1. Stress Assessment and Management Techniques12
Stress Assessment and Management Techniques

2. Stress
Virtually every illness known to modern humanity is influenced by our emotions
Emotions affect our susceptibility to disease and our immunity
Many people who are emotionally unhealthy are self-destructive

3. The Mind/Body Connection
The release of hormones associated with various emotional responses may contribute to development of disease
Suppressed emotions may be revealed as physical symptoms and weaken the immune system over time

4. The Brain
The brain directs nerve impulses that are carried throughout the body
Voluntary processes such as movement
Sensory functions such as vision
Involuntary functions such as digestion
Thinking, memory, and emotion

5. The Immune System
Immunity guards the body from invaders, both internal and external.
The immune system patrols and guards the body against attackers
Lymphocytes, antibodies, and immune system cells in the thymus gland, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes
The immune system responds to chemical signals from the central nervous system

6. Sleep and Wellness Sleep allows the body to restore and heal itself
Sleep deprivation weakens the immune system, impairs mental function, and has a negative impact on performance
Four major groups of sleep disorders:
Problems with falling and staying asleep
Difficulty staying awake
Difficulty adhering to a regular sleep schedule
Sleep-disruptive behaviors (including sleep walking and sleep terror disorder)

7. Sleep and Wellness (cont’d.)
Sleep deprivation interferes with ability to pay attention, learn, process, and retain information
Staying up late and sleeping the next day further disrupts the circadian rhythm
Most people require about eight hours of sleep

8. Stress (cont’d.) Stress
Has become a common problem that undermines our ability to stay well
Prepares the organism to react to the stress- causing event (stressor)
Mental, emotional, and physiological response of the body to any situation that is new, threatening, frightening, or exciting
An individual’s reaction to a stressor determines whether that stress is positive or negative

9. Key Terms Eustress (positive stress) Distress (negative stress)
Health and performance continue to improve, even as stress increases.
Distress (negative stress)
Unpleasant or harmful stress under which health and performance begin to deteriorate.

10. Critical Thinking

11. Stress (cont’d.)
Chronic distress increases risk for coronary heart disease, hypertension, eating disorders, ulcers, diabetes, asthma, depression, migraine headaches, sleep disorders, and chronic fatigue
Stress may play a role in development of certain types of cancers

12. Stress and Health and Performance
Figure Relationship between stress and health and performance.

13. Stress Adaptation
The body maintains a constant internal environment (homeostasis)
When a stressor triggers a nonspecific response, homeostasis is disrupted
General adaptation syndrome (GAS)
Explains the body’s adaptation to sustained stress as three stages: alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion/recovery
Reaction, resistance, exhaustion/recovery

14. General Adaptation Syndrome
Figure General adaptation syndrome: The body’s response to stress can end in exhaustion, illness, or recovery.

15. Perceptions and Health
The manner people use to explain things that happen to them is their explanatory style
Can be optimistic or pessimistic
Pessimism interprets events negatively; can delay healing time and worsen course of illness
Optimism interpret events positively; increases strength of immunity

16. Self-Esteem Self-esteem is a way of viewing and assessing yourself
High self-esteem is feeling good about one’s capabilities; boosts immune system
Low self-esteem causes decline in health

17. Fighting Spirit
A fighting spirit involves healthy expression of emotions, whether they are negative or positive
Also called determination
May be the underlying factor in spontaneous remission from incurable illness
Opposite is hopelessness, or surrender to despair

18. Sources of Stress
A practical instrument to assess stressors is the Stress Events Scale (Activity 12.1) which identifies life events in the past 12 months that may have an impact on your physical and psychological well-being

19. Stressors in the Lives of College Students
Figure Stressors in the lives of college students.

20. Behavior Patterns
Often, individuals bring on stress as a result of their behavior patterns
The main assessment tool to determine behavioral type is the structured interview
The interviewer rates the person along a continuum, ranging from Type A to Type B

21. Behavior Patterns (cont’d.)
Type A behavior pattern characteristic of a hard- driving, overambitious, aggressive, at times hostile, and overly competitive person
Type B behavior pattern characteristic of a calm, casual, relaxed, and easy-going individual
Type C individuals are highly stressed as Type A but not at higher risk for disease than Type B

