WHAT IS STRESS?

Any demand- positive or negative- that requires our mind, emotions, or body to change. Some stress produces change for the better therefore all stress is not bad.  Too little stress can result in boredom and too much stress can result in burnout. The proper balance of stress results in effective performance.  This stress is called eustress.

Stress is an inevitable part of living

SOME FACTS ABOUT STRESS

Not all stress is bad.

We can never eliminate stress completely from our lives. WE should rather strive to manage the stress in our lives.

Distress refers to the negative effects of stress. It affects the way we feel, think and act.  It can also result in changes in our bodies.

Burnout is the prolonged effect of distress.

Although some people are predisposed to the negative effects of stress everyone can improve their stress management.

People can react differently to the same stressor.

Even positive change can be stressful, e.g. a new job, getting married, starting tertiary studies etc.

The two factors that most affect how we react to stress are how we perceive the stressor and our own ability to handle the stressor successfully.

Stress directly affects your immune system.

“Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension”(Joshua L. Liebman)

THE STRESS RESPONSE- WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE EXPERIENCE A STRESSOR?

When you are stressed, your body responds as though you are in danger. This is called the fight-or-flight stress response.

When your stress response is triggered, a series of changes occurs within your body. This includes:

– A quickening of your pulse

– A burst of adrenaline

– Redirection of blood away from extremities and instead to major organs

– The release of cortisol and other hormones, which bring other short- and long-term changes.

The stress response can actually cause harm if it leads to a state of chronic stress—that is, if our stress response is triggered, and our body doesn’t go back to its normal state via the relaxation response.

HOW STRESS IMPACTS YOU!      

     Physical effects                       

Pounding heart                                Sweaty palms

Rapid breathing                               Lack of energy

Headaches                                        Muscle tension

Sleep difficulties                              Stomach disturbances

    Emotional effects

Irritability                                           Crying

Nervous, edgy                                   Losing temper

Worrying                                            Emotional sensitivity

    Cognitive effects

Memory lapse                                    Increase in careless mistakes

Lack of concentration                       Negative attitude

   Behavioural effects

Becoming snappy                              Argumentative

Restlessness                                       Rushing around

Fidgeting

If these effects are not managed it can result in one of the following stress related illnesses; migraine, Psoriasis, ulcers, colitis, heart attack, cancer, dizzy spells, high blood pressure, panic attacks, skin problems such as eczema.

SOME TECHNIQUES THAT WILL HELP YOU MANAGE YOUR STRESS.

Take time to build good stress management skills. Stress management is essentially about self management.  

1.Mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more fully aware of the present moment–non-judgmentally and completely–rather than dwelling in the past or projecting into the future. It generally involves a heightened awareness of sensory stimuli (really noticing your breathing, feeling the sensations of your body, etc.) and being “in the now”. The mind is known to be a factor in stress and stress-related disorders, and meditation has been shown to positively affect a range of autonomic physiological processes, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing overall arousal and emotional reactivity.

Breathing exercise – Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Breathe out slowly and as long as you are able.  Breathe as if you are about to blow out a candle, but don’t blow it out.  Breathe in- hold this breath for five counts.  Slowly breathe out counting to five.  Repeat.

Negative self- talk – Become aware of the way that you talk to yourself. Self- talk can be either negative or positive.  Negative self- talk can lead to increased stress. Become aware of your self- talk and challenge your negative self- talk.

Muscle relaxation and meditation. Get comfortable, let your head rest & close your eyes. Breathe slowly & deeply.  Concentrate on the muscles in your face and let them relax. Concentrate on the muscles in your neck & shoulders, feel them relaxing.  Keep breathing slowly & deeply.  Relax the muscles in your chest, abdomen, stomach. Relax your arms, upper arms, lower arms & hands, let them hang from your body. Work slowly & concentrate on the relaxation of each muscle as you go down your body.  Move down to your legs, let your legs hang loosely, relax all muscles, first your thighs, your calves, your heels & toes.  Now your whole body is relaxed, feel it.  Keep breathing slowly & deeply, feel the air fill your lungs. Count to 100 being completely relaxed & focussing on this relaxation.

By regularly practicing these techniques you will find that you are able to cope with stress more successfully.    

2.Exercise.  Having a regular exercise regime will help you in coping with stress.
Exercise can decrease ‘stress hormones’ like cortisol, and increase endorphins, your body’s ‘feel-good’ chemicals, giving your mood a natural boost. Research suggests that physical activity may be linked to lower physiological reactivity toward stress. In addition to all the other benefits, exercise may supply some immunity toward future stress as well as a way to cope with current stress

3.Nutrition.  When you are going through a period of stress, you need more nutrients, particularly the B vitamins, which affect the nervous system, and calcium, which is needed to counteract the lactic acid your tense muscles produce. Likewise, if you are lacking nutrients, your body will not be equipped to handle stress effectively. The right nutrition can help by reducing the impact of stress on the body, repairing the damage done by stress, and optimally preparing the body for future stress.

