Managing Stress & Wellness © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

What is Stress? Demand to: Demand to: –Adapt –Cope –Adjust Rate of wear and tear within the body Rate of wear and tear within the body Anxious or threatening feeling Anxious or threatening feeling Discussion: Discussion: –How would you define stress? –What makes you most stressful? –How does stress impact your body? Emotional state? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

Types of Stress Eustress Eustress Distress Distress Hyperstress Hyperstress Hypostress Hypostress Discussion Discussion –Have you experienced each of the various types of stress? –Give an example of stress you have experienced in each category? –How do the different types of stress impact you? Similarly? Differently? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

Causes of Stress Life events Life events Daily hassles Daily hassles Cognitive appraisal Cognitive appraisal Discussion Discussion –Review the “common daily hassles” presented in your text. Which can you relate to? Which can you control? Which are out of your control? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

The Effects of Stress Stages: Stages: –The alarm stage –The resistance stage –The exhaustion stage Physical Physical Behavioral Behavioral Discussion Discussion –What physical and behavioral changes do you notice in yourself when you are stressful? –What are the first indicators that your body/emotional state is being impacted by stress? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

Personality Types Type A Type A Type B Type B Combination Combination Discussion Discussion –What personality type would you consider yourself? –Do you think others would agree? Why or why not? –How does your personality type impact the way you experience or perceive stress? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

Negative & Defensive Coping Coping Coping –Efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands created by stress Strategies Strategies –Rationalization –Repression –Projection –Reaction formation –Sublimation –Displacement Discussion Discussion –How do you cope with stress? –Can you relate to any of the strategies mentioned? If so, which? What are the pros/cons of strategies that you use? –How do the strategies impact your relationships or do they? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

Gender, Culture & Stress Gender Gender –One of the major differences between genders is how they cope with stress Culture Culture –Some events are inherently stressful to everyone whereas others may be impacted by ethnic background Discussion Discussion –Can you think of an example of something that would make a male stressful but may not impact a female as greatly? What about the alternative? –Why do you think ethnicity would have an effect on stress? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

What Affects the Way Individuals Cope with Stress? Hardiness Hardiness Optimism or pessimism Optimism or pessimism Three coping options Three coping options Discussion Discussion –How would you assess your hardiness? Would others agree/disagree? Why or why not? –Do you consider yourself an optimist/pessimist? How does this perspective impact your reaction to stress? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

Dealing with Stressful Thoughts & Feelings Power of Self-talk Power of Self-talk –Our beliefs impact our stress levels Irrational beliefs/self-talk Irrational beliefs/self-talk –Result in inappropriate emotions, behaviors, and more stress –Should statements –Awfulizing statements –Overgeneralizations Rational beliefs/self-talk Rational beliefs/self-talk –Result in appropriate emotions and behaviors Disputing irrational beliefs Disputing irrational beliefs Discussion Discussion –Think of a time you used a “should statement”, “awfulizing statement” or overgeneralized. How did this impact how you felt or acted in a stressful situation? –Which of the recommendations related to disputing irrational beliefs are you most likely to try? Which do you currently use? How do they work for you? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online

Managing Stress Tips for managing stress Tips for managing stress Positive copers Positive copers Relaxation response Relaxation response Discussion Discussion –Which of the twenty tips for managing stress do you currently utilize? –How do they work for you? –What does not work for you? –Which might you be willing to try? © All photo clip art copyright of Microsoft Office Online