Level One

Stress is the perception of a threat or demand combined with the perception that our responses are inadequate.

Function: Be Alert! Pay Attention!

Fight/Flight Response: An automatic physiological response designed to ensure physical survival:

• Heart pumps faster, chest pains
• Sweating
• Breathing fast & shallow
• Muscles tense or tighten
• Hearing and vision become more acute
• Brain releases hormones such as adrenaline & cortisone

This response was once very adaptive, but may be an over-reaction to stressors in modern life.

Some stress is good for you!

Eustress is healthy stress:

• It makes life exciting
  e.g. when facing new experiences
• It can be motivating
  e.g. when we need to perform - exam, athletics
• It keeps us alert for problem solving
  e.g. when overcoming a challenge
• It is temporary
  e.g. when the threat disappears, the stress disappears

Distress is when your body and mind's stress response is prolonged, and the "alerting response" fails to cease. When this occurs, your stress symptoms build in intensity and you experience unhealthy stress and anxiety. When our behaviors are inconsistent with our values, we experience a type of stress known as cognitive dissonance.

There are different ways people react to stress, which produce different kinds of symptoms:

• Physical – how your body feels
• Cognitive – how you think
• Social – how you interact with others
• Spiritual – how life challenges your beliefs
• Emotional – how you experience feelings

Click here for a Stress Symptoms Checklist (PDF 1.47MB) is adopted from Kate Young, Ph.D. and designed to help you better understand how you react to stress.  Think about your symptoms during the past two weeks.  This will not generate a score and is for your reflection.  We encourage you to keep a record of the completed checklist to monitor changes and improvements in your stress symptoms.

The Stress Symptoms Checklist is a clickable PDF form. The form works in Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari, but does not always work in Firefox. If you are having trouble selecting checkboxes, please download the PDF to your computer to use it.

We all have our own needs and limits - taking good care of yourself means paying attention to what you need in order to be healthy, happy, and productive.

Self care is different than being selfish. Being selfish means doing whatever you want to do, without consideration for others' thoughts, feelings, and needs - even if your behavior is harmful to others.

Healthy Self Care is different. If you take good care of yourself, you will have more resources and energy to:

• Take care of other people
• Handle responsibilities and commitments
• Enjoy your day to day life

Self care makes you stronger, healthier, and happier!

Everyone has different ways of taking care of themselves. You are the expert on yourself and will know best how to take care of yourself in a healthy, positive way.

The Self Care Inventory has common healthy self care strategies. There may be lots of other strategies that work for you - feel free to enter your own in the spaces marked ‘other’.

Download the Self Care Assessment (PDF 81KB) and get your Self Care Score!

Sometimes you may engage in behaviors that make you feel better for a little while, but which may not be healthy and positive in the long run. These are Negative Coping Techniques. Luckily, there are lots of things you can do that are both enjoyable and healthy. These are Positive Coping Techniques.

Click here for a Stress Coping Checklist (PDF 1.03MB)* is adopted from Kate Young, Ph.D. and designed to help you better understand your coping style!  Think about your coping techniques during the past two weeks. This will not generate a score and is for your reflection. We encourage you to keep a record of the completed checklist to monitor changes and improvements in your coping style.

Want more tips for good self care? Check out our Strategies List below.

Remember: Work Hard, Play Hard, Rest Hard!

* The Self Care Inventory is a clickable PDF form. The form works in Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari, but does not always work in Firefox. If you are having trouble filling in the form, please download the PDF to your computer to use it.

Set good boundaries - boundaries are ways to maintain your own space, whether it’s physical, emotional, or psychological

• Put a sign on your door when you need to be alone or have some space
• Give yourself permission to ignore emails/calls/messages from demanding people once in a while
• Remember to manage your own struggles first before trying to help others with their issues

Get a buddy to keep you accountable

• Be physically unavailable if needed
• Hide in the library
• Study at your favorite coffee shop
• Go to Santana Row
• Get out of town

Clearly define your priorities and values

Keep a sense of perspective - sometimes a problem gets bigger in our heads than it is in real life!

Manage your time wisely

• Set a schedule to include extracurricular duties, academic responsibilities, exercise, specific self-care strategies, etc
• Make sure your time management schedule is balanced & reflects your priorities

Track your own repetitive patterns

• Do I encourage boundary violations?
• Do I consistently consider my own needs last?
• Do I assume too much responsibility for others?
• Do I have to take care of others and not let anyone know my pains, struggles and growing edges?
• Do I recognize when I am in way over my head?/ Can I acknowledge that and ask for help?
• Am I afraid people won’t like me if I say no/ set boundaries?

Utilize your spiritual resources

• Go to the meditation room
• Engage in mindfulness work
• Take time for prayer

Seek help and support on a regular basis - not just when you are in a crisis

• Seek support from peers and professionals