Office of Health Education & Promotion

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?

Get physical activity
Build supportive relationships with others
Get involved with things you enjoy
Learn to manage your time
Get plenty of sleep
Avoid alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
Eat well
Take time for yourself
Practice relaxation techniques
Become a clear communicator
Something bothering you? Take time to ask yourself if it is worth your time. Accept what you cannot change.
Laugh! Don’t take yourself or life too seriously.

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.