College Stress Not Necessarily a Bad Thing
Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: Features
Stress seems to be a word that is thrown around a lot these days, so I did some very basic research on stress. According to ChangingMinds.org there are four main categories of stress: threats, fears, uncertainty and cognitive dissonance. I found myself immediately asking, "What the hell do these big words have to do with me feeling like I'm riding an out-of-control roller coaster?"
Once I delved further into the explanations, I realized that the four categories of stress are all interconnected. Basically, threats, fears and uncertainty all produce a feeling of lack of control: an inability to predict what is going to happen in the future, as well as the perceived negative, imagined outcomes of each situation. As with the three other categories, cognitive dissonance primarily deals with a feeling of being out of control. Cognitive dissonance is when your beliefs or morals differ greatly from what you actually do: your actions. For example, if you believe abortion is wrong, yet you have one, or you perceive yourself to be an honest person, yet you catch yourself lying to others. In these situations, one's beliefs do not coincide with their actions, once again leaving us asking, "Why am I not in control?" which inevitably results in stress.
Since we now have a basic understanding of the main categories of stress, it is easy to see how so many little things can affect us so drastically on a day-to-day basis. So how can we overcome stress and deal with it effectively?
First we have to understand that stress is not altogether evil. Although stress is typically viewed as a bad thing, a hindrance to productive activity, the truth is that stress is what forces us to evolve and adapt. Thanks to my Psychology 101 course this semester, I can tell you that stress results when our sympathetic nervous system tells the brain to start pumping those "fight or flight" hormones that enable us to do extraordinary things. Have you ever randomly felt pumped up and ready for action? If you have, it was because your brain told your body to kick it into high gear.
Once I delved further into the explanations, I realized that the four categories of stress are all interconnected. Basically, threats, fears and uncertainty all produce a feeling of lack of control: an inability to predict what is going to happen in the future, as well as the perceived negative, imagined outcomes of each situation. As with the three other categories, cognitive dissonance primarily deals with a feeling of being out of control. Cognitive dissonance is when your beliefs or morals differ greatly from what you actually do: your actions. For example, if you believe abortion is wrong, yet you have one, or you perceive yourself to be an honest person, yet you catch yourself lying to others. In these situations, one's beliefs do not coincide with their actions, once again leaving us asking, "Why am I not in control?" which inevitably results in stress.
Since we now have a basic understanding of the main categories of stress, it is easy to see how so many little things can affect us so drastically on a day-to-day basis. So how can we overcome stress and deal with it effectively?
First we have to understand that stress is not altogether evil. Although stress is typically viewed as a bad thing, a hindrance to productive activity, the truth is that stress is what forces us to evolve and adapt. Thanks to my Psychology 101 course this semester, I can tell you that stress results when our sympathetic nervous system tells the brain to start pumping those "fight or flight" hormones that enable us to do extraordinary things. Have you ever randomly felt pumped up and ready for action? If you have, it was because your brain told your body to kick it into high gear.
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Katie
posted 11/12/08 @ 3:45 PM EST
I just wanted to say thanks to A.J. for his article. I've been under a lot of stress lately and haven't really known how to deal with it. His article has helped alleviate some of that stress and get back on track. (Continued…)
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