Fighting the freak-out

By: Jason Emord

A few years ago, I recall a cartoon of a frantic looking fish swimming around in a Waring blender with the caption “I can’t stand the stress.” It seems that discussions of stress and coping reappear in the scientific and popular press on a fairly regular basis.

Given the recent uncertainty of financial markets, mortgages and job prospects (or lack thereof), it is no wonder that people are at present feeling “stressed-out..” So why is this a big problem?

Unmanaged or chronic stress can result in a number of physical and psychological symptoms including insomnia, anxiety, depression, chronic pain and cardiovascular disease. The American Stress Institute reports that 75 percent of visits to physicians are for stress-related complaints.

The problem of managing stress is particularly relevant to students who face challenges such as classes, work and relationships often with limited support resources, time and funds. There are, however, a number of practical and low-cost strategies for managing stress.

Stressors in our lives typically arise from the things that are most important to us such as family, friends and work.

Understanding how we individually cope with our stress is important for learning how to better manage it.

First, stress is not always a bad thing. In fact, stressors often help us to get things accomplished.

However, stress can become maladaptive when the frequency (too often), intensity (too much) and duration (too long) become too great. For example, for some people, a minor situation such as being stuck in traffic can elicit emotional responses such as anxiety, worry and anger that result in physical responses such as hyperventilation – rapid shallow breathing – increased blood pressure and muscle tension.

Over the past five decades, research has identified two important and interlinked components and resulting strategies for managing stress.

The first strategy involves modifying our interpretation or response to stressors and the second involves lowering the harmful physiological responses that can result from unmanaged stress. Both areas are important and interact with each other in a cyclic manner.

One approach that is useful in understanding why some people seem to manage life’s stressors with feelings of hope and confidence while others become both physically and mentally worn down by the same challenges involves a concept termed sense of coherence.

Sense of coherence is divided into three areas: comprehensibility (how predictable or understandable the problem is), manageability (are there resources available to solve the problem) and meaningfulness (does life in general make sense or have purpose).

The re-interpretation of stressors in a more positive light is one way of managing stress and can be accomplished using a number of methods.

For example, the shelves of most bookstores and some libraries are packed with a range of self-help and inspirational books that outline a variety of cognitive-behavioral information and techniques helpful for managing stress.

Another more physical approach to managing our stress uses relaxation techniques. Although there are a variety of relaxation techniques and systems, there are three basic components that are common to each of them.

These components include a passive attitude toward intruding thoughts, repetition (spoken mantra, controlled breathing, etc.), and a quiet and peaceful state of mind.

Although modifying one’s stress response is easier said than done, there are a multitude of resources to help. The choice of an approach, technique or system partly depends on your level of distress, your personal goals and how much time you can put into the process.

The first place to start is with an honest self-appraisal. Maladaptive stress affects the function and balance in the five main areas of life: physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and social.

Take a close look at how stress interferes most in your life.

Next, determine how much time and effort you are willing to commit into action toward obtaining your personal goals. Be honest and realistic about this; keep it simple, you don’t want to increase your present level of stress and doom your efforts to failure by trying to do too much too soon.

Personal goals might include achieving or improving your physical and mental wellness, managing your current levels of stress and changing your unhealthy stress response into a more healthy challenge response.

Approaches to stress management that have a scientific, clinical or experiential basis include coping skills training, various forms of meditation, yoga, breathing and progressive muscle relaxation techniques, biofeedback and guided visualization.

The most effective way to learn these techniques is through interactions with others such as professional therapists and counselors, personal instructors, classes, groups or seminars.

Opportunities for training are often available through university or community education programs at locations such as the YMCA, hospitals, high schools and churches.

At UNLV, stress-related studies take place continually.

A meditation study was recently completed in the Anthropology Department.

A study concerning highly stressed couples is currently being conducted through UNLV’s department of marriage and family therapy, which teaches participants techniques to help them better manage stress in their lives.

To be involved in this study, call Kim Rogers at (702) 563-1000.