1. Chapter 9: Coping with and Managing Stress
Stress is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand
How people react to stress appears to be more important than the stress itself
A stressor is anything that initiates the stress response
Stress is unavoidable and necessary to human preservation
Stressors are not the same to everyone. Each person must find their own positive way of managing stress.

2. Stress Distress is bad stress (produces a negative response)
Eustress is good stress (provides pleasure or adds meaning to life)
The inverted-U theory says that there is an optimal stress level; too much or too little stress can both be detrimental

3. Phases of Response
Homeostasis is when the body is in physiological balance
Stress initiates the stress response, or general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
The GAS consists of an alarm phase, a resistance phase, and, if the stress is long enough or strong enough, an exhaustion phase
Stress is when the body disrupts homeostasis. The body responds the same (GAS) to either type of stress.

4. Stress
Most stressful situations fall into one of three categories: harm and loss, threat, or challenge
Whether positive or negative, stressful events always produce a series of neurological and hormonal messages in the body
The brain determines whether an event is stressful
Factors affecting a stress response are personality, personal background, and interpretation of events.

5. Stress Response The limbic system can override the stress response
The hypothalamus initiates the release of epinephrine and other hormones, including endorphins
The autonomic nervous system increases physiological response and eventually returns the body to homeostasis

6. Stress and Immunity
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) seeks to understand the connection between the brain, the nervous system, and the immune response
Good nutrition is necessary to meet stress demands
Chronic stress suppresses the immune system
Coping is the attempt to manage stress

7. Coping with Stress
Self-esteem influences the ability to cope with stress
Personality influences the ability to cope with stress
Type A personality
Type B personality
Hardy personality
Gender differences
“Stress survivors” seem to have at least three characteristics in common: challenge, commitment, and control
Attitude is a key factor in the stress equation
In reaction to stress, men’s blood pressure goes up more, but women react to a wider range of stressors.

8. Stress Management Tools
Successful coping with stress takes effort
Sometimes one should seek a professional counselor to help resolve stressful situations
Relaxation techniques reduce the negative effects of stress

9. Relaxation Techniques
Deep breathing is the most basic technique
Progressive muscle relaxation creates awareness of the difference between muscular tension and a relaxed state
Autogenics uses self-suggestion to produce a relaxation response

10. Relaxation Techniques
Meditation helps the practitioner temporarily tune out the world
Visualization helps the practitioner use imagination to relax
Biofeedback enhances awareness of body sensations
Massage therapy relieves tension and induces mental relaxation
No single technique will work for everyone.

11. Time Management
Effective use of time is crucial to accomplishing one’s personal and professional goals
Workaholics spend excessive time working even if it is not productive
Time jugglers constantly over-schedule themselves, often neglecting important activities
Set goals
Prioritize
Develop a time framework
Use a to do list
Ask for help
Be flexible
Take a break

12. Time Management
Procrastinators often fail to have enough time to successfully complete tasks
Perfectionists rarely feel satisfied and are often unable to achieve important goals
Yesism is the inability to tell anyone “no”
Exercise can produce beneficial physiological responses and reduce anxiety