To management your stress better you need to work towards achieving balance in your life.  This requires effort and time.

Conclusion

Every person CAN learn to manage stress and perform at their optimal stress level.  To do that it is vital that you start a stress management plan and incorporate some stress reducing activities into your life.  Good luck!!

Written by Heidi Wichman

The topic of rape is a difficult one and many prefer not to think about or discuss it at all. However, here at CPUT, we believe in being informed and to this end, this week’s blog will look at ways in which students can put strategies into place to lessen the risk of this traumatic act from taking place. Although rape can occur almost anywhere, the focus will be on safety when socialising.

Rape is generally defined as a type of unlawful sexual assault, usually comprising of sexual intercourse or other kinds of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without that person’s consensus. Recent statistics provided by the South African Police Service (SAPS) state that 53 671 (approximately 147 a day) were reported in the 2014/2015 period. For numerous reasons, many cases of sexual assault go unreported and it is estimated that instances of rape could actually be as high as 482 000 for the same timeframe.

Socialising is an important part of student life.  Creating a healthy balance between one’s responsibilities and social life is key when it comes to being an accountable adult. Social events such as parties are great ways of meeting new friends or romantic partners, especially for those new to campus. However, engaging in social activities can expose one to certain dangers. The following are some general guidelines for keeping safe:

• Try not to go to a club, party or bar on your own as offenders are less likely to target those in the company of their friends. Make it a rule that everyone who arrived together, leaves together.
• Employ a “safety buddy” system where you and your friends go the bathroom together and keep tabs on each other’s drinks. Also, look out for behaviour that suggests one of your friends’ drink has been spiked and remove them from the situation immediately.
• It is advisable to avoid the (excessive) use of alcohol or drugs as this often leads to irresponsible behaviour, the lowering of inhibitions and can leave one vulnerable to assault.
• Avoid drinking something you did not open or pour yourself and never leave your drink unattended. Try keeping your drink covered with your hand as this helps to prevent someone from slipping a drug (such as the widely used date rape drug, Rohypnol) into it.
• Do not bring or go home with somebody you do not know. Make a pact between your circle of friends to never allow any of the members to break this rule.

It is important to remember that dressing a certain way or going to a bar does not mean that the person is asking or deserves to be raped. Sexual assault can occur anywhere, anytime, regardless of the appearance or behaviour of the victim/survivor and is ALWAYS the rapist’s fault – it is a choice to commit this type of crime. While rape is not always preventable, making use of these recommendations means you and your friends may well be a lot safer.

The Roman philosopher, leading intellectual, dramatist and statesman,  Lucius Annaeus Seneca, (4 BC-65 AD), once said two very insightful things, which  still rings true today:

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity”, and

“He who wish to arrive at the appointed  end must follow a single road and not wander through many ways….”

What pointers can these wise words offer us at the beginning of the academic year? Especially if we think about all  those interesting daily distractions via our smartphones,  social media,  chatty friends,  thousand and one things to do, parties to attend, text, images and sounds enticing us all the time….How on earth can we hope to prepare for academic success, to focus,  to beat these distractions? And, frankly..… can’t we just do it all and have it all?

Unfortunately research studies find that quality of work as well as mental wellbeing suffers significantly when there are too many distractions. It may make us work faster, and may make us look smarter,  but in the long run will  lead to much stress, pressure, loss of concentration and eventually,  to a constant feeling of being frustrated and overwhelmed. Not quite the recipe for academic success…..

So here is the trick! First of all you must accept the non-negotiable truth that time is your most precious resource. Have the utmost respect for it.  Prepare to deliberately protect this precious asset by doing a bit of diary planning every day to help you stay on track with your goals. You will never catch a successful CEO or a productive professional without a detailed diary, be it electronically or handwritten. A desk calendar may also be of value to plot and plan the whole month’s activities, tests, assignments, and yes, also the parties and outings…… and in doing so you  will be able retain a bird’s eye view on just how responsible and wise  you are  actually spending your precious asset. This preparation will help you stay in charge when pressure builds up and the workload becomes heavy.

Secondly, learn to focus your attention 100% on the task at hand. Multi-tasking may sound great and  has  now days even become the fashionable norm in modern society. But research is showing that “wandering through many ways” can actually be a killer when it comes to powerful focus and productive long term concentration. So, in short,

• Learn to say “no” to those things that will divert your attention from your goals
• Commit your attention to one thing at a time,  follow a single road
• Often switch off all screens. Let your friends know that you will be unavailable for a specific period. I know this sounds unreal, but the reward is freedom of focus. Self-chosen.

2016 may just be your year of great beginnings…but even greater endings.

Good luck!

Written by dr Melléta Louw, Wellington campus

Carinne joined the Bellville campus Student Counselling team about a month ago. We asked her a few questions to get to know her a little better and find out what makes her tick!

