Ways of Managing Stress in Our Daily Life
LSE Student Counselling Service
Stress Management Workshop Handout
A.
Introduction to Stress
B.
Ways of managing stress
Escape…
Physical relaxation through activity
Self care
Time management skills
Build a support network
C.
Challenging Negative Thinking
1.
Identifying your negative thoughts
2.
Changing negative thoughts
What is the evidence?
What alternative views are there?
What is the effect of thinking the way that I do?
What thinking errors am I making?
What action can I take?
3.
Positive coping talk
D.
Family of Origin and Assertiveness Skills
1
LSE Student Counselling Service
Stress Management Workshop
A.
Introduction to Stress
Study itself is potentially very stressful with many different and sometimes conflicting pressures – reading complex technical or theoretical material, writing assignments for deadlines, working part time, having a ‘successful’ social life, family demands………perhaps peaking near the exams…...which themselves explicitly test your performance under pressure by setting strict time conditions and removing potential resources such as books, colleagues, notes etc.
Study can also challenge your ideas of who you are, who you think you are or who you want to be, lead you to compare yourself with others, who maybe look like they have everything under control (not always the case by any means).
Any change or transition, even a welcome one is stressful and study involves lots of transitions in addition to other life events: for example, moving to another country, or another part of the country, meeting new people, different expectations from teachers
– and each academic year brings changes – different topics, lecturers, perhaps new housemates – changes which should not be underestimated.
B.
Ways of managing stress
You probably already have a number of ways of managing stressful situations so some of what follows will be familiar. Or you may know some of the
Stress Management Workshop Handout
A.
Introduction to Stress
B.
Ways of managing stress
Escape…
Physical relaxation through activity
Self care
Time management skills
Build a support network
C.
Challenging Negative Thinking
1.
Identifying your negative thoughts
2.
Changing negative thoughts
What is the evidence?
What alternative views are there?
What is the effect of thinking the way that I do?
What thinking errors am I making?
What action can I take?
3.
Positive coping talk
D.
Family of Origin and Assertiveness Skills
1
LSE Student Counselling Service
Stress Management Workshop
A.
Introduction to Stress
Study itself is potentially very stressful with many different and sometimes conflicting pressures – reading complex technical or theoretical material, writing assignments for deadlines, working part time, having a ‘successful’ social life, family demands………perhaps peaking near the exams…...which themselves explicitly test your performance under pressure by setting strict time conditions and removing potential resources such as books, colleagues, notes etc.
Study can also challenge your ideas of who you are, who you think you are or who you want to be, lead you to compare yourself with others, who maybe look like they have everything under control (not always the case by any means).
Any change or transition, even a welcome one is stressful and study involves lots of transitions in addition to other life events: for example, moving to another country, or another part of the country, meeting new people, different expectations from teachers
– and each academic year brings changes – different topics, lecturers, perhaps new housemates – changes which should not be underestimated.
B.
Ways of managing stress
You probably already have a number of ways of managing stressful situations so some of what follows will be familiar. Or you may know some of the