By Devin Rodgers/reporter
Students learned how stress can affect the body and how laughter can help manage stress at Laughing Your Way Through Stress April 4 on South Campus.
South Campus nurse Flo Stanton presented the speech, one of a three-part stress management series sponsored by health services and Women In New Roles.
Stanton’s presentation was the final in the series, which follows Balancing Multiple Roles and Positive Self Talk.
“ [Stress] can affect us physically; it can affect us emotionally, and certainly it can affect us behaviorally,” she said.
There can be many negative consequences from not properly managing stress, including damage to the immune system, hypertension, heart attacks or strokes and perhaps aggravation of illnesses such as cancer and diabetes.
Laughter is a natural pain reliever and tension reducer that helps relax the muscles in the body and helps strengthen the immune system, Stanton said.
“ Laughter braces the spirit, and gives us hope,” she said.
Students who find themselves under a lot of stress should get out of their negative environment and into a positive one, Stanton said.
Wanting the students to realize laughter can come out of nowhere, from anywhere at anytime, Stanton led an exercise to get them up and laughing at themselves.
Increasing playfulness and creativity can also help reduce stress.
“ Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself and your surroundings every once in awhile with objectivity and acceptance,” she said.
Stanton said people are most at ease when they are in their comfort zones.
“ Life is a series of changes, and they tend to take us out of our comfort zone,” she said. “Being comfortable is also important to reducing stress.”
Deciding whether or not to study for tests and exams certainly will come with positive and negative consequences, but it is important to always remember that a person has a choice.
“ Remember you have a choice to do something or not: no one is forcing you to do anything,” she said.
Along with the presentation, Stanton, who also serves as coordinator of the South Campus health center, distributed a packet with more information on stress and a list of 81 different things one can do to help relieve stress.
Students finding it difficult to deal with the stress of classes or prepare for finals can contact health services at 817-515-4531.
