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Additional Resources

  • The Office of Health Education and Promotion, Health Services offers free stress management counseling to all students who have paid the health fee.
  • Appointments:
    Online
    Call (603) 862-3823
  • What to expect from a stress management appointment
  • Communication Skills
    Learning how to communicate well is essential to overall wellness and to maintaining healthy relationships.
  • Download Meditation Tracks
    Free meditation tracks written specifically for college students.
  • Biofeedback Sessions
    Biofeedback technology uses electronic equipment to measure and monitor changes in one's internal physiological state while teaching breathing, relaxation and meditation exercises.
  • Yoga at UNH
    Health Services provides free yoga classes to students on Wednesdays and Fridays.
  • Self-Esteem
    Learn more about what self-esteem is and how to get more of it.
  • Wellness
    Spin the Wellness Wheel and see where you land. Are there any areas of your life that need a tune-up?
  • Resource Library
    Stress Management Resources available to check out.
  • MyStudentBody
    Login to this great program to learn more about how college students can manage stress.
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Managing Stress
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Learn to Manage Stress at UNH...Before It Manages You

The Office of Health Education and Promotion, Health Services offers free stress management counseling with Wellness Educators/Counselors for all students who have paid the health fee. Appointments can be made online or by calling (603) 862-3823.

Learn about what you can expect from a
stress mangement appointment at Health Services...

Are you experiencing?

Sleep problems? Weight gain or loss? Back, shoulder or neck pain?

Are you feeling?

Nervous, anxious or depressed? Irritable or frustrated? Feeling out of control about life in general?

If you answered yes to any of these symptoms, you could be experiencing stress! Not to worry! You have choices in learning how to deal with your stress. Take a deep breath, RELAX, and take action to a healthier you!

What is stress?

Stress is your physical, emotional and mental response to all external influences.

Is all stress bad?

NO! Without some stress, people wouldn't get a lot done. The extra burst of adrenaline that helps you finish your final paper, win at sports, or meet any other challenge is positive stress.

If you can't return to a relaxed state, this stress becomes negative. The changes in your body start to take their toll, often leading to mental and physical exhaustion and illness.

Positive stress adds anticipation and excitement to life! Insufficient positive stress may leave us feeling bored. On the other hand, too much negative stress can leave us feeling overwhelmed.

What are possible symptoms of negative stress?

  • Sleep disturbances
  • Tension or migraine headaches
  • Constipation or Diarrhea
  • Sweaty palms or hands
  • Fatigue
  • Nervousness
  • "Butterflies"
  • Memory problems
  • Lack of concentration
  • Substance abuse
  • Overreactions
  • back, shoulder or neck pain
  • Upset stomach
  • Weight gain or loss
  • Skin problems (hives, eczema, tics)
  • Hair loss
  • Depression, moodiness
  • Irritability, frustration
  • Phobias
  • Trouble thinking clearly
  • Feeling out of control

**Physical and emotional symptoms may be the result of a serious physical illness too. It is important to have a medical provider check you first.

What can cause stress?

  • Not having enough money
  • Parental expectations
  • Poor eating habits
  • Too many extracurricular activities
  • Coming to terms with sexual orientation
  • Poor sexual health
  • Change in sleeping habits
  • Loneliness
  • Relationships
  • Poor time management skills
  • Loss of a relationship
  • Change in eating habits
  • Unrealistic expectations
  • Social pressures
  • New responsibilities
  • New environment
  • Dissatisfaction with classes/job
  • Poor coping skills
  • Indecision
  • Expecting perfection

What can I do to help manage stress before it manages me?

  • Choose your own goals. Don’t live out choices others have made for you.
  • Think positively.
  • Make decisions. You can learn to live with the consequences or change your mind. In general, any decision- even consciously deciding to do nothing- is better than none.
  • Keep your expectations realistic. Don’t expect perfection from yourself or others. Expect some problems reaching your goals and realize that you can solve most of them with practice.
  • Anticipate potentially stressful situations and prepare for them.
  • Live in the present. Learn from the past and move on.
  • Know your own stress level. Strive for excellence within your limits.

 

Additional Resources to Help You Manage Stress

Strategies to Cope with Stress

Reduce unwanted stress or manage it productively by using these top 10 strategies

Work Less

What if you could get more done by working less? Everyone wants that, right? But that’s obviously not the way most of us work. We think that in order to get more done and be more productive, we need to increase our effort and time. That’s the obvious, intuitive answer. But the less obvious — the counter-intuitive approach of working less and taking more breaks — gets better results.

 

Resources at Health Services

  • Stress management counseling
    Available by calling (603) 862-3823 or visiting HealthOnline
  • Massage Therapy - Aailable to current UNH students, faculty and staff for a discounted rate
  • Meditation - Learn more about benefits of meditation and download guided meditations
  • Yoga - Free classes offered to students on Wednesdays and Fridays
  • Medical acupuncture - Available to students to assist in stress management, pain management and tobacco cessation
  • Resource Library - The Health Services Resource Library is available to the UNH community. Check out books and multimedia about stress management, personal growth, communication skills, relationships, and much more!
  • Counseling Center - The Counseling Center is the primary mental health facility on campus. They provide counseling and therapy for students who may be experiencing situational or ongoing psychological difficulties. Clinical services are available to all students who have paid the health fee.

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