1. Managing Your Stress

2. What Is Stress?
The mental and physical response to the changes and challenges in our lives
Can be real or imagined
Stressor—event or condition that causes the body to adjust to a situation
Can be physical, social, or psychological
Strain—wear and tear on the body and mind
Coping—managing conditions to lessen the effects of excess stress

3. What Is Stress? Eustress—positive stress
Opportunity for personal growth and satisfaction
Example: getting married
Distress—negative stress
Can have negative effect on one’s health
Example: financial problems

4. The Body’s Response to Stress
The Fight-or-Flight Response
Surprised by sudden stressor
Sudden burst of energy (i.e., being chased by a dog)
Adrenal glands jump into action
Glands secrete adrenaline and other hormones into bloodstream
Causes increased heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow to muscles
Sudden physiological changes allow for quick response to stressor; fight it or escape from it
Basic human survival mechanism

5. The General Adaptation Syndrome

6. Stress and Your Health
40 percent of deaths and 70 percent of disease in the United States are related to stress
Ailments related to chronic stress include the following:
Heart disease; diabetes; cancer; headaches; ulcers; low back pain; depression; the common cold; increases in rates of suicide, homicide, and domestic violence

7. The Body’s Acute Stress Response

8. Stress and Your Health Stress and Cardiovascular Disease
Increases with chronic, unresolved stress
Prolonged elevation of heart rate and blood pressure
Increased blood pressure damages vessel lining.
Damaged lining allows fatty substances (plaque) to more readily adhere to vessel tissue.
As plaque builds up, arteries harden and narrow.
Results in compromised blood flow

9. Stress and Your Health Stress and Impaired Immunity
Reduction in the ability of killer T cells to aid immune response
Individuals become more susceptible to illnesses.
Stress and the Mind
Perhaps the single greatest contributor to mental disability and emotional dysfunction in industrialized nations

10. Stress and Your Health Stress and Digestive Problems
Stress can be a trigger that causes you to be nauseated, vomit, and have stomach cramps and other pain in the gut
Stress can make you more susceptible to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), probably because stress stimulates colon spasms via the nervous system.
Use techniques that promote relaxation by reducing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

11. Common Physical Symptoms of Stress

12. What Stresses You? Psychosocial Stressors
Factors in our daily lives that cause stress:
Adjustment to change—can be good or bad
Relationships—fight-or-flight reactions
Hassles—petty annoyances and frustrations
Academic and career pressures—feeling forced to meet higher expectations, financial problems
Frustrations and conflicts—disparities between goals and behavior
Overload—too much going on, lack of support
Stressful living environments—where you live and the surrounding environment

13. What Stresses You? Environmental Stress Based on physical surroundings
Noise
Natural disasters
Pollution
Stress and “-isms”
Racism, ageism, sexism, low socioeconomic status, or other “-isms”
Different viewpoints and backgrounds

14. What Stresses You? Internal Stressors Appraisal
Interpretation and evaluation of information
Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy
Feeling of self-worth
Belief in own abilities or confidence in skills
Personality Types
A, B, C, D
Psychological hardiness
Control, commitment, and an embrace of challenge

15. Stress and the College Student
Symptoms of stress overload
Sense of anxiety
Sleeping difficulties
Short temper
Headaches or dizziness
Recurring colds or minor illnesses
Inability to concentrate

16. Stress and the College Student

17. Stress and the College Student
Different stressors between genders
Women
Dieting, school overload, gaining weight
Men
Being underweight, not having enough sex, lack of friends, drug and alcohol use
What stressors have you experienced?

18. Managing Your Stress Taking Mental Action Assess your stressors
Recognize a stressor and evaluate it
Stress inoculation— consciously anticipating and preparing for specific stressors in advance
Change the way you think
Cognitive restructuring— become aware of the negative talk, then stop it, and finally replace negative with positive talk
Developing a Support Network
Consider the nature and extent of your friendships and support network

19. Managing Your Stress Managing Emotional Responses
Examine your self-talk and your emotional responses to interactions with others.
Learn to Laugh, Be Joyful, and Cry
Smiling, laughing, singing, dancing and crying have positive physiological effects.
Fight the Anger Urge
The five main sources of anger are the following:
Threats to safety and well-being
Power
Perfectionism and pride
Self-sufficiency and autonomy
Self-esteem and status

20. Managing Your Stress
Fight the anger urge using the following strategies to keep anger at bay
Indentify your anger style.
Learn to recognize patterns.
Plan ahead.
Develop a support system.
Develop realistic expectations of yourself and others.
Turn complaints into requests.
Leave past anger in the past.

21. Managing Your Stress Taking Physical Action
Exercise—increases mood elevating hormones, energy levels
Relax—involve mind and body (taking a bath, listening to quiet music, practicing deep breathing, or stretching)
Eat right—avoid food substances that produce stress-like responses (caffeine, sugar)
Get enough sleep—refresh your vital energy, cope with multiple stressors more effectively, be more productive, and increase the immune response

22. Managing Your Stress Managing Your Time
Take on only one thing at a time.
Clean off your desk.
Prioritize tasks by creating a “to do” list.
Don’t be afraid to say “no.”
Find a clean, comfortable place to work, and avoid interruptions.
Reward yourself for work completed.
Use time to your advantage.
Break overwhelming tasks into small pieces, and allocate a certain amount of time to each.
Time is precious—don’t take it for granted.
How have you managed your time?

23. Managing Your Stress Managing Your Money Consider Downshifting
Downshifting or voluntary simplicity—taking a step back and simplify your life
Determine your ultimate goal.
Make both short-term and long-term plans for simplifying your life.
Complete a financial inventory.
Plan for health care costs.
Select the right career for you.
Consider options for saving money.

24. Managing Your Stress Relaxation Techniques for Stress Management Yoga
Qigong
Tai chi
Deep breathing
Mindfulness and mediation
Visualization
Progressive muscle relaxation
Massage therapy
Biofeedback
Hypnosis

25. Diaphragmatic Breathing

26. Progressive Muscle Relaxation