1. STRESS
Chapter 10

2. Test your knowledge Which of the following events can cause stress?
Taking out a loan
Failing a test
Graduating from college
Watching a hockey game
ALL FOUR. Stress-producing factors can be pleasant or unpleasant and can include physical challenges and goal achievement as well as events that are perceived as negative.

3. Test your knowledge
Moderate exercise can stimulate which of the following:
Analgesia (pain relief)
Birth of new brain cells
Relaxation
ALL THREE. Regular exercise is linked to improvement in many dimensions of wellness

4. Test your knowledge
Which of the following can be a result of chronic stress?
Violence
Heart attack
Stroke
ALL THREE. Chronic stress can last for years. People who suffer from long-term stress may ultimately become violent toward themselves or others. They also run a greater than normal risk for certain ailments, especially cardiovascular disease.

5. WHAT IS STRESS? Stress refers to two different things:
Situations that trigger physical and emotional reactions  stressor
A first date
A final exam
The reaction itself stress response
Sweaty palms
Pounding heart
Stress describes the general physical and emotional state that accompanies a stress response.

6. Physical Responses to Stressors
Systems in our body responsible for physical response to stressors:
Nervous system  brain, spinal cord, nerves.
Endocrine system  glands, tissues and cells

7. Actions of the Nervous System
Somatic nervous system: under conscious supervision
Moving your arm away from a flame
Autonomic nervous system: not under conscious supervision
Heart rate, breathing, blood pressure

8. Autonomic nervous system
Parasympathetic division
In control when you are relaxed
Aids in digestion, storing energy, promoting growth.
Sympathetic division
Activated during times of arousal, including exercise and when there is an emergency.
Sympathetic nerves use the neurotransmitter norepinephrine to exert their actions on emergency related organs.

9. Actions of the Endocrine System
During stress, the sympathetic nervous system triggers the endocrine system.
Functions by releasing hormones and other chemical messengers into the bloodstream to influence metabolism and other body processes.
Is specific, acting on target organs

10. Nervous and Endocrine System Work Together
Chemical messages and actions of sympathetic nerves cause the release of key hormones that trigger physiological changes:
Heart and respiration rates increase
Hearing and vision become more acute
The liver releases extra sugar into the bloodstream
Perspiration increases to cool the skin
The brain releases endorphins – chemicals that inhibit or block sensations of pain
Fight or flight reaction

11. Return to homeostasis
Once the stressful situation ends, the parasympathetic division of the autonomous nervous system takes command and restores homeostasis.
The parasympathetic nervous system calms your body down, slowing a rapid heartbeat, drying sweaty palms and returning breathing to normal.

12. The fight or flight reaction and modern life
Is a survival mechanism
Becomes inappropriate in some circumstances:
Exams
Speeches
Stop lights or traphic
When someone bothers you.

13. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors
The physical response to stressors may vary in intensity from person to person.
Several factors help to explain these differences, all related to your cognitive (mental ) appraisal of a potential stressor.
This appraisal is:
Highly individual
Strongly related to emotions
The facts of a situation typically are evaluated consistently from person to person, but the personal outcome varies

14. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors
Effective and ineffective responses
Common emotional responses to stressors include anxiety, depression and fear
Behavioral responses to stressors are entirely under our control. (Somatic Nervous System)
Effective responses
Ineffective responses
Talking
Laughing
Exercising
Meditating
Learning time-management skills
Overeating
Hostility
Using tobacco, alcohol or other drugs.

15. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors
Personality and Stress
Personality is the sum of cognitive behavioral and emotional tendencies
Clearly affects how people perceive and react to stressors.

16. Personality types: Type A Type B Type C Ultracompetitive, controlling,
impatient, aggressive and
even hostile
Reacts explosively to stressors
and are upset by events that
others would consider only
annoyances
Type B
Relaxed and contemplative
Less frustrated by daily events and more tolerant of the behavior of others.
Type C
Characterized by anger suppression, difficulty expressing emotions, feelings of hopelessness and despair and an exaggerated response to minor stressors.

17. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors
Gender and Stress
Behavioral responses to stressors, such as crying or openly expressing anger may be deemed more appropriate for one gender than other.
Strict adherence to gender roles can limit one’s response to stress and can itself become a source of stress.

18. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors
Past Experiences
Can profoundly influence the evaluation of a potential stressor.

