BUIE YULI
■Winter break can create
substantial stress tor students,
but there are ways to cope
By Anne Le Chevailier
Oregon Daily Emerald
There are four days until fall
term is officially over. But just
because it’s the end of the term
doesn’t always mean it’s the
end of stress for students, said Dr.
Ron Miyaguchi, the University
seniorsta ff t he ra p i s t..
Moving home, starting new jobs
and transitioning into different en
vironments can amplify feelings of
stress and exhaustion, Miyaguchi
said.
“It takes me a couple of days to
feel adjusted or back in the groove.
Take it easy for the first day or so,”
he advised.
A short break, however, may not
completely' relieve tensions.
Whether stress is caused by family
gatherings, religious and cultural ac
tivities or self-imposed expectations,
it can accumulate during the month
long break. In: said. Miyaguchi said
he has observed three tvpes of holi
day stressors in staff and students.
The first type — social loss — in
volves feeling alone during the hol
idays because of the absence of a
loved one.
A second type arises from staff
and students’ priorities getting out
of proportion. This can cause sig
nificant emotional trauma, he said.
Stress can come from focusing on
gifts or trying to create the "per
fect" holiday.
“They focus on doing, rather
than being,” he said.
The third stressor comes from
overemphasizing expectations.
When students feel as if they are
carrying all the burdens, renew old
grudges or want or demand for oth
ers to change, their physical and
mental health can suffer.
Miyaguchi suggested students
suffering from stress should recog
nize limitations, practice assertive
ness, share responsibility, rely on
resources and find time.for self-re
newal.
Weighty issues
Another source of guilt and anx
iety can be food. According to Dr.
William Conner, a professor at the.
Oregon Health Sciences Universi
ty School of Medicine, Americans
gain an average of about eight
pounds during the holidays.
To avoid weight gain, Conner sug
gested people use low-fat holiday
recipes, eat smaller portions, use
small plates to help regulate food
portions and Exercise regularly.
However, this can be difficult,
since many holiday celebrations
and family gatherings center
around sugary delights and hearty,
calorie-heavy meals. Miyaguchi
said he recognized the difficulty of
avoiding the seasonal emphasis on
food, and suggested studentsclarify
and reevaluate their expectations.
“Give yourself some permission
to indulge a little more if that is im
portant to you. but it should be an
intentional decision rather than a
reaction to the situation,” he said.
Long-term depression
Clinical depression can also ex
acerbate the winter-break blues.
For those suffering from serious
depression, the holidays can inten
sity emotions because they lead to
social comparisons,- Miyaguchi
said. A depressed person might ex
pect to have a great time during
break but then not feel any better.
Some people who get depressed
during the winter may have Sea
sonal Affective Disorder,
Miyaguchi said, though that in
volves more than just feeling sad
during the winter. It is actually a
type of depression marked by a
pattern of sluggishness and a lack
of appetite or motivation over sev
eral winters, he said.
Miyaguchi recommended that
students who are tired of “coping”
and want long-term change should
enroll in a seminar called “Life
Skills: Stress Management and
Self-esteem Enhancement." The
class, led by Counseling Center
graduate teaching fellow Krista
Gragg and psychology intern Ryan
Scott, is open to all students.
Gragg said the small, three-cred
it class is for anyone who wants to
learn strategies to successfully
cope with stress, improve their re
lationships, achieve balance in
their lives and learn more about
themselves. Discussion topics in
clude relationships, intimacy, spir
ituality, exercise, nutrition and
family and time management.
“Over 10 weeks, they can really
make substantial changes in their
lives," Gragg said.
Emerald features reporter
Anne Le Chevallier can be reached at
annelechevallier@dailyemerald.com.
Aloma Guthrie
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Interested in Health Education?
Want to make a difference?
Join the Peer Health Ed. Program at the
UO Health Center
Learn about college health issues
sexual health
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drug use
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Build skills
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educate your peers
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Work with staff and students in the Health Center
Internship program
Resume builder
6 upper division credits
winter and spring terms
Call 346-4456 for more information or check out http://healthed.uoregon.edu
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