Mecklenburg’s

Promoting      Recovery and   Opportunity through Mentoring,      Insight,        Support and       Education

The Learning Curve

“Stress and The Learning Curve”

By: John Cunningham

By a show of hands, who is now, or has ever, experienced stress. Okay, no need to raise your hands, lest your office mates think you are a bit strange. The point is that everyone, no matter who you are, has had to deal with the pressures of everyday life. Unfortunately there is no way around this simple fact. It affects all of us throughout all areas of our lives.

One of the areas where the perils of stress often appear is in our ability to learn or retain needed information. Whether at work or in a classroom setting our ability to learn new and important things is an everyday part of life. But what effect do our levels of stress have on our ability to discover, realize or understand? We already know that stress can increase health difficulties, but it can just as easily have an adverse influence on our problem solving skills, as well as thought processes.

Stress can wreak havoc on the decision making region of our brain known as the prefrontal cortex. Added pressure or strain releases a chemical called trimethyltin (TMT) into our brains. TMT upsets key cognitive functions such as memory, problem solving, and the ability to explore new ideas. It doesn’t matter how smart an individual is or how hard that individual works, the presence of stress ultimately leads to a decline in skills.

We already know that there is little we can do about the presence of stress in everyday life; however, we can control it in specific learning environments. Being aware, keeping things exciting and engaging, as well as fostering an atmosphere of encouragement can do a great deal to put individuals at ease. Once a learning environment is seen as safe and friendly, free of anxiety and intimidation, profound wisdom can prevail.

            Whether your primary responsibilities in life are to teach or to learn, keep these simple yet important facts in mind and be prepared to soar.

Ten Ways to Relax on the Go
        by Mike Moore

1. Take three deep breaths slowly

2. Relax the tongue. Usually the tongue is held tightly against the teeth. Free it up in the mouth so it can just rest there without tension.

3. Take one minute vacations. In your mind visit places where you find peace and stillness. Picture yourself there soaking up the beauty and solitude.

4. Relax your facial muscles. Tell your facial muscles to relax and they will. Try to maintain this relaxed face throughout the day.

5. Move slowly. When you find yourself rushing for no reason, SLOW DOWN.

6. Laugh more. Laughter cuts stress and promotes relaxation.

7. Listen to beautiful music. Mozart and other classics relax the spirit.

8. Watch and enjoy the sunset.

9. Visualize yourself as a balloon being inflated. As you breathe in, the balloon fills with your stress and tension. Then breathe out all the stress and tension leaving yourself limp and relaxed.

10. Enjoy the rhythm and beauty of nature for its lessons are patience and peace.