Tip of the Week

The following feelings may be all too familiar to you: your heart starts racing, you feel the tension rising in your neck and shoulders, or your heart starts beating rapidly.

With all the changes and confusion with financial aid recently, it’s probably safe to say that you’ve experienced these feelings – also known as “some stress.” (Yes, that’s probably putting it mildly!)   

Short-term stress is healthy because it can motivate us and heighten our focus, energy, and resilience. Long-term or chronic stress is not healthy as it can wreak havoc on our mental and physical health.

The first Wednesday of November – this year November 4 – is National Stress Awareness Day, founded in 1998 by Carole Spiers, chair of the International Stress Management Association. A day dedicated to highlighting the impact of chronic stress on mental and physical health, it encourages individuals to learn and practice effective stress management strategies.

An article by Mayo Clinic staff highlights the short-term and long-term effects of stress on individuals and provides some stress management tips.

To keep stress under control, remember to:

• eat healthy.
• exercise.
• get plenty of sleep.
• take time for hobbies.
• have a sense of humor.
• volunteer.
• find a new way to look at challenges.

There’s no doubt that working in higher education is a stressful profession and it has become even more so in recent years.

It may be up to us to help ourselves and make those feelings of stress much less familiar.

– By Marlene Seeklander