By JASON CARSON
About this time of the semester many students are realizing that school and stress go hand-in-hand. Stress is a part of everyone's life, but too much stress, as most people know, can cause problems.
Finding the proper balance, learning how to relax, and taking advantage of resources are three ways students can manage stress in their lives effectively.
Keith Karren, professor of health sciences, said, 'All stress isn't bad. We need stress to grow and learn. It's when too much stress comes our way that we can't handle it. We develop health problems.'
Some of these problems are decreased efficiency and effectiveness, headaches and fatigue, Karren said.
Elena M. Cotton, a clinical psychotherapist in Kent, Wash., agreed that some stress is good for a person, but said that students sometimes experience unnecessary stress because they have difficulty balancing the various demands in their lives.
'Students don't always balance really well. They think that they have to put 100 percent of their energy into school, but they don't balance that out with relaxation time and they burn out,' Cotton said.
She said the body and mind are like finely-tuned machines that have to be serviced regularly. If they are not given a rest from their normal routine, they can become worn out.
Many students have not learned how to relax effectively, said Melissa Stewart, a senior majoring in political science. Like others, Stewart visited the BYU Biofeedback Lab in the Counseling and Career Center over a year ago, where she learned techniques for effective relaxation.
Stewart, who now works as a lab assistant in the Biofeedback Lab, said that biofeedback is the process of using electronic instruments to measure the body's reaction to stress. She said that by measuring the temperature of the body's extremities, such as the fingertips, she and other lab assistants can help other students learn how they react to various methods of relaxation.
Students can then find the relaxation techniques that work best for them, practice them in the lab and apply those techniques in their lives.
Stewart said, '(People) can take the relaxation techniques they learn here and use them outside of the lab. We want people to become self-sufficient.'
Michael Maughan, associate clinical professor and director of the Biofeedback Lab, said that any student can benefit from the lab.
He added that those who have had a little training in relaxation at some time prior to their visit to the lab tend to benefit most from the experience.
The lab services are available by appointment to all full-time students during most business hours in 1586 ELWC.
Larry Tucker, professor and director of health promotion in the Department of Health and Human Performance, said that people often forget to take advantage of the resources that are available to them, particularly those in the LDS Church.
'In the gospel, we have an awful lot of resources to help us deal with the demands of life,' Tucker said, mentioning home teachers, visiting teachers and other ecclesiastical authorities, as well as prayer and scripture study.
Karren said that living consistent with values can greatly reduce stress in people's lives.
'One of the great stress relievers is to be Christ-like, serving, loving and giving to others,' Karren said.