STRESS Wellness I Gunderson

STRESS . . . What is it? Stress: Any situation real or imagined that causes the body to adjust or change. Stress is perceived: What is stressful for one may not be for another.

4 Sources of stress . . . Where does it come from? Mental: our own thoughts; #1 source of stress. OURSELVES. Social: parents, friends, peers, teachers. Environmental: noise in the background, chaos around you. Physiological: proper sleep, exercise and nutrition.

Two types of stress: Eustress: good positive stress. Motivates us to work Examples: working out. Distress: bad negative stress. Examples: feeling guilty. Worrying. Denial.

3 ways to DEAL with Stress Avoid the stressor Alter our perception Prepare to deal

How the body reacts to stress GAS General adaptation syndrome: body’s response to stress Alarm: fight or flight response. Adrenaline released into bloodstream. Resistance: body attempts to regain balance. Homeostasis: body continues to maintain internal balance regardless of external. Exhaustion: harmful body changes; decreased resistance to disease and injury. Key is: stress management before reaching the exhaustion stage.

I become angry whenever I have to stand in line for more than 15 minutes. I handle more than one problem at a time. It’s hard finding the time to relax and let myself go during the day. I become irritated or annoyed when someone speaks too slowly. I try hard to win at sports and games. When I lose at sports or games, I get angry at myself and/or others. I have trouble doing things for myself. I work much better under pressure or when I have to meet a deadline. I find myself looking at the time when I’m sitting around or not active. I bring work home with me . . . And do it.

I feel energized and exhilarated after being in a pressure situation. I feel like I need to take charge in order to get things moving. I find myself eating quickly regardless of whether I have time or not. I do things quickly regardless of whether I have time or not. I interrupt what people are saying when I think they are wrong. I’m rigid when it comes to changes at work or at home. I become jittery and need to move whenever I’m trying to relax. I find myself eating faster than the people I’m eating with. At work, I do more than one task at a time in order to feel productive. I take less vacation time than I’m entitled to.

I find myself being very picky and looking at small details. I become annoyed at people who don’t work as hard as I do. I find that there are not enough things to do during the day. I spend a good deal of my time thinking about my work. I get bored very easily. I’m active on weekends either working or doing projects. I get into arguments with people who don’t think my way. I have trouble “rolling with the punches” whenever problems arise. I interrupt someone’s conversation in order to speed things up. I take everything I do seriously.

Add it Up . . . Minimum scores is 30, maximum 150. How did you score? 100 – 150 Type A 76 – 99 Type A/B (Type C) 30 – 75 Type B If you scored high (more than 90), you need to have outlets for stress management.