Stress doesn’t always trigger a negative response; it can also evoke a positive one. A positive reaction helps individuals prepare for challenges, while a negative response can lead to physical and mental health issues.
“How a person responds to stressful events has a significant impact on their well-being,” said Anisa Yuliandri, a speaker at the “Mindfulness as Stress Management Strategy” workshop at the UGM Faculty of Economics and Business on Thursday (Nov. 21).
As a psychologist at the Career and Student Development Center (CSDU), UGM Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UGM), Yuliandri explained that stress is a common issue when under pressure. She described stress as worry or mental tension arising from difficult situations.
“Several factors can trigger stress, including environmental, social, physiological, and cognitive factors,” she explained.
Delving into strategies to mitigate the negative effects of stress through mindfulness techniques, Yuliandri used the glass analogy to illustrate how individuals can manage stress sources.
According to her, one can choose to reduce the contents of the glass by focusing on resolving problems individually, avoiding toxic environments, or limiting exposure to stressors.
Alternatively, individuals can expand the glass by increasing their capacity, such as strengthening personal resources—sharing experiences with others, learning from past experiences, and shifting perspectives on problems.
During the session, she introduced mindfulness as moment-to-moment awareness, practiced by deliberately focusing on the present moment. It involves accepting and being aware of how the current moment unfolds, focusing solely on the present.
“When individuals are unaware of their thoughts and emotions, they tend to react impulsively to stress, making them easily overwhelmed by emotions,” she explained.
She said that through mindfulness, people can recognize moments when they can choose to respond rather than react. This approach is expected to help individuals gain better control over stress.
At the end of the session, Yuliandri invited students to practice the Mindful Cup technique. Participants were asked to write down the emotions they had experienced in the past week on a piece of paper and place it into a cup.
They were then asked to analyze their emotions one by one and reflect on what they had done to alleviate those emotions.
Reporters: FEB UGM/Orie Priscylla Mapeda Lumalan & Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afif