Stress and Depression
Balancing academic demands, a social life, work, volunteering and membership in various clubs and activities is a tough job, and stress is both expected and inevitable at some point.
Where is my stress coming from?
Ways to prevent and relieve stress
"Stress is how your body and mind react to change, and it manifests itself in many different ways. We recognize when we're over-stressed: we feel anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed and unable to cope with pressures. Rice students report stress as being their number one health concern. Read more to find out exactly what is happening, why it may be unhealthy, and how to reduce unnecessary stress in your life.
Take advantage of the resources offered at Rice for stress reduction. There are many books you can check out from the Wellness Center library; schedule a relaxing massage link to massage page; or talk to someone in the Counseling Center link RCC for free. For more suggestions on how to deal with stress e-mail wellness [at] rice.edu.
Relieve stress with these techniques!
What's happening?
- In stressful situations, your body adapts to help you react more effectively to meet the threat, mainly releasing adrenaline.
- Adrenaline mobilizes sugars to give your body strength, energy and stamina; it reduces the blood supply to your skin and short-term in essential organs which may case nausea and diarrhea.
- When calm thought or precise motor skills are important, it is best to control or eliminate adrenaline responses.
- Prolonged exposure to adrenaline can cause ill-health and disease.
The impact of stress
A certain level of stress is positive and levels vary depending on the individual. However, when stress levels become too high, distress can occur. We no longer feel motivated to complete the task and feel as if we have lost control of the situation. If you have too much, or if you don't deal with it well, stress can lead to unwanted side-effects. Read more about the impact of stress on your health.
