Academic Skills Center
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, California
ASC Study Skills Library
Kennedy Library 112 ~ 805-756-1256
http://sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl.html
STRESS MANAGEMENT
What is Stress?
Stress is defined as a response to a demand that is placed upon you. Stress in a normal reaction
when your brain recognizes a threat. When the threat is perceived, your body releases
hormones that activate your “fight or flight” response. This fight or flight response is not limited
to perceiving a threat, but in less severe cases, is triggered when we encounter unexpected
events. Psychologist Richard S. Lazarus best described stress as “a condition or feeling that a
person experiences when they perceive that the demands exceed the personal and social
resources the individual is able to mobilize.” For most people, stress is a negative experience.
How does it affect you?
Stress may cause you to have physiological, behavioral or even psychological effects.
Physiological – hormone release triggers your fight or flight response. These hormones help
you to either fight harder or run faster. They increase heart rate, blood pressure, and
sweating. Stress has been tied to heart disease. Because of the increase in heart rate and
blood pressure, prolonged stress increases the tension that is put on the arteries. It also
affects your immune system which is why cold and flu illness usually show up during exams.
Behavioral – it may cause you to be jumpy, excitable, or even irritable. The effects of stress
may cause some people to drink or smoke heavily, neglect exercise or proper nutrition, or
overuse either the television or the computer.
Psychological – the response to stress may decrease your ability to work or interact
effectively with other people, and be less able to make good decisions. Stress has also been
known to play a part in anxiety and depression.
What causes Stress?
Stressors are anything that cause or increase stress. Below are a few examples:
1. Academics – by far the biggest stressor for college students: the pressure of not failing.
2. Dating – relationship problems may add to the pressure/stress of academics.
3. Environment – certain environments can bring about stress such as discussing/viewing
heated topics, slow moving traffic, trying to find a parking spot, etc.
4. Extracurricular – some students may feel pressured to make extracurricular activities a part
of their daily routine to the point where every hour of the day is accounted for.
5. Peers – peer pressure is a major stressor, especially pressure that is negatively influenced.
6. Time Management – one of the biggest stressors is not knowing how to plan and execute
daily activities such as class, work, study time, extracurricular activities, and time alone.
7. Money – some student find themselves thinking more about money than they do anything
else. Money is a huge stressor that college students face.
