{"id":4035,"date":"2018-10-04T00:00:58","date_gmt":"2018-10-04T00:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/wellness\/?p=4035"},"modified":"2018-10-25T19:58:04","modified_gmt":"2018-10-25T19:58:04","slug":"advice-for-dealing-with-change-and-managing-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/wellness\/blog\/advice-for-dealing-with-change-and-managing-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"Advice For Dealing With Change and Managing Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone knows how stressful change can be; and I\u2019m sure many of you are going through a lot of odd transitions\u00a0at the moment.\u00a0Living in a new place, new classes, making new friends or maybe even new jobs, can all contribute to stress.<\/p>\n

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These changes occur so fast and they can be very difficult to adjust to at first.\u00a0Having a basic understanding of what stress is and knowing how to successfully manage that stress using different tools can help make\u00a0these\u00a0types of transitions\u00a0easier to handle.<\/p>\n

Here are three tips that can be used to better manage stress and to ease into the changes and transitions you might be going through this year at school:<\/p>\n

1. Get a planner (and use it)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

One of the most helpful things I can recommend to anyone going through a schedule change would be to have a planner you like and to UTILIZE it. If you don\u2019t have a functional system to write down due dates, classes, and work by now, you should\u00a0consider getting one. Having a daily to-do list can be an amazing tool to make sure your obligations\u00a0are completed on time\u00a0and ensuring you\u2019re prepared for the day, the week, and month to come.<\/p>\n

2. Prioritize your responsibilities and time management<\/b><\/h4>\n

When going through a lot of changes, it may be difficult to figure out which commitments come first and which\u00a0can\u00a0be set aside.\u00a0For example, if you\u2019re spending\u00a03 hours a day watching TV\u00a0and procrastinating your homework, it might be best to\u00a0put TV as a low priority and save it for after you complete more important responsibilities.<\/p>\n

As\u00a0student,\u00a0your first obligation will always be\u00a0classes. After school, the next responsibility for most students will be work\u00a0and extracurricular activities and\u00a0these commitments will most likely take\u00a0up most of your time.<\/p>\n

3. Be flexible<\/strong><\/u><\/h4>\n

A large portion of changes are out of your control\u00a0and chances are you are going to have to make some changes that you aren\u2019t\u00a0100%\u00a0okay\u00a0with. Not everything in your transition is going to go as planned.\u00a0After all, you can only plan so much of life.<\/p>\n

Stress may seem like a bad thing that you want to avoid, but to a certain extent, stress is actually a good thing!<\/p>\n

Eustress, or good stress, is a challenge that motivates you and pushes you to achieve a goal. Examples of eustress would be when you have an exam tomorrow that you\u2019ve been studying weeks for or when you are trying to finish the last mile in your run.<\/p>\n

Distress would be the unhealthy stressors that add discomfort to your life such as a death in the family, injury or illness. There should be a healthy balance between stress and relaxation.<\/p>\n

Although having a busy schedule can be daunting, everyone; no matter how busy, needs some relaxation time.\u00a0Relieving stress is essential to\u00a0your mental and physical health.<\/p>\n

According to the Mayo Clinic website, too much stress can lead to\u00a0many risks such as\u00a0anxiety, depression, sleep problems and even heart disease. This makes taking time out of your day to relax essential for optimal health.\u00a0Relaxation looks different depending on the person, but some of my favorite relaxation activities that can reduce stress include:<\/p>\n