Stress

Stress has many definitions. Stress also affects everyone differently. The additional/new kinds of stress you may encounter while overseas may lead to anxiety/panic disorders, depression, paranoia, eating disorders, and other phobias. Any mental health challenges you have prior to going overseas may become more severe once you experience the effects of culture shock. Even mental fatigue from constant language immersion and time change may cause the symptoms of culture shock to seem overwhelming.

It is important to identify what stresses you and how you respond to stressful events/situations as this will determine the impact that these experiences have on your life. The first step is to a ssess your current stressors and explore ways that you respond to them.

• Generate a list of current events that produce stress in your life.
  (i.e., Leaving your family in Australia , learning a new language, work or school demands, balancing priorities, living in a different culture)
  
• Brainstorm how you cope with stressful experiences. Assess if you have a healthy or unhealthy coping style. For example:

  Healthy Coping Styles

  exercise
  down time for self-care
  balancing work and play
  time management

  Unhealthy Coping Styles

  	alcohol or drug use
  	avoidance of event
  	procrastination
  	overeating

Identifying your stressors and coping styles will help you to modify your behaviour. It will also help you to become aware of your physiological and emotional reactions to stress. Recognising these reactions is the first step in dealing with them. The next step is recognising what you can change. For example you can change your reactions to stress or the way you think about stressful event. After this you can start to utilize healthy coping skills. It is also a good idea to practice good coping skills daily even when intense stress is not present. This will prepare you for the times when you may feel overwhelmed. You should also look for other coping skills that you can add to your repertoire so as to increase your options in times of stress.

Relaxation

Relaxation is one of the best methods of dealing with stress. You should start by thinking about the activities you consider relaxing. Make sure that you are very specific when exploring your options. Some good examples of relaxing activities are:

Going for walks
Meeting with friends
Reading for pleasure
Listening to music
Taking a bath

You could also try utilising a number of other relaxation techniques such as

	Meditation
	Yoga
	Pilates
	Tai Chi
	Acupuncture
	Deep breathing exercises
	Progressive relaxation (muscle relaxation)
	Massage

Try many different techniques to find the ones that work best for you. It is a good idea to find a number of techniques that work for you so you have an array of options. You should make the time to practice these techniques regularly. Make sure though that you are realistic about the amount of time that you can dedicate to "relaxation" and ensure that you incorporate this time into your daily routine. Remember that this is called BALANCE and that this time should not be used as a procrastination tactic!

Other good stress management techniques include simple changes that you can make to your body and mind include:

Body

• Maintaining a healthy and well balanced diet.
• Undertaking regular aerobic exercise.
• Reducing caffeine intake
• Quit smoking

Mind

• Improving your time management skills
• Develop a support network to rely on in times of need.
• Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings concerning the stressors in your life.
• Take direct action when stress arises- identify your needs and articulate them; be intentional about what you can do.
• Identify your goals and work toward them.

Remember that you are not superman and that there are times when you will not be able to do everything. Make a list of all of the things you 'should' get done and prioritise then from most important to least important. Work through that list one task at a time. Most importantly be kind to yourself and don't dwell on the 'shoulds' concentrate on your achievements