Managing Stress

1
Managing Stress

• Workshop by the Student Support Services at the
  University of Utah

2
Objectives of the Workshop

• To equip students with information about college
  stress due to tests.
• Improve test taking skills
• Help students cope better with college stress and
  anxiety
• Equip students with study skills and techniques

3
Stress Causes Anxiety

• Although we tend to think of stress as caused by
  external events, events in themselves are not
  stressful. Rather, it is the way in which we
  interpret and reac to events that makes them
  stressful.
• Stressors are something with the potential to
  cause stress
• Life events(Marriage, death in the family)
• Schoolwork issues (hard classes, heavy workload)
• Relationship Problems
• Daily Grind (homework, deadlines, irritating
  people)
• Problems at work

4
Effects of Stress in College

• Nervousness
• Having difficulty reading and understanding the
  questions on the exam paper.
• Having difficulty organizing your thoughts.
• Having difficulty retrieving key words and
  concepts when answering essay questions.
• Doing poorly on an exam even though you know the
  material.
• Mental blocking Going blank on questions.
• Remembering the correct answers as soon as the
  exam is over.

5
What Can Help Stress

• SStudy Skills
• TTime Management
• RReducing Stress
• EExamination Preparation
• SSelf Talk
• SSeek Support

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Make the Most of Your Study Time

• Studying before the test
• Plan to spend 2 or 3 hours for every hour that
  you spend in class.
• There are exceptions, but for the most part, this
  is a good general rule to follow. The benefits
  of following this rule will be apparent at exam
  time
• Study difficult (or boring) subjects first
• Study the boring stuff when you are wide awake
• Get up an hour early in the morning, and study
  the fun stuff

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Studying Tips

• Avoid scheduling marathon study sessions
• When possible study in shorter sessions.
• Take breaks, especially if you find yourself
  becoming tired
• When you get hungrey, have a snack
• Know your best time of day
• Do you learn best during the day, or at night
• Schedule your most difficult subjects during your
  best study times.

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Studying Tips

• Be Prepared
• Learn your material thoroughly
• A program of exercise is said to sharpen the mind
• Get a good nights sleep the night before the
  exam
• Learn to say no!

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Make a To Do List

• Prioritize
• A-Highest Priority, getting these items done
  tomorrow is very important.
• B-Medium Priority, You would really like to
  finish/accomplish these things, but they can wait
  if you run out of time.
• C-Lowest Priority, Getting these items done
  tomorrow is not very important

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Double Your Time Estimates

• Most people underestimate how much time a
  project, or assignment will take
• Be REALISTIC
• Estimate how much time realistically that you
  think something will take, then double it. More
  often than not, the doubled estimate is accurate.

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Write Down a To Do List

• This includes class readings, work on papers or
  problems, errands, exercising, etc.
• Break the studying down into review chapters
  2-5, do six practice problems, spend 1 hour
  collecting research articles. These items are
  much smaller and easier to start, allowing you to
  get more things done.

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How To Handle Test Anxiety

• Relax
• Exercise-this will get rid of your extra energy
  that can make you tense and nervous
• Try to describe the anxiety so you can deal with
  it
• Guided Imagery, pick a peaceful scene and think
  about it.

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During the Test

• Read the directions carefully
• Budget your test-taking time
• Change positions to help you relax
• If you go blank, skip the question and go on
• If you go blank on the whole test, and there is
  an essay question, start with the essay question.
  It may get your brain going.
• Dont panic when others start handing in their
  papers.

14
Test Stress and Self-Talk

• Self-talk refers to the dialogue that goes on
  inside your head when faced with conflict or life
  challenges or even simple day-to-day concerns.
• Stress is maintained by self-doubts and
  self-putdowns. The more we entertain such
  negative thoughts, the more stress we feel.

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Negative Self Talk

• Unfortunately, most of us have been
  pre-programmed to think negatively the majority
  of the time.
• Your inner voice often sets very high standards
  of performance. This can cause some stress.
• Some examples are
• I cant do this
• It is too hard
• Etc.

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How to Overcome Negative Self Talk

• For 3 days monitor your self talk
• Keep a list of at least ten negative attacks your
  inner voice makes and replace them with positive
  statements
• Some examples are
• I have the ability to do this, I just need to get
  some help
• I can write this paper if I break it up into
  smaller steps

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Seek Support

• Ask for help from your teacher or tutor.
• Get tutoring in the Academic Resource Complex,
  room 236
• Form a study group with classmates

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Ask For Help!!

• It never hurts to ask for help with a class or an
  assignment.
• Talk about your stress, let one of the SSS staff
  members know about your stress and we will help.
  Besides, talking is a good way to cope.
• Tutoring, seek academic support to help you study
  and prepare for a test

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Stress Management Strategies

• Exercise regular, routine, and aerobic
• Support system friends- community involvement
• Express yourself talk it over wit family,
  friends, counselors, and clergy.
• Eat right-select a healthy diet high in fruits
  and vegetables. Reduce caffeine
• Get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before.

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Humor is a Wonderful Stress Reducer

• It is clinically proven to be effective in
  combating stress, although the exact mechanism is
  not known.
• Experts say a good laugh relaxes tense muscles,
  speeds more oxygen into your system and lowers
  your blood pressure.
• So tune into your favorite sitcom, or watch a
  funny movie.

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Stress Buster

• Identifying unrelieved stress and being aware of
  its effect on our lives is not sufficient for
  reducing its harmful effects. Just as there are
  many sources of stress, there are many
  possibilities for its management. However, all
  require work toward change changing the source
  of stress and/or changing your reaction to it.
  How do you proceed?

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Reasons for Test Anxiety

• Past test experience
• Missed classes
• Did not attend study session
• Material is difficult
• Fear of Failure
• Type of test
• Notes are missing

• Have been ill
• Lack of Sleep
• Embarrassment
• Being under prepared
• Shared text
• Dont like the class
• Did not read the text

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How to Handle Test Anxiety

• Prior to the test, arrive early so you can sit
  where you are most comfortable and avoid people
  who are anxious and might cause you to doubt your
  knowledge. When you receive the test look it
  over, read the directions twice, and then
  organize your time efficiently.
• Engage in deep breathing for 2-5 minutes. Close
  your eyes and concentrate on the air going in and
  out of your lungs. Take long, deep breaths, fill
  your lungs and abdomen, hold your breath, and
  then exhale.

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Anticipating Test Anxiety

• What is it you have to do? Focus on dealig with
  it.
• Just take one step at a time.
• Think about what you can do about it. Thats
  better than getting anxious.
• No negative or panicky self-statements just
  think rationally.
• Dont worry worrying wont help anything.

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Thank You!!!

• Student Support Services
• University of Utah