[...]... to its natural state of equilibrium once you perceive that the threatening situation has passed However, it is unlikely that a stressful situation nowadays will just pass; in fact, if it is not dealt with appropriately it may well accumulate over time This is why stress is becoming such a health hazard If the perceived problem isn’t altered or addressed, you do not adapt to the change and your stress. .. into a state, where you actually increase your levels of stress But what do we mean by the term stress ? It is a word we seem to hear almost everyday and we are constantly bombarded with media coverage telling us about the dangers of stress Interestingly, the term stress is used to refer to serious health hazards and situations, such as divorce and bereavements, as well as a range of more day-to-day... thoughts you may have relating to what has been covered It is recommended that you use this space to write down any problems that you want to deal with and any useful strategies that were mentioned in the chapter which you feel may assist you in managing your stress In Chapter 18 there is a stress action plan where you can identify the techniques and strategies that you have found useful These can then be... previous approach to dealing with the problem did not make it go away (All the body’s responses – physiological, psychological and behavioural – reappear to a greater extent) If she wanted to avoid Stage 5 of our stress model from occurring, she would need to prepare and give the presentation What the case study above shows us is that the body’s automatic reaction to stress is not effective for all situations... presentation, such as an additional piece of course work Her tutor was not impressed and explained that presentation skills were a key part of the course There were no alternatives; she would have to do the presentation Amy argued with the tutor (behavioural response), but in vain, as neither the date changed nor the fact that she would have to do the presentation She thought, ‘No one understands my situation... of an event going badly The negative emotions are also a psychological response and include anger, anxiety, guilt and embarrassment or, with long-term stress, depression 3 Behavioural response – this is the way you behave in the stressful situation This may include clenching your fists, pacing up and down, avoidance and procrastination and ritualistic behaviour (such as checking your pockets again and... relaxed equilibrium However, what happens if the problem is not as simplistic as the example above? Many of us have long-term situations or problems that may not have a straightforward answer (e.g relationship problems, financial issues or workload pressures), which means that stress is sustained over long durations of time Unfortunately, these continuous pressures can lead to dangerous levels of stress. .. situation as being important or threatening to you, then regardless of whether you are successful or not at dealing with the situation, you are less likely to feel stressed For example, if you learn that the course work you are worrying about will not count towards your final marks, you may not be as anxious to complete it by the deadline date This explanation of the causes of stress is fairly modern and... changes may bring 01-Palmer-3352-Introduction.qxd 2/8/2006 2:18 PM Page 2 COPING WITH STRESS AT UNIVERSITY How to use this handbook Everyone is different and the issues and concerns of each student will naturally vary This handbook has been written with this in mind, with each chapter covering a different aspect of university life and the potential stress relating to that area So the handbook enables... PM Page 18 COPING WITH STRESS AT UNIVERSITY up in front of the group and giving an adequate presentation and attempting to answer questions Amy also had a number of physiological responses, such as palpitations, difficulties sleeping and biting her nails The best ways of dealing with physiological responses of stress is to expel that nervous tension which has built up in the body either by relaxing . PM Page ii Coping with Stress at University a Survival Guide Stephen Palmer & Angela Puri ●● SAGE Publications London Thousand Oaks New Delhi 00-Palmer-3352-Prelims.qxd. Page 4 Part 1 What is stress? Although you may hear the word stress used all the time, if you were asked to explain what stress actually means, you may