© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Stress, Health, and Wellness Chapter 14

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Living with Stress Most anything is capable of producing stress – –Stress is the physical and emotional response to events that threaten or challenge us 3 main types of stressors –Cataclysmic events –Personal stressors –Daily hassles

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Stress Stress brings on physical ramifications –Heart beats faster –Breathing becomes more rapid and shallow –Produce more sweat –Our internal organs churn out a variety of hormones These symptoms wear down our immune system and leave us open to disease –Heart disease, headaches, strokes

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Handling Stress – Prepare Ready yourself physically The stronger your are physically, the less toll stress will take on you Vigorous exercise produces endorphins – providing a natural feeling of happiness –Runner’s High –Exercise can help our bodies naturally cope with stress Reduce caffeine intake Deal with obesity

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Handling Stress – Organize Identify your stressors –School-related? –Relationship-related? –Work-related? Just listing them will give you a sense of control and help you devise strategies for dealing with them

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Handling Stress – Work A variety of tactics can help you deal with your stressors: –Take charge of the situation –Don’t try to change the unchangeable Try to improve the situation –Look for the silver lining –Use social support from friends and family –Relax Meditation Progressive relaxation –Escaping is not coping and it does not relieve stress

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Handling Stress – Evaluating How are your coping tactics working? If one does not work, try another Do not become paralyzed and unable to deal with the situation Find the right combination of strategies to deal with the situation

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Handling Stress – Rethink Place stress in perspective Don’t sweat the small stuff –Put your circumstances into perspective Make peace with stress –A life with no challenges would be boring

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Depression and Suicide Usually, depression is a normal reaction to distressing circumstances For some, depression is more than fleeting (longer than 2 weeks) and can leave them feeling sad hopeless, tired, and worthless Major depression can ultimately lead to suicide

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Depression and Suicide Suicide warnings may include: –School problems –Self-destructive behavior –Change in appetite –Withdrawal from friends and peers –Sleeping problems –Signs of depression such as tearfulness or psychological difficulties such as hallucinations –A preoccupation with death, an afterlife, or what would happen “if I die” –Putting affairs in order –An explicit announcement of suicidal thoughts

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Responding to Death and Grief Death of a loved one is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life Our reactions usually follow a typical pattern – –Shock, denial, reality of the death, enormous sadness, depression, and yearning for the loved one that has passed away –In time, we return to our lives and can even become as happy as we were before

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Responding to Death and Grief How to maintain your mental health and academic standing when a loved one dies: –Expect to feel intense grief and sadness, but know that it will not last forever –Talk to others about your feelings –Voice your recollections of the person who has just died –Let your college officials know of your situation

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Keeping Well Eating Right –Eat a variety of “whole” foods, including fruits, vegetables, and grains –Avoid processed foods –Avoid foods high in sugar and salt –Avoid high fat and high cholesterol foods –Don’t eat until you are stuffed –Schedule three regular meals a day –Be sensitive to the various contents of food –Beware of eating disorders

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Keeping Well Make exercise a part of your life –Choose a type of exercise that you like –Incorporate exercise into your life –Make exercise a group activity –Vary your routine Get a good night’s sleep –Exercise more –Have a regular bedtime –Use your bed for sleeping and not as an all-purpose area –Avoid caffeine after lunch –Drink a glass of milk at bedtime –Avoid sleeping pills –Don’t try to force sleep upon yourself

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Drug Use and Abuse Nicotine –People begin smoking for a variety of reasons –Quitting is difficult, but not impossible. Remain smoke-free one day at a time Visualize the consequences of smoking Exercise Use nicotine patches or nicotine gum Avoid being around people that are smoking Use social support Reward yourself Join a quit-smoking program Keep trying

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Drug Use and Abuse Alcohol –Widely used on college campuses –Is a depressant –50% of male students and 40% of female students have engaged in binge drinking –Nearly 20 million people in the United States are alcoholics –Heavy drinking damages the liver and the digestive system

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Drug Use and Abuse Illegal Drugs –1/3 of college students have admitted to using illegal drugs in the past year –Drug use has short and long-term health risks –Give thought to why you would want to escape from reality and why you would use drugs to do so –Consider the legal consequences of drug use Random drug tests are frequently a part of the hiring process and of employment –Addiction presents a serious problem of always needing to obtain the drug to achieve the next high –Be observant of signs of addiction and seek help College health services, counseling centers, mental health centers, drug treatment centers, government hotlines

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Sexual Health and Decision Making One in five people in the United States is infected with a sexually-transmitted disease Avoid STIs by: –Knowing your sexual partner well –Preventing the exchange of bodily fluids –Use condoms –Be faithful to a single partner

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Sexual Health and Decision Making Avoiding Pregnancy –Abstinence is only 100% effective if you practice it 100% of the time –Birth control methods include: Birth control pill Implants Intrauterine device Diaphragms and cervical caps Condoms or a cervical sponge Injections or polymer ring Sterilization Emergency contraception Withdrawal or douching (ineffective)

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill Sexual Health and Decision Making Date rape –Forced sex in which the rapist is a romantic acquaintance –1 out of 8 women on college campuses report having been raped –Rape is less about sex and more about power –Rohypnol, or “the date rape drug” is sometimes used –Date rape incidents can be reduced by setting limits, being assertive, understanding that no means no, communicating, and understanding that drugs and alcohol cloud judgment.