HAT BIG EXAM IS TOMORROW, and since you have no time to eat

between study sessions you graba bag of chips for lunch. When you are that stressed who has time to eat properly? However, all that junk is just making things worse.

Many students tend to be vitamin deficient. “Big deal,” you say, “it's not like it really makes a difference.” Actually, proper nutrition is always important but even more so when you are under stress. For example, a deficiency in B and C vitamins can make you feel tired, irritable, and can affect your memory, Definitely not what you want while you are trying to study.

Being vitamin deficient can even help make you sick. Your immune system is weakened and you will be more susceptible to colds and other ailments.

It may seem like a hassle to eat the proper amounts, but it is easier than you think. You

Eat Your Oranges

By Aldera Chisholm

can get your daily recommended amount of vitamin C from one orange or kiwi fruit. All you have to do is get a copy of the Canada Food Guide, and it shows you what the average person needs. Keep in mind that when you are stressed, you are demanding more from your body, so it may need a bit more than usual. There is a big temptation to snack your

way through stressful times. When stress hits your body needs energy, and we often try to get it from chocolate bars and all those high- cal treats. Sometimes just the action of eating seems to help alleviate stress, at least temporarily. Eating is something most of us view as a “comfort” activity and helps us feel in control. There is nothing wrong with that, but

you might want to redirect “the munchies.”

When you need something salty and crunchy, leave those potato chipsalone. Instead try carrots or some popcorn. You don’t need chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth; try Graham crackers, yoghurt, or some fresh fruit. When you head off to classes, pack a bag with the “good” munchies. This can help reduce the temptation to hit the vending machines.

Another good way to work off some of the Stress is to hit the gym, go for a walk, or do whatever activity you enjoy. It gives you a break, and helps get you the energy boost you need to get you through the day.

Trying that extra bit harder to eat properly can help get you through stressful times but it also pays off in the long run, making you feel healthier, more energetic, and allowing you be your personal best.

TRESS IS A COMMON PROBLEM for all people: however, it is an especially important problem for _ women. Stressors that women experience are unique to them, as is the stress they cause. The life of a female, be she in the work force or in the school environment, is especially prone to stressful situations.

Women are subject to many stress causing inequalities. Inequalities in employment Opportunities and salaries, combined with today’s unemployment rate, can mean that a woman may be forced to work at a job she hates , just so that she can support her family, or herself. Working ata job you dislike affects not only your performance on the job, but all aspects of your life. Not enjoying your job, for whatever reason, can lead to such symptoms of stress as impatience, headaches, restlessness,

Women and Stress

By C.A. Schneider

illness and insomnia. These symptoms are all things that permeate your free time as well as working hours.

Stress for women is also present in the education systems of today. Although many improvements have been made over recent years, the inequalities a woman experiences in post-secondary education are much the same as the inequalities experienced in the work force. Women who experience the

MN ee ae ‘university student has to deal with — stress throughout his or her academic year. No matter what faculty students are in, they still

Stress and Student Services

By Grace Kimpinski

a best friend andbe totally honest. It also says that students should organize their time by planning ahead, and should always take some time out ina day to treat themselves to whatever they want. The other side of the

have to do reading assignments, write essays, and study for tests and exams. How to properly deal with the stress can make the difference between having a successful year at university or not.

The only place on campus to go for help With stress management is the Student Services department. Student Services is there for the Students, and it wants to assist them in any way Possible, but it seems like they just cannot get to everyone. In the department of Student Services, thereare three staff councillors, two of which are there year-round and the other works only during the academic year. Right now, their schedules are booked for the next few weeks.

Whenasked if Student Services had anything else to offer students suffering from an overload of stress, a three by six inch card was handed to me. One side of the card Suggests that People should treat themselves as they would

card tells people to wake up each morning thinking or saying to themselves: “ “This is a new day waiting for you.”

“You are a human being, and human beings are imperfect.”

“You are you, a separate individual.”

“Keep your long-term goals and short- term means in perspective.”

“Today you will accomplish one small part of the overall task and that is good.”

Although this is all very good advice, is this going to help reduce stress in a person's life? What is a student to do? Why doesn't the Student Services offer more to the students? We do realize that they are only human too, So we cannot be all too harsh. So, unless you have everything organized, or an appointment made at Student Services, you will have to deal with your stress on your own.

inaccessibility of certain areas of study often also refer to the chilly climate of many university campuses towards women. Even now there is no shortage of professors who believe that women do not belong in certain fields, and there are many students who agree. Women

who venture into unusual areas of study are .

often harassed and put down by colleagues. The stress caused by this harassment is only intensified by the personal need to not live up

—

ik. old man! How : you deal wilh stress :

to the comments.

Stress is a part of life for women, and not all women can or will deal with it in an appropriate way. Women who are breaking away from the mainstream areas of study and careers are finding more and more that stress is something that must be dealt with.

There are many self-help programs that help women deal with the stress of society, and women are using many different means to relieve the stress in their lives. Women of this generation have learned to effectively deal with much of their stress through exercise, meditation, therapy and many other means. The stress women are put under is constantly lessening as people work towards equality; however, stress will never be completely gone, and a little bit of stress is good for the soul.

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BLIK is a regular feature in Brock University's Brock Press