1. Practical Strategies for Stress Management

2. Overview What is stress and how does it effect the body?
Why should we manage stress?
How can we manage stress?

3. What is Stress? The body’s response to change Fight or flight
Physical response that creates both short term and long term changes
Release of cortisol
Gluconeogenesis – breakdown of protein to FFA
Promotes use of FFA as fuel
Inhibits uptake of glucose into cells (insulin antagonist)
Transfer fat from subcutaneous to visceral areas

4. Why should we manage stress?

5. Stress Management Eustress vs. Distress Sources of Distress Eustress
Sleep
Exercise
Progressive Relaxation

6. Eustress vs Distress Positive Stress Negative Stress Motivates
Focuses your energy
Perceived as within our ability
Exciting
Improves performance
Negative Stress
Causes anxiety/concern
Can be short or long term
Perceived as outside our ability
Unpleasant
Lowers Performance

7. Behavioural Causes of Distress
Fears
Repetitive thought patterns
Worry about future events
Unrealistic expectations (perfectionism)
Overscheduling
Procrastination
Failing to be assertive

8. Eustress Counteracts actions of cortisol
Growth Hormone (GH) and Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)
Released during sleep and HIIT
GH – promotes growth of muscles/cells which are being stressed
IGF – stimulated by GH. Enhances uptake of glucose.
Improves neuroplasticity (BDNF)

9. Types of Eustress Working towards a goal
Challenges at the edge of your ability
Risk
Outdoor Activity
Exercise
HIIT
Aerobic endurance training

10. Exercise for Stress Management
Variety is key to train a healthy response to stress
Very easy for minutes
Beyond 75 minutes will cause a decrease in glycogen stores = release of cortisol.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Stimulate GH
30 minutes total
10 minute warm up. 10x 30s hard, 30s rest. 10 minute cool down
Outdoors enhances effect

11. Sleep Release of GH, reduces cortisol levels
Strategies for improving sleep
White noise
Blackout blinds
Light snack
Mattress/pillows
Progressive relaxation
Journaling

12. Progressive Relaxation
Exercise to reduce stress/anxiety
Practice 2x/day to start
pdf

13. Resources
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