Division of Risk Management State of Florida Loss Prevention Program

You will be able to: Identify the causes of stress. Recognize the different types of stress. Understand how stress affects you. Manage stress effectively.

Stress is:  Tension, anxiety, worry, or fear of the unknown and things we can’t control.  Natural physical and emotional reaction to a challenge.  Positive when kept in balance.

 Personal problems.  Lifestyle changes.  Job problems.  Everyday hassles.

 Driving in a traffic jam.  Tight deadlines and a heavy work load.  Unplanned financial burdens.  Doing something difficult for the first time.  A new baby on the way.  Unexpected illness or death.

 Acute, or short-term, stress.  Episodic, or perpetual, acute stress.  Chronic, or long-term, stress.

 Pressures and demands of past and future.  Thrilling and exciting in small doses.  Exhausting.  Physical and psychological symptoms.

 Emotional distress.  Muscular problems.  Stomach and bowel problems.  Temporary over-arousal of nerves.

Suffering frequent acute stress. Too many irons in the fire. Nervous energy. Ceaseless worry. Symptoms and treatment.

 Stems from grinding, day after day stress.  Destroys body and mind.  Leads to the belief that hope is lost.  Leads to suicide, violence, or heart attack.

 Adrenaline and energy.  Focus and concentration.  Improved performance.  Growth as a person.

STRESS STRESS: Tension, anxiety, worry, or fear of the unknown and things we can’t control.

ACUTE STRESS ACUTE STRESS: Pressures and demands of the recent past and anticipated near future.

EPISODIC STRESS EPISODIC STRESS: Suffering frequent acute stress.

CHRONIC STRESS CHRONIC STRESS: Long-term, day-after-day, year-after-year stress.

Do you understand:  Stress factors?  Types of stress?  Symptoms of stress?  Benefits of stress?

POSITIVE THOUGHTS NEGATIVE THOUGHTS REMEMBER THAT SOME STRESS IS SELF-IMPOSED  Negative thoughts.  Positive thoughts.  Self-imposed stress.

 Get angry.  Expect the worst.

 Withdraw or suffer silently.  Take things personally.

 Recognize stress.  Use the adrenaline.  Positive thoughts and self-talk.  Look for a silver lining.

 Lifestyle management.  Avoiding stress.  Stress therapy.  Organization.

 Exercise and stretching.  Proper diet.  Adequate sleep.

 Eliminate the minor stresses.  Pace major lifestyle changes.  Cooperate with others.  Understand your limits.

 Laughter is the best medicine.  Relaxation and quiet time.  Discuss your problems.  Pleasant thoughts.

 Set priorities.  Develop a routine.  Maintain a calendar.  Be flexible.

Keeping your body in good shape can help reduce stress. It’s less stressful to make a lot of big changes in your life all at once. Talking about the things that stress you just makes you feel more stressed. People who are well organized are usually less stressed.

Do you understand:  Positive and negative reactions to stress?  Lifestyle management?  Stress avoidance?  Stress therapy?  Organization as a stress-reduction tool?

Try to identify the stress factors in your life. Examine your reaction to stress. Learn to react positively to stress. Practice stress management techniques to minimize stress.

For more information on this subject, please contact: Division of Risk Management State of Florida Loss Prevention Program (850)