By
Jane Maxwell
University Counseling Services
Counseling Services at Truman
 No cost for counseling services
 Services are confidential – It is your own personal
business; only with written consent can another
person know
 Hours are basically 8:00 to 5:00 week days (except for
lunch)
 Located next to Grim Hall, across from Magruder Hall
on Patterson Street; a little house
What We Offer
 UCS offers:
 Individual Counseling
 Relationship or Couples Counseling
 Groups
 Consultations
 Presentations
 Educational Programming throughout the year
Reasons Students Seek
Counseling
 Truman students come for counseling to assist with
many concerns
 Depression & Anxiety
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Homesickness
Stress Related Issues
Roommate Conflict
Relationship Difficulties
Suicidal Thoughts
Eating Disorders
Self-Harming
Family Problems
Academic Pressure
Sexual Orientation Acceptance
To Make an Appointment
 Call UCS @ 785-4014 or stop by
 For Information on our services and staff look at our
website at ucs@truman.edu
 Also can friend UCS on Facebook
 First appointment is a screening
 30 minute talk with a counselor to discuss your concerns
and reasons for seeking counseling – not too in depth
 Then set up for an hour appt with a counselor, or with a
group, or referred to other services
Our Staff and Approach
 There are 5 licensed professionals
 Clients are seen for a short length of time (4 – 6
sessions) or maybe a longer time (9 – 10 sessions)
 The staff is friendly, understanding, and there for the
students
 Individual appointments are usually every 10 days to 2
weeks
 Crisis situations always take priority
 Have an after hours crisis number for students if
needed 665-5621
after 5:00 pm and weekends
Stress- Why Is It Important to
Talk About?
 Stress is the “wear & tear” on our body as we adjust to a
continually changing environment
 It is the fight or flight response
 Present when there is an element of performance or
expectation – OR a threat!
 Can Be either:
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Positive and protective
Negative and destructive
Positive & Negative Stress
 Positively stress can: Motivate us to be aware, better
prepared, and open to new challenges and experiences
 Negatively stress can: Lead to constant worry, health
problems, anger & discouragement, and a decrease in
performance
Stress for College Students
 Sources of Stress
 Personal & Family High Expectations
 Academic and Social Demands
 Relationships – Romantic or Friends
 Family Problems at Home
 Greek Fraternity & Sorority Pressures
 Lack of Sleep
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One of THE biggest problems with college life is a lack of sleep
due to STRESS
New study suggests stress about school keep 68% awake at
night… 20% of them at once a week
Affects of Stress
 Symptoms of stress appear in many ways. Everyone
is different how they feel their stress – here are the
different ways:
 PHYSICAL –muscle tension, low immune system,
colds, flu, digestive problems, problems sleeping,
headaches, low energy
 EMOTIONAL – depression, anger, fear or anxiety,
feeling overwhelmed, moods swings, irritability,
embarrassment
More Affects
 COGNITIVE – difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness,
critical self-criticism, unwanted or repetitive thoughts,
mental disorganization
 BEHAVIORS – impulsive actions, crying, over eating
or not eating, snapping at friends, isolation,
nervousness, increase of alcohol or other numbing
substances, total lack of ability to function as needed
Identify Sources of Stress
 Consider 3 factors that contribute to Stress
 Situations
 Body
 Mind
Stress Effects
 Stress is Powerful
 It creates big effects
 What contributes to
Your Stress?
Source
 SITUATIONS – What situations cause stress for you?
 Taking exams
 Giving a speech
 Being in a large group
 Roommate problems – dorm life
 Writing papers
 Everybody is different and has different triggers
Source
 BODY – What changes happen to your body when
stress hits?
 Chronic stress can cause headaches, muscle tension
 Stomach aches
 Migraines
 Insomnia
 Tight chest, feelings of panic
 Learn to know how you experience stress
Source
 MIND – The mental message you tell yourself are
POWERFUL
 Negative Messages –
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If I don’t get an A, I am a failure
I always have to be and appear perfect
If I don’t do well, my family will be so disappointed in me
 Positive Messages –
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I’m studying hard and doing the best I can
I will do well because I know I tried
I am a worthy person whether I get perfect grades or not
Your Stress
 Keeping a stress journal or just being more aware can
help – Ask yourself…
 What caused the stress?
 How did I feel both physically and emotionally?
 How did I react and respond?
 How did I help myself to feel better?
