Use Sophia to knock out your gen-ed requirements quickly and affordably. Learn more
×

Online Tools to Manage Stress

Author: Sophia

what's covered
In this lesson, you will explore stress and the need to reduce it. You will consider how strong technology skills can help you overcome stress related to anything... including technology itself.

Specifically, this lesson will cover:
  1. What is Stress?
  2. Coping Strategies
    1. Mindfulness
    2. Active Options

1. What is Stress?

Stress is the process of appraising and responding to a threatening or challenging event. Most people experience stress at some point in their lives. It can be at work or at home. When it comes to technology, some people feel more stress than others. When you are able to overcome stress quickly, you can often view the experience as a challenge you overcame and learned from. As we discussed earlier, you can use a growth mindset to help you achieve success. Sometimes, however, the stressor lasts longer and it can have negative effects on you both physically and mentally.

So how does this all relate to computers and technology? Well, just like you can use a computer to write an essay or send an email, you can also use technology to help you cope with stress. Strong technology skills can help you stress less about technology, but they can also help you find strategies to cope with other kinds of stress.

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset Change Your Words

Changing your mindset when it comes to any stressor can make all the difference. Watch the short video below to learn how a shift in attitude helped one man embrace technology instead of running from it.

Add video: Strayer week 11

term to know
Stress
The process of appraising and responding to a threatening or challenging event.


2. Coping Strategies

While you can find strategies to cope with stress that are not related to technology, this lesson will focus on how you can put your strong technology skill to use for such an important issue.

2a. Mindfulness
You may have heard a lot lately about mindfulness. It often brings to mind people sitting and meditating or laying with their eyes closed while focusing on their breathing. Mindfulness is maintaining awareness of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. You may not think it is for you, but the only way to find out is to put your technology

 skill to the test and do some research.

The goal of any mindfulness action is to calm the mind-body. Many people find relief from stress using these techniques and many of them find resources and apps they can use on their computer or phone. Some of the most commonly used and recommended apps are shown below. Many of them are free or have a free version.

Technology: Skill Reflect
Does learning about using new apps or programs stress you out? If so, then how can researching stress apps help you at all? The key is strong a technology skill. The more you practice many of the skills and strategies shared in this course, the sooner you will feel less stressed about technology and more excited about all the benefits it can bring to your life… including stress reduction.

term to know
Mindfulness
Maintaining awareness of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment.

2b. Active Options
If you don’t think mindfulness is for you, there are other strategies for stress reduction. More active options are:

  • Taking the time to reflect on your reaction to the stressor. Are you blowing things out of proportion? Do you need to deal with it right away, or can you take some time to think about it and return to it later?
  • Reduce negative self-talk. If you feel you can’t do something or a task is pointless, take some time to gain a rational perspective on things. Is it really useless or will it just take hard work to do it? Are you incapable, or are you afraid of failure?
  • Get some exercise. Studies show that physical activity can reduce stress levels.
Again, with each of the three options listed above, you can find apps that can help support your work. Journaling apps can help you reflect and there are countless exercise apps that can help you track everything from steps walked each day to progress training for a marathon. Again, use your technology skill to do some research and select what might work best for you.

summary
In this lesson, you learned more about what stress is and the negative impacts it can have on you. You gained an understanding that strong technology skills can help you be less stressed about learning and using technology. You can use them to research coping strategies like mindfulness or other active options.

Hope you enjoyed this lesson!

Terms to Know
Mindfulness

Maintaining awareness of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment.

Stress

The process of appraising and responding to a threatening or challenging event.