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Show Page 2, DIXIE SUN November 19, 1982 Leam to Diminish Your Stress Became of the stress many students feel from exams and the end of the quarter, we are reprinting this article which appeared in the University of Utah Review in August and mid-ter- September, 1982. To a large extent, people create their own stress because of how they view themselves, others and the world, according to a University psychologist who maintains that if people create their own stress, they can also learn to diminish it. All of us create more stress in our lives than we need to, "says Dr. Donald S. Strassberg, a clinical psychologist. Many kinds of stress are part of living, but the sources of stress most troublesome are the ones we create ourselves. Strassberg is a practitioner of Rationally Emotive Therapy (RET), a popular form of stress reduction therapy that is the brainchild of Albert Ellis, a New York City clinical psychologist. The theory, says Strassberg, is more than a means of dealing with stress. It is a philosophy of life. According to RET, the major causes of emotional distress are the irrational expectations we have for ourselves and others, or what Strassberg calls Musts, Shoulds and Ought Tos. One such demand is I must be thoroughly competent, adequate and achieving. Either Im perfect or Im worthless." "It's reasonable to want to be Says Strassberg, as competent as we can be, but it shouldnt be a requirement. You get into trouble when you demand that in order to feel okay about your self you MUST be perfect at whatever you do. Another irrational demand is, I must have love or approval from all those I find significant. It's okay to want everyone to like or love you, But it becomes a problem if says Strassberg." you make it a demand. No matter how nice you are, there will be some people who may not like you. So what? When you turn your desire for approval into a requirement, youre crushed if someone doesnt like you. You feel terrible about yourself, or you wonder, whats wrong with him or her? Many people, he says, have a tendency to do what he calls Awfulizing, which is defining things as much worse than they really are. People will say, Its awful that this thing happened, when in fact its not awful, but darn unpleasant, he says. Theyll say, I cant stand it, and think what a worthless person they are that it happened to them. Strassberg says people often assume that because they behave relatively nicely most of the time, the world should treat them fairly. The world just isnt set up to be fair, " he says. Nor is it always unfair. The world is just the way it is, sometimes fair and sometimes not. Its okay to prefer that the world be fair, but its irrational to demand that it be so. " According to RET, you have three options when something in life doesnt go the way you want it to: You can do something about it: you can either try to change the situation; or you can learn to accept (although you might not necessarily like) the situation; or you can choose to do nothing about the situation but insist on upsetting yourself and everyone else around you. if you break For example, says Strassberg, off with someone you care for, you can go out and find someone else who will provide you with similar kinds of pleasures and rewards. If you choose not to look for someone else right now, you can learn to live without someone special in your life for the time being. If you dont take either of these choices, youre left with feeling depressed, angry and badly about yourself. The basic principle of RET, says the psychologist, is that thoughts and beliefs are often the most important determinants of emotions. People who choose to make irrational demands on themselves, others and the world set themselves up for unnecessary stress, anxiety, that usually depression and lowered self-estee- follow. We frequently dont recognize that these beliefs are irrational or that they can be changes, "says Strassberg. As a therapist, I try to help people explore their beliefs and. to change those that arent serving them well. He argues that if people can learn to be more rational in their thinking they can significantly reduce the negative feelings that bring most people into therapy. Thinking rationally, he notes, doesnt eliminate emotional distress, but it does result in behaviors that are more satisfying. And what is rational? Anything that promotes survival and happiness is rational, he says. Anything against it is irrational. Jobs help students pay for schooling The Student Employment Office reports that and jobs during the school year and jobs during vacations each year help thousands of students attend college. Approximately 67 percent of todays college students earn while they learn, and their earnings help to pay for their learnings. While some individual students have the physical and mental stamina to work as much as 20 hours or more- per week without adverse effects, most students find such jobs take too part-tim- e full-tim- e - much time from their studies. However, surveys show that students who carefully plan their work and study programs are kble to maintain good academic records. If you decide to work part-timduring the academic year, youll find two employment options available: employment and employment. A student may receive as part of a financial aid package" a job. The availability and the nature of the job opportunities vary. All students, not only those who apply for financial aid, may apply directly to the Student Employment Office to determine the availability of jobs for them on the campus and in the e s community. The kind of job a student will be offered depends upon many factors: nature of the job openings at the time, the students financial need for the job, his qualifications for a particular job opening, and his class schedule. Students are usually permitted to hold only one job. Dixie College has only limited opportunities for employment on campus, and you might find a better opportunity off campus. Generally, but jobs pay more than remember that you may spend more time traveling to work. The Employment office maintains listings for jobs available to students. If there are no suitable listings, make application for employment at the local Job Service part-tim- e office; check the classified advertisements in the local newspaper; and visit the personnel departments of nearby retail stores, manufacturing business and restaurants. Some government workers, and some agencies also hire part-timcommunity agencies have special employment opportunities for students. Check with their local offices. If these options dont work, set your imagination to work. Place your own advertisement in the classified, promoting what you do best. Perhaps youre a great typist, or a whiz at the switchboard; somewhere somebody needs those skills. Maybe your backyard mechanic skills will land you a job filling in at a neighborhood garage. If you cant find a job, make one. Summer employment yields much larger earnings for most students than does part-tim- e employment during the school year. Again, a major source of summer jobs and opportunities is the Student Employment Office. Jobs which predominate during the vacation period are those which are characteristic of the summer season - restaurants, summer camps, tourist, and outdoor recreation work. The best advice any student seeking this kind of employment can follow is, apply early; the months of February and March are not too soon. If it is possible, you should try to find summer e work in the field youre considering entering after graduation. Even the lowest job available can offer an opportunity to learn more about the field and can help you decide if it is the correct choice. Sometimes, too, you can make valuable contacts which can help you later in your area of work. But theres more. Students who work throughout college also point to gains. They say they not only appreciate the value of money more, but helping to pay their own way makes them feel better about themselves. y |