22. Vulnerability to Stress
How people deal with stress factors increases or decreases vulnerability to stress
Factors influencing vulnerability:
Health
Social support
Self-worth
Nurturance

23. Time Management Hurry-up lifestyle is not conducive to wellness
Signs of poor time management:
Chronic stress
Fatigue
Despair
Discouragement
Illness

24. Five Steps to Time Management
Find the time killers
Set long-range and short-range goals
Identify your immediate goals and prioritize them for today and this week
Use a daily planner
Conduct nightly audits

25. Time Management Skills
Delegate
Say “no”
Protect against boredom
Plan ahead for disruptions
Get it done
Eliminate distractions
Set aside “overtimes”
Plan time for you
Reward yourself

26. Coping With Stress
The ways in which people perceive and cope with stress are more important than the amount and type of stress
Recognize presence of problem
Remove the stressor
Use relaxation techniques
Activating the fight-or-flight mechanism
The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system; the pituitary activates release of catecholamines (hormones) from adrenal glands

27. Key Terms Fight-or-flight
Physiological response of the body to stress that prepares the individual to take action by stimulating the body’s vital defense systems.

28. Fight-or-Flight Mechanism
Figure Physiological response to stress: fight-or-flight mechanism.

29. Physical Activity
Physical activity reduces physiological and psychological responses to stress
Decreases muscular tension
Metabolizes increased catecholamines
Allows you to concentrate on something else
Prevents stress from becoming chronic
Activities such as yoga, tai chi, and Pilates combine add stress reduction techniques
Meditation; breathing and muscle relaxation

30. Key Terms
Yoga
Hindu school of thought that seeks to help the individual attain a higher level of spirituality and peace of mind
Tai chi
Exercise that promotes serenity through gentle, balanced, low-impact movements that bring together the mind, body, and emotions

31. Physical Activity (cont’d.)
Vigorous aerobic exercise lasting 30 minutes or longer releases endorphins
Endorphins: morphine-like substances released from the pituitary gland in the brain during prolonged aerobic exercise; thought to induce feelings of euphoria and natural well-being
Exercise lowers stress by deliberately diverting stress to various body systems
When muscular tension is removed from the emotional strain, emotional strain disappears

32. Relaxation Techniques
Biofeedback
Person learns to influence physiological responses that are not typically under voluntary control or responses for which regulation has broken down as a result of injury, trauma, or illness

33. Biofeedback Mechanism
Figure Biofeedback mechanism.

34. Relaxation Techniques (cont’d.)
Progressive muscle relaxation
Stress management technique that involves sequential contraction and relaxation of muscle groups throughout the body
Helps the person to be more alert to signs of distress

35. Relaxation Techniques (cont’d.)
Breathing exercises
Stress management technique in which the individual concentrates on “breathing away” tension and inhaling fresh air
Examples: deep breathing, sighing, complete natural breathing

36. Relaxation Techniques (cont’d.)
Visual imagery
Mental visualization of relaxing images to induce body relaxation in times of stress or as an aid in the treatment of certain medical conditions
Autogenic training
A form of self-suggestion, in which an individual places himself in an autohypnotic state by repeating and concentrating on feelings of heaviness and warmth in the extremities

37. Relaxation Techniques (cont’d.)
Meditation
Stress management technique used to gain control over one’s attention by clearing the mind and blocking out the stressors responsible for the increased tension
Mindless meditation is used to help people relieve chronic pain and increase pain tolerance
Hatha yoga
Form of yoga that incorporates specific sequences of static stretching postures to help induce the relaxation response

38. Relaxation Techniques (cont’d.)
Tai chi chuan
Chinese exercise practiced for defense training and physical/mental health benefits
Requires concentration, coordination, controlled breathing, muscle relaxation, strength, flexibility, gait, and body balance
Many forms can be performed by young and old, and even the very old

39. Which Technique is Best?
Which coping strategy you use does not matter as long as it works
Often a combination of techniques works best
Your response to stress is what makes you ill; not stress itself

40. Assess Yourself
Can you channel your emotions exert a positive effect on your mind, health, and wellness?
Do you understand the following concepts?
Importance of the mind-body connection
Consequences of sleep deprivation
Stress, eustress, and distress
General adaptation syndrome
Patterns of behavior
Time management and relaxation techniques