A Consultant Clinical Psychologist from Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Charles Umeh, has hinged the functionality and efficiency of humans on stress being encountered daily, saying stress ‘is healthy and enjoyable.’
The Clinical Psychologist, however, warned that stress could be damaging when not properly managed.
Dr. Umeh made the assertion at a workshop, entitled, ‘Social Skills and Stress Management: Panacea for Success in a University Environment,’ organized by the Student Affairs Division of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State.
He said, “Stress is a necessary thing in human beings' lives because stress adds flavor, challenges and opportunities to our world. In the right dose, stress can be healthy, or even enjoyable. However, it can be very damaging when it becomes excessive. It can harm people‘s health, happiness, work performance, relationships and personal development.
“Stress is an inevitable part of life; it can take a toll on students’ physical health, emotional wellbeing, and academic success unless they learn to manage it appropriately. The staffers are burdened by the numerous demands of their job, including their responsibilities as loco parentis. Much of the stress that we all experience is helpful and stimulating. The challenges of life tend to be stressful and an attempt to avoid stress completely would lead to a rather boring existence. The problem comes when you experience too much stress.”
The Expert, who classified stress into distress, eustress, hypo stress, and hyper stress, told the audience (staff and students) that involving in social skills, which include eye contact with others during conversation, smiling when greeting people, shaking hands when meeting someone, using the right tone and volume of voice, expressing opinions to others, and perceiving how others are feeling and showing empathy, could help to douse stress.
Dr. Umeh highlighted the symptoms of stress to include muscular tension, colds or other illnesses, high blood pressure, indigestion, ulcers, loss of sexual desire and or ability, chest pain and rapid heartbeat, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, headaches, backaches, dry mouth, clenched jaw and grinding teeth, depression, anger, fear or anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, mood swings, low self-esteem, lonely, forgetfulness, unwanted or repetitive thoughts, inability to focus, poor judgment, increased use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes, and being pessimistic.
He advised students to attend class regularly, keep their space and consequently their minds organized, keep up with course work, get involved in positive campus activities, maintain communication with their families, form healthy relationships, and talk to the right people about their problems.
He urged both staff and students to get involved in regular physical activity, keep a sense of humor, socialize with family and friends, set aside time for hobbies and go on vacation.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Olugbenga Ige, thanked the Student Affairs Division for thinking it necessary to organize the workshop, which, according to the DVC, was a right step in the right direction.
In his Welcome Address, the Dean of Student Affairs and a lecturer in the Department of Pure and Applied Psychology, Dr. Bolanle Ogungbamila, said the workshop became necessary ‘in a typical university environment dominated by a huge number of young, restless, freedom-loving, and transient student group, that is usually less concerned about the well-being and the continued existence of the human and the physical environment.
He thanked the University Management for giving necessary support to the success of the workshop. Part of the highlights of the event was the artistic performance by the Ajasin Varsity Theatre.
