By Eric Poe/reporter
Counselor Lori Leach discussed stress management and relaxation techniques with TR students April 12.
“It’s important to know the signs of stress and how to deal with it before it’s too late and you become completely overwhelmed,” she said.
Leach said stress results from many situations and has positive and negative effects.
“Stress comes from responsibilities, relationships, school, finances, health concerns and concerns about your future, among other things,” she said. “Stress isn’t all bad. We need stress. It’s how we stay motivated. It’s when you’re distressed that it turns bad.”
Leach gave different signs of stress.
“There are physical signs such as headaches and fatigue. There are emotional signs such as irritability and mood swings,” she said. “Then there are the behavioral signs like abuse of alcohol or other drugs and neglecting one’s appearance.”
People can deal with stress by choosing their battles, managing their time better, changing the way they perceive situations and engaging in healthy practices, Leach said.
“When working on big projects or when you have multiple assignments, you should plan ahead and break the big jobs into smaller ones,” she said. “Also, you need to work whenever you have the most energy and are alert.”
People need to rest their minds by taking 15-minute breaks every 45 minutes, Leach said.
“When I say healthy practices, I mean getting enough sleep and exercising,” she said. “You should also eat healthy foods as research has shown that it helps you handle stress.”
Leach offered another way to handle stress.
“Every once in a while, you should treat yourself,” she said. “You should do whatever makes you feel pampered because you deserve it.”
Relaxation was the next point of discussion.
“The goal of relaxation is to feel better, calmer, more confident and ready to deal with your life,” she said.
Relaxation techniques include deep breathing, progressive relaxation and visualization.
“What we want when we do these is to feel more relaxed,” she said.
At the end of the presentation, Leach led the students through different relaxation techniques.
