'Tis the season

'Tis the season that can seriously challenge our ability to manage stress. Finals are looming. Those papers you put off are due. Family and financial problems may escalate. Even students who normally manage stress reasonably well can begin to experience more of its negative effects at this time of semester. \nThese effects include getting caught in mental worry loops when trying to fall or stay asleep. Feeling edgy and irritable is another common effect of stress that can cause strains in friendships and set up negative interactions among people. Stress can also cause some people to develop headaches, stomach discomfort or other physical problems.\nOthers may experience stress in the form of feeling overwhelmed or finding it hard to focus and cope. Thinking negatively intensifies the overwhelmed feelings. \nIn addition to combating stress by eating healthily, exercising, getting adequate sleep, developing good study routines, reducing caffeine intake and trying to think as positively as possible, we invite you to try relaxation exercises. They have proven their effectiveness with athletes, musicians and others exposed to high-performance demands. \nRelaxation exercises provide some simple, powerful tools for reducing stress. They are easy to learn and incorporate into daily routines. Counseling and Psychological Services of the IU Health Center is offering links to these on its Web site, www.healthcenter.indiana.edu/caps. The exercises were developed and generously shared by Hobart and William Smith Colleges. \nYou can listen to them directly from the Web site or download them to your computer. You can copy them or record them to a CD for free. \nBrowse the CAPS Web site for other stress management tips. \nThis is the last of the CAPS articles in this series this semester. We have enjoyed the opportunity to share our thoughts on emotional health with you. Our staff wishes you a productive end of semester -- with manageable stress -- and an enjoyable break!