THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 25, 1994 TAG: 9411230105
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHRISTINE STARER, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
``I DON'T DEAL with my stress, I don't have the time nor do I know how to,'' said Brian Walker, 17, a senior at Cape Henry Collegiate School.
Brian is not alone. Almost every high school student experiences periods of intense stress, and most don't know how to handle it.
But think about it. If someone said to write a 10,000- word essay, fill out half a dozen college applications, maintain straight A's, work a part-time job, read a 400-page book by Monday, be president of five clubs and star of the soccer team, would you feel stressed?
Dr. Carl O. Helvie, professor of nursing at Old Dominion University, believes the most important thing to do when you feel overwhelmed by stress is to free your mind of the stressful situation.
A great way to do this is through relaxation exercises. For example, visualize a peaceful setting. It may be a stream or a mountain. While visualizing the setting, repeat ``peace, peace, peace'' or ``relax, relax, relax.''
Such exercises allow the person to escape the stressful situation for a while. You might look like an outer space martian meditating, but it can reduce your level of stress.
Moderate amounts of stress can actually be helpful, Helvie said. Stress is a natural response to a pressured situation. It has been preserved from the days when man relied on the adrenaline that stress provided to escape dangers in the wild. It can give you that extra concentration and commitment needed to do your best.
``Stress gives you an edge,'' Brian agreed. As editor of the Cape Henry yearbook, president of the Model United Nations team, vice president of the French club and senior class secretary, Brian has lots to juggle. Rather than dwelling on the stress and becoming frustrated, he often channels it into the assignment he is currently working on.
Still, many students become overwhelmed by the continuous stress of high school.
``When I'm stressed, I freak out and am always in a bad mood. I yell at my mom. I go crazy, walk in circles and forget what I'm doing,'' said Kellam High sophomore Natalie Horne, 15.
For many students, the negative aspects of stress outweigh the positive. And prolonged stress can have serious negative physical effects.
``A lot of stress is harmful. It can lead to the weakening of the immune system and therefore (allow for) easier contraction of diseases,'' Helvie said.
For high school students, stress is sometimes a product of not having enough time to complete all the things that have to be done.
``I could take time out for myself, but I can't because I don't have the time,'' Natalie said.
One of the easiest ways to decrease stress is to manage your time. If you have a 10-page paper due in two weeks, don't wait 13 days to start it. Often stress is greater when demands and deadlines build up; planning ahead can help avoid this. In scheduling time, don't forget to schedule time for yourself.
Stress, in all its helpful and harmful states, exists. There is no way to prevent it entirely, only ways of managing it. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Christine Starer is a senior at Cape Henry Collegiate.
by CNB