2008 Woodie Awards
Tutor offers stress busters
Katy Adcox
Issue date: 4/30/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Beth Nikopoulos, director of tutoring at Brookhaven College, compared the first step of recovering from alcoholism with coping with stress.
She said the first step to recovering from alcoholism requires admitting a problem; coping with stress requires an admission of enduring stress.
"We walk around with it all the time," Nikopoulos said. "The more you carry it around, the harder it is to cope."
She said stress manifests itself through many physical and emotional signs.
She said she clinches her jaw, while others feel anxiety, nervousness, loss of motivation and an assortment of physical ailments ranging from loss of appetite to nausea.
After stress has been identified, Nikopoulos said individuals must learn to cope with it.
She said exercise, learning to let go, managing time, meditating, releasing irrational beliefs and seeking help are methods people use to cope with stress.
Nikopoulos said she can think through her stress while exercising and create possibilities for herself. She said exercise releases tension and provides escape for some.
Nikopoulos said quiet time away from a stress-causing environment could also help. She said sometimes people must schedule time to relax or else it will be forgotten.
"Don't lose yourself," Nikopou-los said.
She said to prioritize and manage time wisely, ask questions such as, "What absolutely, positively has to be done at this moment?" and "If I can't control it, what is a way I can be okay with it?"
Nikopoulos said having a clear goal in mind is important while managing time. This helps to prioritize daily tasks.
"A good student is someone who has failed," she said. "It is good to see that life goes on despite a failure, and it is best to accept this and move on."
She said to accept imperfection but still strive toward the goals at hand. She said sometimes making a cup of tea or simply breathing in through the nose and out the mouth can relieve a large amount of stress.
Nikopoulos said if all else fails and stress takes over, individuals need to seek help.
Students who need any type of guidance can call the Brookhaven advising center at 972-860-4830 in S113.
She said the first step to recovering from alcoholism requires admitting a problem; coping with stress requires an admission of enduring stress.
"We walk around with it all the time," Nikopoulos said. "The more you carry it around, the harder it is to cope."
She said stress manifests itself through many physical and emotional signs.
She said she clinches her jaw, while others feel anxiety, nervousness, loss of motivation and an assortment of physical ailments ranging from loss of appetite to nausea.
After stress has been identified, Nikopoulos said individuals must learn to cope with it.
She said exercise, learning to let go, managing time, meditating, releasing irrational beliefs and seeking help are methods people use to cope with stress.
Nikopoulos said she can think through her stress while exercising and create possibilities for herself. She said exercise releases tension and provides escape for some.
Nikopoulos said quiet time away from a stress-causing environment could also help. She said sometimes people must schedule time to relax or else it will be forgotten.
"Don't lose yourself," Nikopou-los said.
She said to prioritize and manage time wisely, ask questions such as, "What absolutely, positively has to be done at this moment?" and "If I can't control it, what is a way I can be okay with it?"
Nikopoulos said having a clear goal in mind is important while managing time. This helps to prioritize daily tasks.
"A good student is someone who has failed," she said. "It is good to see that life goes on despite a failure, and it is best to accept this and move on."
She said to accept imperfection but still strive toward the goals at hand. She said sometimes making a cup of tea or simply breathing in through the nose and out the mouth can relieve a large amount of stress.
Nikopoulos said if all else fails and stress takes over, individuals need to seek help.
Students who need any type of guidance can call the Brookhaven advising center at 972-860-4830 in S113.
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