The lazy days of summer are over and for some people the stress of school, work, or just everyday life is weighing them down. KSMU’s Kristian Kriner spoke with one local expert about how to cope with stress, and the consequences if you don’t.

The sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling indicate fall is here.

Many people consider the Ozarks to be one of the most relaxing places in the nation.

But for some people in the Ozarks, stress is an every day occurrence-whether it’s small issues like work or bigger issues like a death in the family or an upcoming wedding.

Local experts say stress doesn’t just affect your mind, but it can have major ramifications on your body.

Doug Greiner is the director of the Counseling and Testing Center at Missouri State University.

He says people can have a variety of physical reactions to stress.

“There could be the headaches that can go along with stress. There could be a digestive problems be it nausea, upset stomach, the entire gastrointestinal concerns. Some people talk even about light-headedness or dizziness,” Greiner said.

Greiner says stress can also make some people tired and affect their sleep patterns.

He says stressed people may have trouble falling asleep, because they are worried or they wake up several times during the night.

“Some people will report while they’re sleeping more nightmares that they’re dreaming about situations maybe it’s the stressor or maybe its just dreams or nightmares where they have no control over the situation,” Greiner said.

Greiner says once you’ve identified what’s causing the stress, then you need to look for ways to cope with that issue until it passes.

He says there are several ways to cope with stress like relaxing, watching TV, listening to music or exercising.

“One of the things people can do that is really helpful is to get physically active to get out and walk or exercise in some way. While that causes stress on the body it’s also a good stress in that it helps the body deal with the negative stress more effectively,” Greiner said.

Greiner says there are several places around the area that are perfect for relieving stress like the local nature center or parks, the gym, or even walking around a neighborhood.

He says the one thing people need to remember is that stress comes and goes, so people need to look for ways to cope with the stress in their lives.

For KSMU News, I’m Kristian Kriner.