offers six free individual therapy sessions per academic year and free workshops and groups. They have walk-in hours M-F, 10 a.m.听鈥� 4 p.m. They are located at the Center for Community (C4C) in S440. Phone (24 Hour Line): 303-492-6766.
• Psychological Health and Psychiatry (PHP) - PHP is a multidisciplinary university clinic including staff from the fields of social work, nursing, psychology, psychiatry and counseling. The clinic's听aim is to provide the highest quality psychological health services in a time-efficient, clinically sound and sensitive manner, so that no student is turned away from receiving care. Students who have purchased the CU Student Gold Health Insurance are seen in the clinic without additional payment. Students without the Student Gold Health Insurance may be seen on a fee-for-service basis. Call 303-492-5654 to schedule an appointment.

CAPS Events/Groups:

• Stress Breaks 鈥� Feeling stressed out? Overwhelmed? Stress Break is a relaxation program provided for CU-Boulder students by trained volunteers from CAPS. The volunteers provide quick tips in managing stress and then guide students through a relaxation exercise. Stress Break volunteers are available to come to residence halls, student groups, Greek chapters, classes, meetings, academic departments听and anywhere that stressed-out students can be found. To request a Stress Break, please click here. Dr. Dorothy Moon will be in contact with you.
• How To Help a Friend Get Together 鈥� Join us for tea and snacks. If you have questions about resources or just want to stop by to say hello, you can find us every third听Tuesday of the month from 2:30听鈥� 4:30 p.m. at the Foyer (near the Norlin Commons Information Desk) at the Norlin Library. The next How to Help a Friend Get Together will be on Nov.听18,听from 2:30 鈥� 4:30 p.m. at the Norlin Library.
• Tai Chi 鈥� This class will utilize Tai Chi exercises as a way to release stress and increase a sense of calmness. It is intended to facilitate physical and psychological wellness, as well as to听increase your awareness of how stress impacts your daily life, health听and emotional well-being. Mondays from noon听鈥� 1 p.m.,听Sept.听8听- Dec.听8听in C4C room S350.
• Feel Good Fridays 鈥� Need a break? Want to unwind before the weekend? This drop-in group is an opportunity to be led through a powerful guided meditation to undo your stress, soothe your nervous system听and feel good. Please arrive on time so the meditation is not disturbed - there will be no late admittance. You are encouraged to bring materials for your personal comfort and to aid in your meditation, e.g., yoga mat, small cushion or pillow. All groups will take place at the CU Art Museum Visual Arts Complex on Fridays from 12:15 鈥� 12:45 p.m., Sept.听12听- Dec.听12.

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