Counseling Center

Stress Management 

College can be a stressful time. The self-help information on this page can help you learn to recognize the signs of stress in yourself and manage stress in healthy and effective ways. If stress becomes unmanageable for you, please come to the Counseling Center where our counselors can help you learn to cope with your stress in a variety of helpful ways.

*Stop, Breathe, Reflect and Choose for Yourself
You can’t eliminate stress from your life, but you can change the way that you react to stress. For example, when deadlines come up unexpectedly; you have a disagreement with a friend or roommate; you are faced with a multitude of assignments; or any number of other stressors college life can bring, you may feel overwhelmed and stressed.

You may feel as though there is nothing you can do that will help, but you do have options. You can choose how you are going to react to the situation in a manner that will serve you in a positive way.

One method is SBRC or Stop-Breathe-Reflect-Choose. It only takes about 2 minutes and it can help reduce your negative reactions to stress.

• Step 1: Stop – what you are doing and the continuous flow of negative thoughts about the situation.
• Step 2: Breathe – take in a deep breath, feeling your abdomen rise and fall, releasing any tension in your body as you exhale.
• Step 3: Reflect – consider what is really going on. Is the situation a crisis? If so, can you cope with it? Will worrying and becoming tense help to solve it? What action will really serve you in this particular situation?
• Step 4: Choose – now make a choice. You can make a choice about how you are going to react in a positive manner. A choice that serves you. This choice may be different depending on the situation, but through this process you can begin to realize that you have the power to choose your actions in the face of stress. With practice, you can take control of your reactions.

Recommended Links:

2 to 11 minute audio downloads: MIT Guided Relaxation and Stress Reduction

Understanding Stress: Signs, Symptoms, Causes and Effects

Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress

Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief: Relaxation Exercises and Tips


Recommended reading:

“The Wellness Book”, Herb Benson, MD, 1992

“Peace is Every Step”, Thich Nhat Hanh, 1991

*SBRC method is adapted from “The Wellness Book”, Herbert Benson,  MD

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