First to Pile on April's...sorry.

Stress leads to Success!

Alyssa Quinn, 21-year-old junior in mechanical engineering, said nothing helps her reduce stress like taking fake engagement pictures with cute boys.
There are many things USU students do to ease the stress associated with finals week.
“When I need to clear my mind I take pictures or give funky new hairstyles to my roommates,” Quinn said.
The last week of the semester can be a scary week on campus. It is a common sight to see nervous students frantically flipping through pages in the library or reviewing flash cards as they bustle to class.
Jim Davis, Medical Director at the Student Health and Wellness Center, said stress management is critical but completely avoiding stress can stop a student’s progression.
“There is a healthy balance between stress and growth,” Davis said, “We could not grow, thrive or develop on any level without stress.”
Davis said if students wish to succeed in any realm—athletics, physical characteristics, or the anxiety of test taking—there must be some stress.
Davis strongly encourages students to figure out what stress relieving techniques helps them best manage, not avoid, stress.
Davis suggests socializing, but not using substances, at parties because social interaction has proven to be a positive way to lower stress levels.
Kelsi Callister, freshman in elementary education, loves joining in on her roommate five-minute dance parties that happen every hour in her apartment during intense times of stress.
Callister also said she loves to throw random, fake, surprise birthday parties and go for strolls through the cemetery when she needs to clear her mind.
“Dead people can’t stress me out,” she said. “They are already dead so I can just walk around in peace.”
Several people use walking or exercise as a stress reduction method. Another common method is people watching.
Ashley Ylst, junior in elementary education, said she prefers fish tanks to people.
“I like to watch the fish at Wal-Mart,” Ylst said, “They are calming.”
While observing fish at Wal-Mart may relieve stress for some, Davis suggests avoiding shopping as a stress management method.
Davis said a recent study proved that shopping increases the risk of being in a high stress group by three times the normal amount.
In addition to shopping, Davis said prayer was another method that was surprisingly suggested as counter productive to relieving stress.
Other variables the study identified as counter productive risk factors included vacationing, writing in a journal, mentally blocking stress and cleaning, Davis said.
However, the study also suggested some protective factors for stress reduction, Davis said. These include sleeping, calling a parent, singing and playing an instrument.
Davis said students need to learn which technique works best for them.
“I personally go to my happy place,” he said.
Davis said he likes to imagine digging his toes in the warm sand or he reflects on memories from his childhood. He said students can physically turn away from the source of stress by closing their eyes and focusing on other visual images.
“Stress is the salt of life,” he said. “Without stress, life would have no flavor.”
Davis said the more stress one has, the more potential a student has for succeeding. Davis said as stress increases, accomplishments increase, until one hits the point of burning out, which is when stress becomes counterproductive.
Everyone just needs to know how much stress they can handle before they burn out, Davis said.
When students hit or go past the point of burn out, depression might set in, Davis said. Statistically, more students visit the SHWC because of depression than any other ailment and stress is a major contributing factor to depression.
Students may feel overwhelmed or stressed because they are trying to juggle too many tasks, Davis said.
Brian Laird, junior in mechanical engineering, said, “Juggling gets my mind off of my problems,” Laird said, “because it’s rhythmic and distracts me from the troubles of school.”
Everyone has something special they can do to better manage their stress levels while still keeping a positive outlook on life, Laird said.