1. Who is your hero? And why?

Easy question! My mother is my hero. We have our mother-daughter differences and clashes, but she remains my pillar of strength, my role model (despite her bad habits that irritate me), and the one person who never turns her back when I need someone. Her constant lecturing about the DO’s and DON’T’s may be frustrating to hear on a daily basis. However, this is my basis for reasoning and an indication of her love and affiliation. All her stories about varsity days, break ups and biggest disappointments taught me different lessons in diverse situations. This gave me perspective of reality outside student life. Her love is expressed in many forms such as protection , she defends and protects me no matter the circumstances. I see her as my warrior, sensei, defender and protector. This basically defines heroic characteristics. But do not get me wrong, mothers may get overwhelming at times. She remains my hero.

2. What motivated you to study psychology?

Television played a huge role in my decision. I actually saw myself in forensics. However after I completed my matric year, there were many courses I wasn’t aware of. This made me completely confused and indecisive. Due to those reasons, I did a BA degree with a range of subjects I was interested in. Thereafter I actually wanted to do honours in sociology or linguistics but that did not work out. I swopped my honors course from sociology to psychology. Reason was mostly to understand people and to understand who I am. There were many hiccups during my studies and a life crisis played a big role in my decision to study psychology. Therefore I strove towards positive psychology using art (art is one of my talents)

3. What “lesson from mom” do you still live by today?

There are many lessons. There are too many too mention but the ones that I relate to: “you can’t always reason with your heart (love), there may be many disappointments if you naïve”. “Don’t allow your pride to justify your intelligence, you must ask when you need help or guidance”. “Don’t be blinded by someone’s appearance when they ask for help, we do not know how desperate they are to make it through the day”. The most import lesson is “no one can take away your education”.

4. If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I love the outdoors. Mostly love places where there is beautiful architecture and artistic elements. Therefore it would be in Greece. If I had a red mini cooper it would most definitely be in Italy because I love that movie Italian Job.

5. What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?

I would love to leave a legacy behind. It has to be something positive people can use to take their minds out of those negative bubbles that may paralyze us to move forward.

6. What are you looking forward to most about your internship?

I am very open to experiencing new things mostly to lead me in the direction that compliments my passion. I am looking forward to exploring things about my strengths and how I can apply it in a career context outside student life.

We are pleased to introduce our new Psychology Intern on the Cape Town Campus, Bree Steele1 We asked Bree a few questions so that we and you could get to know her a little better!

• Who is your hero? And why?
I admire Angelina Jolie, and not just because she is married to Brad Pitt! She has managed to succeed in two areas of life that are very close to my heart: entertainment and humanitarian work. She has won numerous awards for her acting ability and has branched out in the film industry so that she can now add the title of ‘director’ to her resume. Angelina has also been recognised for her charitable works and co-founded the Jolie-Pitt Foundation with her husband. Furthermore, this amazing woman has penned a book Notes from My Travels: Visits with Refugees in Africa, Cambodia, Pakistan and Ecuador in which she chronicles her work done as a Goodwill Ambassador. Angelina is co-chair of a charity dedicated to providing educational funds for children in poor and/or war torn countries. I am inspired by her apparent strong work ethic, compassion for humans and animals alike and tireless efforts to better the lives of those in need.

• What motivated you to study psychology?
The motivation for human behaviour has long been an interest of mine and what better way to explore that than in the profession of psychology? I also, rather idealistically I’m sure, would like to play some role in alleviating psychic distress in others. I am motivated by the various social and psychological needs, and the betterment of the lives, of my fellow South Africans.

• What “lesson from mom” do you still live by today?
My mother has long emphasised the importance of helping others to feel good about themselves. The epitome of genuine warmth and caring, I modelled my behaviour on my mothers’ who always ensured that the person with whom she was interacting, left feeling better than when the conversation started. She also taught me to always have clean hair, fingernails and ears and of course, to never wear holey knickers!

• If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I would like to spend a week completing at least part of the El Camino de Santiago (AKA the Route of St. James); an excursion which usually begins in St. Jean Pied de Port and crosses the Pyrenees Mountains along the Spanish-French border. I first read about it many years ago in one of my favourite author’s books, The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho and have since read other accounts of this amazing spiritual journey as well as met some of those fortunate enough to undertake this gruelling and highly rewarding expedition.

• What’s the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
A major goal of mine is to write a book before I move to the next phase of “being”. However, I think a bit more practical experience in both life and the field of psychology is needed before I make an attempt at accomplishing this ambition!

• What are you looking forward to most about your internship?
I’m very eager to gain some practical experience; to have face-to face- time with clients, apply the theories I’ve studied over the last four years and to put my knowledge and abilities to the test. I am also looking forward to being involved in the creation and presentation of workshops so as to develop valuable skills in this regard.

Welcome to the CPUT Student Counselling Team Bree!

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