by Martha Maxwell.

September 24--Stress Management

Have you been feeling stressed out at work? I was, so I attended the September meeting sponsored jointly by the Marquette Student Section and Wisconsin Sections of SWE and Alpha Omega Epsilon on the subject of Stress Management.  

The meeting was well attended by seven student members,  eleven professional members and one guest.  After dinner, the presentation was made by Dr. Sandra Mueller of Columbia-St. Mary Department of Behavioral Medicine.  She gave an overview of stress and how it affects the body.  With group participation, she presents causes and results of job stress.  She emphasized how our view and our emotions impact how we interpret stress.  There were hand outs to help us recognize negative thoughts and see how negative thinking can increase stress.  

The presentation ended with all of us more relaxed after practicing some stress management techniques such as deep breathing and visualization.  Dr. Mueller led the group through a visualization exercise trip to the beach.  I could feel the water lapping at my feet and hear the gulls screeching in the air.  I plan to try these techniques at work in the near future.