Stress and Time Management

[Ready for Fall 2026]

Modified: 2026-07-28 (4:35 PM CDST)

• Video:
  • Ermey as psychiatrist
• Definition of stress:
  • complex physiological reactions that take place when trying to adapt to demands of external events
• Definition of stressor:
  • events that threaten or challenge an individual (or, they produce stress)
• Definition of resilience:
  • ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change
• Signs of Stress
  • irritability
  • pounding heart
  • dry mouth
  • impulsiveness
  • urges to run, cry, and hide
  • inability to concentrate
  • tics
  • migraines
  • feelings of unreality
  • loss of "spark"
  • easily startled
  • teeth grinding (at night)
  • trouble sleeping
  • frequent urination
  • diarrhea
  • stomach upset
  • missed menstruation
  • neck or back pain
  • changes in food intake
  • change is smoking amount
  • change in alcohol use
  • nightmares
  • accident proneness
  • hives
• Exercise and Stress
  • Aerobic exercise
  • Produces endorphins (e.g., "runner's high")
• Sleep and Stress
  • Get about 8 hours/night
  • Use sleep hygiene
    • Have a sleep routine
      • e.g., like a child: dinner, bath, story, bed
    • Don't take long daytime naps
    • Read or listen to relaxation tape before sleep
    • Don't exercise at night
    • Sleep in same place
    • Have a regular schedule

Time Management

• How do I best use my time?
• What is procrastination?
• What tools are there for time management?
• Controlling Time
• All you have is time. Tempus fugit. (Time flies.) Heard of three score and ten?
• Goals and Priorities
  • Let's make a list of goals
  • Let's make a list of how to put our tasks in priority order
  • What does staying focused mean?
    • Are you going to class?
    • Are you studying?
    • Do you have a job too?
    • Are you spending time with friends or family?
    • How much sleep are you getting?
    • Are you eating right?
    • Are you exercising?
    • Do you have time to relax?

Procrastination (let's talk about this next time...)

• Sources
  • Perfectionism (You don't finish a book, the publisher takes it away from you.)
  • Fear of other's negative opinions
  • Boredom
• Curing Procrastination
  • Make yourself finish the job
    • One way is hold off from doing something you'd rather be doing until you finish the job
    • Reward yourself AFTER you finish
  • Make a to-do list
  • Break bigger jobs into smaller chunks
    • Don't think of the whole English paper, instead think about the first paragraph
  • Learn to say "No" to your friends and to your family when necessary
  • Find a quiet place to study or write
  • Turn off your cell phone while you are working

Class Schedule

• Too late to change it for this semester
• Now is the time to think about your Spring schedule
• Do you have a daily planner?
• You do if you have a cell phone
• SAU gave you one (not yet, soon...)
• Do you have a To-Do list?
  • What does yours say?
• List all of your weekly commitments
• Be sure to schedule 2 hours of studying for each 1 hour of class time
• Are you a day person or a night person?
• Plan ahead AND plan for emergencies
  • Print ACT ticket early. What if computer crashes or power goes out the night before?
• What else do you need to learn in order to be ready for your courses?
  • Computer skills
  • Writing skills
  • Using the library
• Exercise Helps
  • Schedule time for exercise
  • Three times per week minimum
  • 30 minutes of elevated heart rate each time
  • Don't forget to cool down
  • Be sure you have no medical conditions that prevent you from exercising
  • Los Angeles Times - Walking is good for the brain

Your Day

• Different strokes for different folks
  • Know YOUR time-based requirements
  • Don't try to imitate others' schedules
• Maximize your open time periods
  • Know when you are waiting around (between classes or riding to and from school)
  • Don't waste your best times to study
  • Use routine activities for social time (washing clothes or goofing off on the computer)
  • Don't study just before eating
• Create and maintain a routine
  • Find or make a place to study
  • Study 50--Rest 10--Study 50--Rest 10...
• Monitor yourself
  • Are you focused?
  • Have you turned off your phone? Shut down your e-mail program? Managed other distractions?
  • Avoid Multitasking--it does not work
  • Be flexible-leave time blocks just in case something unexpected happens
• Personalize your schedule
  • Next semester consider making a schedule that suits your needs
    • Schedule classes, if possible, to fit your personality and study habits
    • If you have a job, try to schedule your classes so that they fit well
    • Think about whether back-to-back classes far across campus are feasible
• Don't bite off more than you can chew
  • Only you know how much coursework you can handle
  • Know the drop date for the Fall 2014 semester (Wednesday, November 5, 2014)
  • Remember, you must complete 30 hours each year!
  • Communicate with your teachers early if you believe you are in academic trouble
  • Get help early
• Where and when to study?
  • Bad places to study:
    • Social places-kitchens, common areas, and on your bed
  • Good places to study
    • Quiet and private-library, your room (maybe), outdoors
    • SAU Late Night Study Hall in Bruce Center (thanks to Daniel Ibinola!)
    • Honors Office Computer Lab (during the day)
  • Have a routine
    • Daily routine
    • Week-end routine
    • Special routines
      • My roommate in college rented a motel room before finals
  • Music
    • Research has shown that listening to music while studying is not a good idea
  • When
    • Morning-women prefer
    • Afternoon-men prefer
    • Evening-both prefer
    • DISCOVER your preferred times

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