Stress
When stress stops being healthy
Stress is a part of life and something you experience every day. In fact, stress is a healthy and sometimes necessary response in order to perform well, like the stress you experience before a job interview, an exciting football match or while taking your exams. . However, if you don’t make sure you spend enough time recharging your body, you will start to experience an unhealthy type of stress. This especially occurs when you suffer from stress for a longer period of time.
Recognizing (unhealthy) stress
Stress reveals itself in many different ways: while you might start biting your nails, your friend might start talking more quickly or laughing excessively. Nevertheless, all of us experience at least a few of the following symptoms, such as an accelerated heart rate, rapid (shallow) breathing, fatigue and a lack of energy, an increased/decreased appetite, headaches, muscle pain, sweating, dizziness and poor sleep.
Identifying your triggers
Do many of those symptoms sound familiar to you? And do you suffer from them repeatedly or for longer periods of time? Then it sounds like the perfect time for you to start identifying your triggers! Are there any problems concerning your studies or work? Are you constantly setting the bar (too) high for yourself? Or is someone else expecting you to? Are you too often concerned with what others think of you? Do you have any unhealthy dietary habits? Or has something unexpected happened in your life that you’re having difficulty dealing with? Understanding your triggers means being one step closer to finding a solution to reduce the amount of stress you are experiencing.
Thinking in solutions
It’s very tempting to keep thinking about your problems, but that would be a waste of your precious time. Instead, think about possible solutions! Write down any possible solution that can help you move forward. Think outside the box and dare to go outside your comfort zone. What advice would you give your friend in a similar situation? The more you try to think in solutions, the more natural it will become to you.
Did you know…
… that the way you perceive stress determines the influence it has on your body? For example, research has shown that stress actually only has a negative effect on your health when you think of stress as something negative. Psychologist Kelly McGonical tells you all about it in her TedTalk, in which she also provides tips on how to deal with stress.
Tackling stress with the help of a student coach
When you experience a lot of stress, it is important to recognize and acknowledge this. As student coaches, we are happy to help you find out what is causing your stress. We are more than willing to listen to your personal story and circumstances in order to help you move forward. Together we will take a deeper look into how we can reduce your stress and tension. Additionally, we will hand you useful knowledge and skill development for a more relaxed continuation of your studies.