Understanding Stress: Implications to Health & Human Performance  Stress > Emotional Reaction > Physical Reaction > Consequences  What starts it: YOU, yes, YOU, again YOU!  What is it? The ‘Fight or Flight’ response.  FAT storage is built in survival mechanism.

Stress Reactivity: The body reacts with the movement and emotions dictated by our brain. The brain must perceive something to be stressful for the body to create the ‘fight or flight’ response. Our brain assesses the situation; searches for clarification and reacts accordingly. PERCEPTION of the Level of “threat” is initiated within brain functioning.

The Flow  Life Situation  Perceived as stressful  Emotional Arousal  Physiological Arousal  Consequences

Implications  Autonomic Nervous System is activated  Calls Endocrine System, via the adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol and aldosterone  Cortisol: Fuel for battle, mobilizes free fatty acids, breaks down protein, increases artery pressure, decreases production of lymphocyte release thus decreasing immune system  Aldosterone: Prepares the body for battle by raising blood pressure by increasing blood volume.

Good or Bad? Passing control to these systems on a daily basis presents significant risks.

Risks  Physical: Major and Minor Illnesses, Fat Storage  Emotional: Anxiety, depression, irritability, mental fatigue  Behavioral: Avoidance, dependency problems, communication problems, employment issues

Early Warning Signs: Physical  Excessive worrying about or denial of illness  Frequent illness, like a recurring cold  Physical exhaustion  Over reliance on self medication  Ailments: Headaches, insomnia, appetite change, weight gain or loss, frequent indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, constipation…..

Early Warning Signs: Emotional  Apathy: The blahs, feeling of sadness, recreation that is no longer pleasurable  Anxiety: Restlessness, agitation, insecurity, sense of worthlessness  Irritability: Feeling hypersensitive, defensive, arrogant or argumentative  Mental fatigue: Feeling preoccupied, having difficulty concentrating, trouble thinking flexibly.  Overcompensation or denial: Grandiosity, working too hard, denying that you have a problem/s, ignoring symptoms, feeling suspicious.

Early Warning Signs: Behavioral  Avoiding things. Keeping to yourself, avoiding work, having trouble accepting responsibility, neglecting responsibilities  Doing things to extremes. Alcoholism, gambling, spending sprees, sexual promiscuity.  Administrative problems. Being late for work or classes, poor appearance, poor personal hygiene, being accident prone  Legal problems. Indebtedness, shoplifting, traffic tickets, inability to control violent impulses.

Cognitive Approach  Expect Stress  Eliminate unnecessary stressors  Think more objectively  Take Control

Step 1. Expect Stress  Review expectations  Life skills  Stress happens  A good offense and a good defense

Step 2. Eliminate unnecessary stressors  Evaluate  Minimize  Re-evaluate

Step 3. Think More Objectively  Think before acting  Avoid irrational thinking  Avoid “awfulizing”  Change negative self-talk

Step 4. Take control  The feeling of control is crucial  Take just ONE step to feel more in control  It’s Your Life

“The greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can.”