By Kendra Decker/reporter
People’s responses to stressors in life can create or eliminate negative stress in their lives, one South Campus counselor said last week.
Sandra Johnson described stressors and common reactions in an April 10 seminar, sponsored by student development services.
There is good and bad stress, Johnson said. Removal of negative or bad stress from life will allow for a more enjoyable lifestyle.
“Be realistic about you and your situation,” she said.
Many people at TCC have come back to school for different reasons and feel behind in their education, Johnson said. Everyone has a different story, but she said people should leave their differences in the past.
Stressors in daily life include what Johnson described as the Halt System: H-Hungry, A-Anger, L-Loneliness, T-Time. Eating adequate portions throughout the day along with monitoring personal timing can help manage frustration and head off any unexpected surge of anxiety.
Johnson said posture is also related to stress. Slouching in and out of chairs creates unnecessary tension in the back.
“The human body is meant to be mobile, not sitting in a chair all day,” she said. This inactivity, Johnson said, is why more and more adults are experiencing arthritis and weight gain at younger ages. Johnson explained pressure points in the hands and feet, which people can use as relaxing mechanisms while sitting in class or working a long day at the office.
Johnson has 25 years experience counseling and said she enjoys working with people from every different walk of life.
She began the seminars on coping with stress in the early 1990s when lay-offs were common and many people were turning to alcohol and suicide for solace. She now provides service to individuals seeking to comprehend all the factors involved in the tension of everyday life.
The seminar is given once a semester, free of charge.
“Ms. Johnson had good material, I only wish the presentation was longer,” student Jacqueline Melton said.
For more information about counseling or stress management, contact Johnson at her office, SACT 1402A.
