Strategies for Success > Health and Wellness > Stress Management

Develop an effective stress management strategy

It is common to experience periods of high stress, fatigue, exhaustion, and even feel totally overwhelmed by how much you have to get done. What is important is that you manage these feelings effectively, and that you recognize when you may need to reach out for support from others.

Recognize when you're beginning to slow down, lose your interest, or lose your momentum. Realize that peaks and valleys, lows and highs are integral parts of the process. Writing can be the loneliest part of the journey. Recognize when the isolation is wearing you down.

Although a certain amount of stress can serve as a motivator, too much stress can immobilize you or seriously diminish your progress. Stress interferes with clear judgment and makes it difficult to take the time to make good decisions. It causes difficult situations to be seen as a threat, not a challenge. It damages the positive frame of mind you need for high quality work by promoting negative thinking and damaging self-confidence. It can generate excessive worry and anxiety, confusion and inability to concentrate, difficulty sleeping, impatience and irritability. Behavioural effects of excessive stress include bad moods, being forgetful, changing eating habits, and diminished attention spans.

If you have noticed increased stress during your graduate years, take steps to manage it more effectively.  The following will help:

• Be sure to get regular exercise
• Eat well
• Maintain hobbies and interests outside of work
• Take time for social activities

Consult U of M Student Counselling and Career Centre or Peer Advisors for more information