Mar 21, 2019

A St. Bonaventure University professor’s new book serves as a field guide for understanding and combating one of the most pressing concerns of college students today: stress.

“Rethinking Stress in an Age of Ease: A Field Manual for Students of all Ages” is the third book by William Elenchin, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology and chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminology at St. Bonaventure.

In exploring topics for his latest work, Elenchin borrowed a page from a professor he had as a student at Pennsylvania State University back in the ’80s.

“He was a prolific writer, and at the end of the semester he would ask his students what he should write about next,” said Elenchin. “Just for fun, I’ve been doing the same thing in some of my classes over the last couple of years.”

What he was hearing back was no laughing matter. “Virtually every response was the same,” said Elenchin. “‘Stress,’ they’d tell me. ‘We’re so stressed out.’”

He began to think about and research the topic, and was struck by an interesting phenomenon regarding stress. “It’s self-evident, really, but what you find is that over the past 50 to 100 years, when you think of the internet, cell phones, fast food, transportation — you can run down the gamut — our lives are exponentially easier than the lives of our grandparents, or at any time in history,” said Elenchin.

“But psychological and sociological research tell us that levels of depression and anxiety have increased dramatically, especially over the last 30 years,” he noted. “That is really the core of what the book is about, that social dynamic of how, as things have become easier, levels of stress have actually increased instead of decreased.”

Elenchin then discovered that while there are many books on stress, most are what he described as “in-depth, wringing-your-hands-thick” texts, not the fast read a stressed-out college student might find useful. “It seemed stressful even reading about stress,” he said.

“Rethinking Stress in an Age of Ease” takes a different approach. The book is 88 pages including the forward and bibliography. “I wanted to put together something that was very streamlined, very manageable, so that it could be understood and digested,” said Elenchin. “It’s a ‘back to basics’ field manual, something college students can keep in their backpacks. While it’s written for students, it’s a handy guide that will help people of all ages rethink the proper role stress plays in our lives.”

The first part of the book examines three specific cultural factors contributing to the rise in stress over the past 50 years: The Myth of Materialism, which Elenchin describes as “the notion that stuff will make us happy — and it doesn’t;” The Dominance of the Medical Model, the idea that whatever problems we have can be addressed through medical intervention; and Medicalization, the belief that nonmedical problems, such as the aging of the human body and its resultant aches and pains, are medical conditions, and that there must be a pill or product that can alleviate human suffering.

The second part of the book offers a new way of looking at stress, presenting a holistic model of health based on the idea that well-being is comprised of many factors. It uses “stress” as an acronym, standing for Simplify, Think, Resilience, Exercise, Spiritual and Social. Each is a separate section in the book, and each offers basic ways to implement natural ways of de-stressing.

“Readers can sort of pick and choose to see what resonates with them, using the book as a field guide or reference,” said Elenchin.

It’s a formula that works, said Dr. Christopher Siuta, associate professor of counselor education at St. Bonaventure, who offers this endorsement of the book: “As a longtime clinician and professor of mental health counseling, I have observed college students avoid, escape, and retreat when confronted with overpowering stress. Dr. Elenchin’s postmodern, solution-focused guidebook will teach students to confront their stressors directly and with purpose.”

Emily Sacco, a December 2018 graduate of St. Bonaventure and a former student of Elenchin who is preparing for graduate studies, called the book “a must-read guide to viewing and overcoming stress in a positive light. This book is empowering — read it and learn from the best.”

Elenchin, who has been teaching at St. Bonaventure since 2006, is a 1985 graduate of Pennsylvania State University. He earned a master’s in criminology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and his Ph.D. in human services from Capella University. He is also the author of “Happy Without the Meal: Reflections from Catholic Faith and Reason” (2013) and “Hidden Courage: Reconnecting Faith and Character with Mental Wellness” (2009).

“Rethinking Stress in an Age of Ease” is available in paperback from Wipf and Stock Publishers (wipfandstock.com) and at amazon.com.

______________

About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things. St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #1 regional university value in New York and #2 in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition.