Andra Medea, author of “Conflict Unraveled,” taught a workshop at Sacramento State last week on how to manage crises and stress.

While the workshop was geared toward how administrators should handle students in crises, she offered several tips students should take advantage of when dealing with life stressors.

Aside from the emotional struggle students feel under stressful situations, there is an actual chemical imbalance in the brain when adrenaline picks up. Studies on stress and the brain show basic functions, like digestion and maintaining a healthy immune system, cease and all energy is diverted to the brain causing adrenaline overload and flooding, Medea said.

“Whirling thoughts, telltale headache, feeling like life is closing in on you, like you’re losing it, that there’s too much coming at you and you just can’t cope,” Medea said. “These are all signs that your brain is having an adrenaline overload called flooding.”

Flooding, a term coined by Dr. John Gottman, Professor Emeritus in psychology at the University of Washington, describes brain malfunction under stressful situations. Medea said the most important thing to remember about flooding is that it’s a chemical malfunction, not a character flaw.

“When I get stressed, I get anxiety,” senior pre-nursing major Alicia Keeler said. “I get migraine headaches, I start to feel antsy and I sometimes get into a bad mood because what I’m doing is too overwhelming.”

Students endure an immense amount of pressure daily. It is perfectly normal for frustration and stress to surface when students are simply doing too much.

“It takes a lot for me to realize I’m just way too stressed to deal with a situation,” senior psychology major Aimee Parshall said. “When I finally realize it, it’s at that breaking point where I throw in the towel and walk away for an hour or two.”

We all suffer from stress, whether it’s school, work, home, relationships, money or something else. We also react differently to stress, but here are some universal tips to help any student facing the heat.

Medea suggests five positive approaches to stressful situations.

First is to remember it is a physical malfunction.

“If you try to just power through you’ll end up fighting yourself,” Medea said. “Instead, make your priority getting your brain working again.”

Second, take a few deep breaths to clear your head.

“Deep breathing helps drop adrenaline levels,” Medea said. “Whether you’re stressed from a big test, stuck in traffic or about to face a job interview, you can always breathe.”

Third is to move around and stretch.

“Work the large muscle groups: arms, legs, torso,” Medea said. “For instance, before a big test you might sprint up the last few flights of stairs or walk around until your head feels clear.”

Fourth is to put on some music.

“Somewhere in your iPod there’s something that makes you want to sing along,” Medea said. “Whatever it is, belt it. Singing makes you breathe deeply and will lift your mood.”

Fifth is go outside.

“The combination of muscle action, space and nature can help drop adrenaline,” Medea said. “You’re lucky enough to have a beautiful campus. Take a turn along the river or under the trees.”

These tips can be relieving to any stressed student. It’s a matter of recognizing the signs of flooding, and taking a moment to breathe and relax.

“My go-to method when I feel stressed is to blast my car stereo to my favorite music and drive around town to relax,” Keeler said. “Also, taking a hot relaxing bubble bath, watching a funny chick flick or reading one of my favorite books helps.”

Giving your mind and body a break improves both physical and mental health and can help you approach tough times with less stress.

“We all hit overload sometimes,” Medea said. “You’re not going crazy and there’s nothing wrong with you. The trick is to get your brain working again.”

When a student is better able to manage his or her stress levels, he or she can be supportive for someone who they know is in a predicament.

“Rather than put your stressed classmate on the spot, show them this article, and talk about what you go through when you’re on overload,” Medea said. “Talk about what works for you. You’re apt to find that you and your friends will start joking about it. That’s huge. Laughter really helps.”

Wanting to help a stressed out classmate or friend is admirable, but students should be aware of certain things they should avoid when lending that helping hand.

Never tell a stressed person what to do or they will only become more stressed.

“Never argue with someone on adrenaline overload,” Medea said. “They can’t listen. The part of the brain that takes in new info essentially disconnects, so they’re like talking to a wall.”

“I get high anxiety and snappy with people when I’m stressed,” Parshall said. “To help my friends, I give them the best advice I can and try to take them away from the stressful situation until they can talk it out and feel more comfortable to go back to it.”

Also, the part of the brain controlling logic starts to malfunction. It would be like trying to reason with a toddler.

“When you argue with someone who’s already on overload, you spike their adrenaline,” Medea said. “All the thinking problems only get worse.”

Getting through a crisis is neither enjoyable nor easy, but it is possible. These tips might not change a situation or make it disappear, but they can alleviate some of the physical and mental strain stress causes.

Natalie Gray can be reached at [email protected]