What is stress?

Today, during my break, I went to the health center on campus. I asked for some information about common health problems faced by college students. One of the things I got the most information on was stress. What is stress? Stress is an emotional/bodily reaction to physical, psychological or emotional demands. This will definitely happen when you’re first starting college. I’ve definitely already felt some stress in the first week or so. What causes stress? Many things cause stress, such as major life changes, daily hassles, as well as the expectations we put on ourselves, the expectations of others, our physical environment and our internal environment. Some symptoms of unmanaged stress are; increased heart rate and blood pressure, irritability, fatigue, depression, lack of interest and ability to concentrate, avoidance behaviors, abuse of alcohol and other drugs. After reading about all the negative affects stress can have on your body, I wondered what things you could do to relieve stress. One of the biggest things was laughter. Humor and laughter can enhance your mood and bring happiness to your life, while strengthening your immune system. A good laugh can also reduce stress, lower blood pressure, elevate mood, boost immune system, improve brain functioning, protects the heart, connects you with others, and makes you feel good. There was so much information about how to reduce stress and to relax, and I think it will definitely help about a lot of students to visit the health center and get some information on stress and stress relief. They also give you a little stress kit, which I was particularly excited about.