STRESS MANAGEMENT DR. D. S. VERMA SR. MEDICAL OFFICER MBBS, MD (PSM), AFIH

ONLY ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVE NO STRESS

Stress may be defined as "a state of psychological and / or physiological imbalance resulting from the disparity between situational demand and the individual's ability and / or motivation to meet those demands." WHAT IS STRESS? Stress is your mind and body’s response or reaction to a real or imagined threat, event or change.

TYPES OF STRESS Positive stress Negative stress

EUSTRESS!!! Eustress or positive stress occurs when your level of stress is high enough to motivate you to move into action to get things accomplished.

DISTRESS !!! Distress or negative stress occurs when your level of stress is either too high or too low and your body and/or mind begin to respond negatively to the stressors.

WHAT IS STRESSOR? The threat, event or change are commonly called stressors. Stressors can be internal (thoughts, beliefs, attitudes) or external (loss, tragedy, change).

EXTERNAL STRESSORS Physical Environment Social Interaction Organisational Major Life Events Daily Hassles

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Noise Lights Heat Poor workplace design

SOCIAL INTERACTION Rudeness Bossiness Aggressiveness by others Bullying

ORGANISATIONAL Rules/Regulations “Red - Tape” Deadlines Demand – Control Effort - Reward

MAJOR LIFE EVENTS Birth Death Lost job Promotion Marital status change Disease

DAILY HASSLES Commuting Misplaced keys Mechanical breakdowns

INTERNAL STRESSORS Lifestyle choices Negative self - talk Mind traps Personality traits

LIFESTYLE CHOICES Caffeine Lack of sleep Overloaded schedule

NEGATIVE SELF - TALK Pessimistic thinking Self criticism Over analysing

MIND TRAPS Unrealistic expectations Taking things personally All or nothing thinking Exaggeration Rigid thinking

PERSONALITY TRAITS Perfectionists Workaholics

STRESS ADAPTION CURVE

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS  Physical symptoms  Mental symptoms  Behavioural symptoms  Emotional symptoms

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS  Sleep pattern changes  Fatigue  Digestion changes  Loss of sexual drive  Headaches  Aches and pains  Infections

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS (contd.)  Dizziness  Fainting  Sweating & trembling  Tingling hands & feet  Breathlessness  Palpitations  Missed heartbeats

MENTAL SYMPTOMS  Lack of concentration  Memory lapses  Difficulty in making decisions  Confusion  Disorientation  Panic attacks

BEHAVIOURAL SYMPTOMS  Appetite changes - too much or too little  Increased intake of alcohol & other drugs  Increased smoking  Restlessness  Fidgeting  Nail biting

EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS  Bouts of depression  Impatience  Fits of rage  Tearfulness  Deterioration of personal hygiene and appearance

STRESS RELATED ILLNESSES Stress is not the same as ill-health, but has been related to such illnesses as;  Cardiovascular disease  Immune system disease  Asthma  Diabetes

 Digestive disorders  Ulcers  Skin complaints - psoriasis  Headaches and migraines  Pre-menstrual syndrome  Depression

COSTS OF STRESS  80% of all modern diseases have their origins in stress.  In the India, 40 million working days per year are lost directly from stress - related illness.  Costs in absenteeism to Indian industry is estimated at 5 billion rupees per year.

UNHEALTHY WAYS OF COPING WITH STRESS  Smoking  Drinking too much  Overeating or undereating  Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer  Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities  Using pills or drugs to relax  Sleeping too much  Procrastinating  Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems  Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES  Change the situation:  Avoid the stressor.  Alter the stressor.  Change your reaction:  Adapt to the stressor.  Accept the stressor.  Make time for fun and relaxation  Adopt a healthy lifestyle

AVOID UNNECESSARY STRESS  Learn how to say “no”  Avoid people who stress you out  Take control of your environment  Avoid hot-button topics  Pare down your to-do list

THE FOUR-QUADRANT TO DO LIST Important Not Important UrgentNot Urgent

ALTER THE SITUATION  Express your feelings instead of bottling them up.  Be willing to compromise.  Be more assertive.  Manage your time better.

ADAPT TO THE STRESSOR  Reframe problems.  Look at the big picture.  Adjust your standards.  Focus on the positive.  Have positive attitude

ACCEPT THE STRESSOR  Don’t try to control the uncontrollable.  Look for the upside.  Share your feelings.  Learn to forgive.

5 S Activities change the working Environment : 5 Steps for Kaizen (or improvement) 5 S stands for five Japanese words with initial S Seiri: Sorting out Seiton: Systematic arrangement Seiso : Spic and span Seiketsu: Serene Atmosphere Shitsuke: Stick to self discipline

WHAT MAKES YOUR LIFE 100% ? ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ATTITUDE KNOWLEDGE HARDWORK SKILLS = = = = Arrange all the alphabets by given them numbers according to their position : IT IS OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS LIFE & WORK THAT MAKES OUR LIFE 100%

CHOOSE YOUR BEHAVIOR REACTIVE Response RESPONSIBLE My Response My Choice Stimulus

HEALTHY WAYS TO RELAX AND RECHARGE 1.Go for a walk. 2.Spend time in nature. 3.Call a good friend. 4.Sweat out tension with a good workout. 5.Write in your journal. 6.Take a long bath. 7.Light scented candles 8.Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea. 9. Play with a pet. 10. Work in your garden. 11. Get a massage. 12. Do Yoga / Meditation 13. Curl up with a good book. 14. Listen to music. 15. Watch a comedy

GO FOR A WALK.

SPEND TIME IN NATURE

CALL A GOOD FRIEND.

SWEAT OUT TENSION WITH A GOOD WORKOUT.

WRITE IN YOUR JOURNAL

TAKE A LONG BATH

LIGHT SCENTED CANDLES

SAVOR A WARM CUP OF COFFEE OR TEA.

PLAY WITH A PET.

WORK IN YOUR GARDEN

GET A MASSAGE

DO YOGA / MEDITATION

CURL UP WITH A GOOD BOOK

LISTEN TO MUSIC

WATCH A COMEDY

ADOPT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Exercise regularly Eat a healthy diet Reduce caffeine and sugar Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs Get enough sleep

FEW TIPS FOR BETTER LIFE

Aim for greater heights

Stay focused on your job

Stay out of trouble

Practice team work

Rely on trusted partner to watch your back

Exercise to maintain a good health

Rest and relax

Save for rainy days

Always take time to smile

Never ever give up

Realize that nothing is impossible

AND REMEMBER THIS “ If you wait for Happy Moments, You’ll wait forever! If you start believing that you are Happy, you’ll be Happy forever!!!" SO ALWAYS BE HAPPY