1. TODAY
Objectives
Identify ways to control stress, reduce tension, and change the way you think about stressors.
Explain why building resilience is important.
Describe the value of seeking support from others when you are under stress.
Agenda
Warm-up
Review
Coping with Stress
Taking Control
Reduce Tension
Change Negative Thinking
Build Resilience
Getting Support

2. Coping with Stress
Chapter 3

3. Warm-up
Make a list or write out all of the stressors that you currently have in your life. These stressors can be big or small, stress is stress.
Next, draw a line through any of the stressors you have no control over (natural disasters or major life changes).
Finally, write a sentence or two on how you might reduce or eliminate the stress you can control.

4. Take Control of Stress
• You can do many things to keep stress under control.
It is important to distinguish between stressors that you can control and those that you cannot.

5. Time Management
Time wasters keep you from making the best use of the time you have to study or complete the task at hand.

6. Turn to your elbow partner and recall the 5 steps to better time management.
Review

7. Steps to Better Manage Your Time
Track how you spend your time
Make a daily “to do” list
Prioritize your tasks
Plan your day
Monitor your progress

8. Mental Rehearsal
In a mental rehearsal, you practice an event without actually doing the event.
The event takes place in your mind as you imagine yourself performing at your best.
You might rehearse every aspect of the event a few times over until you feel confident that you can perform it as imagined.

9. Let’s Practice
Close your eyes and focus on one task that causes you stress

10. Mental Rehearsal Practice
Close your eyes and focus only on the task
Imagine yourself successfully completing each step of the task

11. Reduce Tension Physical Activity
Even when a stressor isn’t under your control, there are things you can do to reduce the stress.
Physical Activity
By doing something physically active, you provide your body with a healthy outlet for built-up energy.
Relaxation
The goal of relaxation techniques is to give your mind and body a rest.

12. Physical Activity
Everyone stand up!

13. Progressive Relaxation

14. Progressive Relaxation
Think and Discuss
Compare how you felt before doing this activity to how you felt after doing the progressive relaxation.
Think back to what you learned about the alarm stage of your body’s response to stress. Why do you think progressive relaxation is an effective stress-reduction technique?
In your head, think about some times during a typical week when it would be helpful to use progressive relaxation.

15. Change Your Thinking Avoiding Negative Thinking
Sometimes you can reduce your level of stress by changing the way you think about stressors.
Avoiding Negative Thinking
One way to change your thinking is to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
Humor
If you use humor carefully, it can be an effective tool for managing stress. But don’t use humor to cover up your true feelings.

16. Avoiding Negative Thinking
Let’s say you are really stressed about a big test that is coming up
A negative way of thinking
“I know I’m going to fail this test”
A positive way of thinking
“I did my best to prepare for this test”
Turn to a different elbow partner and choose a stressor and answer it in both a positive and negative way of thinking

17. Build Resilience Take Care of Yourself Go Easy on Yourself
You need to build you resilience to help you deal with extreme or prolonged stress.
Take Care of Yourself
Go Easy on Yourself
Build a Support System
Put Things in Perspective
Take Action
Find a Hassle-Free Zone
Help Somebody
Stick to Your Routines
Confide in Yourself

18. Reach Out for Support
Sometimes the stress in your life becomes too overwhelming for you to handle on your own.
Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to. Sharing your problems can help you see them more clearly.
Just describing your concerns to someone else often helps you to understand the problem better.

20. Homework
Keep a record of all the stressors in your life that occur over the next 24 hours or some 24 hour time period this weekend
For at least 3 of those stressors you identified, you need to use one of the coping strategies we discussed in class today
Write down how you coped with the stressor and if you found the strategy to be helpful
DUE TUESDAY