 As you are more aware you will begin to see patterns &
common themes
Unhealthy Coping
 These are unhealthy ways to cope with Stress:
 Drinking or eating too much
 Zoning out with TV or video games
 Lashing out at others – blaming others for everything
 Withdrawing from people & skipping class
 Procrastination
 Avoiding facing real problems
Managing Stress
 Change the Situation or Change Your
Reaction
 Change the Situation:
 Avoid the Stressor
Alter the Stressor
 Change Your Reaction:
 Adapt to the Stressor
Accept the Stressor
Stress Management Strategies
 Here are 6 ways to Manage your Stress
 Strategy # 1. Avoid Unnecessary Stress
 Learn to say “no”
 Avoid people who stress you out
 Take control of your environment
 Avoid hot-button topics
 Cut down your to-do list
More Strategies
 Strategy # 2. Alter the Situation
 Express your feelings instead of bottling them up
 Be willing to compromise
 Be more assertive
 Manage your time better
 Strategy # 3. Adapt to the Stressor
 Reframe your problems
 Look at the big picture
 Adjust your standards
 Focus on the positive
Strategies
 Strategy # 4. Accept the things you cannot change
 Don’t try to control the uncontrollable
 Look for the upside
 Share your feelings
 Learn to forgive & give others some slack
 Strategy # 5. Make time for fun and relaxation
 Set aside relaxation time
 Connect with others
 Do something you enjoy everyday
 Keep your sense of humor
Last Strategy
 Strategy # 6. Adapt a healthy lifestyle & habits
 Exercise regularly
 Eat a healthy diet as often as possible
 Reduce the caffeine & sugar
 Avoid excesses – alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, etc.
 Get enough sleep to function day to day
 Seek help from a friend or counseling if needed
Learn to Relax
 Find ways to help yourself relax
 Many people go non stop and don’t know how to relax
 Realize the negative self-talk and interrupt this process
telling yourself positive messages
 Talk it out with someone – a friend, SA, trusted
mentor, or professor
 Just being heard and understood can help
 Step back and get perspective – In the scheme of
things is this worry & stress worth it?
Suggestions to Cope
 Deal with one thing at a time and try not to be a
perfectionist
 Work out at the Rec., go for a walk, run, yoga – find
exercise you enjoy
 Listen to your favorite music
 Take time to laugh, watch a comedy, great comedian?
 Take a shower or bath
 Write your thoughts in a journal
 Other Ideas? What helps you when you are stressed?
Learn The Relaxation Response
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Sit quietly in a comfortable position.
Close your eyes.
Deeply relax all muscles, beginning at your feet and progressing up to your
face. Keep all muscles relaxed.
Breathe through your nose. Become aware of your breathing. As you breathe
out, say the word, "one" silently to yourself. For example, breathe in...out,
"one," in...out, "one," etc. Breathe easily and naturally. You might also say the
words "calm" or "let go" as you exhale.
Continue for 5 to 10 minutes. As you feel yourself relax, you could try to
visualize your favorite place -- a beach, lake, mountain stream, etc. Try to
picture it in detail and recall feelings of peace and contentment while being
there.
Do not worry about whether you are successful in achieving a deep level of
relaxation. Maintain a passive attitude and permit relaxation to occur at its
own pace. When distracting thoughts occur, try to ignore them by not
dwelling upon them.
Relaxation
Time Management
 Good Time Management is associated with college
success & satisfaction
 It can reduce the anxiety levels and make college more
enjoyable
 Consider These Steps:
 Plan
 Prioritize
 Schedule
Planning
 Planning can increase your effectiveness and decreases
your stress
 Start by looking at the entire semester and what to
plan for with assignments, social demands, etc.
 Then scale it down to each week or smaller chunks of
the semester (beginning, mid-terms, end & finals)
 Develop a plan for the semester, then for each week
Prioritize
 Take a look at all your assignments, deadlines and
demands
 Make decisions on what is a priority – This is a
constant ongoing process of looking at what is coming
next and how does it rate in importance
 Include time for the life stuff: meetings, laundry, job,
errands, meals
 Be realistic with yourself and allow enough time
Schedule
 Identify how you will approach and accomplish all
these tasks
 Think about how much time you will need and how
many hours needed to study
 Break some of the assignments down into smaller jobs
– for example researching, writing, & editing a paper
 Adjust and monitor constantly
Time Wasters
 Identity where, how, & when you are wasting time
 E-Mail
 Internet Games, Video Games
 Facebook
 Phone Calls
 Problems with Procrastination
 When do you work the best? Morning, night? When is
the best time for you to plan to study?
Keep Yourself Accountable
 Try to keep on your time management schedule
 Don’t beat yourself up if you get off track
 Jump back into your plan and routine
 Allow yourself to be human which means you will
make mistakes occasionally
 Check out the Truman Success Center in the Kirk Bldg.
for academic setbacks and difficulties
 Call UCS for assistance if you become overwhelmed