19. The Stress Experience as a Whole
Physical, emotional and behavioral responses to stress are intimately interrelated
Symptoms of Excess Stress
Physical symptoms
Emotional Symptoms
Behavioral Symptoms
Dry mouth
Excessive perspiration
Frequent illnesses
Gastrointestinal problems
Grinding of teeth
Headaches
High blood pressure
Pounding heart
Stiff neck or aching lower back
Anxiety or edginess
Depression
Fatigue
Hyper vigilance
Impulsiveness
Inability to concentrate
Irritability
Trouble remembering things.
Crying
Disrupted eating habits
Disrupted sleeping habits
Harsh treatment of others
Problems communicating
Sexual problems
Social isolation
Increased use of tobacco, alcohol or other drugs.

20. STRESS AND WELLNESS
Stress can increase vulnerability to many affections
Several theories have been proposed to explain the relationship between stress and disease
The general adaptation syndrome
Allostatic load
Psychoneuroimmunology

21. The general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
Hans Selye (1930 – 1940)
Described an universal and predictablee response pattern to all stressors
Recognized that stressors can be either pleasant (eustress) or unpleasant (distress).
The sequence of physical responses occurs in three stages:
Distorted perceptions
Disorganized thinking
Fight- or-flight reaction

22. Allostatic Load Long term overexposure to stress hormones such as
cortisol has been linked with health problems.
The long – term wear and tear of the stress response is called allostatic load.
Depends on many factors including genetics, life experiences, and emotional and behavioral responses to stressors
When your allostatic load exceeds your ability to cope, you are more likely to get sick.

23. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
The study of the interactions among the nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system
Stress, through the actions of the nervous and endocrine systems, impairs the immune system and thereby affects health.
Hormones and chemical messengers released during stress response influence the immune system by affecting the number and efficiency of immune system cells or lymphocytes
Neuropeptides, the biochemical language between brain and the immune system (also language of emotions) can strongly influence the functioning of the immune system.

24. Links between stress and specific conditions
CVD
During stress response, blood pressure rises
Emotional responses increase a person’s risk of CVD
Altered functioning of the immune system
Changes in the immune system function include vulnerability to colds and other infections, asthma, allergy attacks, susceptibility to cancer and flare – ups chronic diseases (HIV, herpes).
Other health problems
Digestive problems
Tension headaches and migraines
Insomnia and fatigue
Injuries
Menstrual irregularities, impotence and pregnancy complications
Psychological problems: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, post traumatic stress disorder.

25. COMMON SOURCES OF STRESS
Major life changes
New jobs, graduation, marriage, moving out.
Daily hassles
Losing your keys or wallet
College stressors
Academic stress
Interpersonal stress
Time pressures
Financial concerns
Worries abut the future

26. COMMON SOURCES OF STRESS
Job-related stressors
Tight schedules and overtime
Worries about performance, salary, job security and interactions with bosses, coworkers and customers.
Helping professions
Interpersonal and social stressors
Community and society
Prejudice and discrimination
Language
Other stressors
Environmental stressors: loud noises, unpleasant smells, industrial accidents, violence and natural disasters.
Internal stressors: personal goals, evaluate our progress and performance, physical and emotional states such as illness and exhaustion.

27. MANAGING STRESS

28. MANAGING STRESS The best way to manage stress
is by pursuing a wellness lifestyle:
Being physically active and doing exercise
People who exercise react with milder physical stress responses before, during and after exposure to stressors
Eating well
Healthy, balanced diet helps to cope with stress
Getting enough sleep
Lack of sleep can be both a cause and an effect of excess stress

29. Managing stress Finding social support
Sharing fears, frustrations and joys makes life richer and seems to contribute to the well being of body and mind.
Communicating in an assertive way
Respect the rights of others as well as your own rights to prevent potentially stressful situations from getting out of control
Striving for spiritual wellness
Spiritual wellness is associated with greater coping skills and higher levels of overall wellness.

30. Managing stress Learning to manage your time Set priorities
Schedule tasks
Set realistic goals
Budget enough time
Break up long term goals into short term ones
Visualize the achievement of your goals
Keep track of the tasks you put off.
Consider doing your least favorite tasks first.
Consolidate tasks when possible
Identify quick transitional tasks
Delegate responsibility
Say no when necessary
Give yourself a break
Avoid your personal “time sinks”
Stop thinking or talking about what you’re going to do and just do it

31. Managing stress Changing destructive thinking Writing a diary
Reduce hostile, critical, suspicious and self-deprecating thoughts
Modify your expectations
Live in the present
Go with the flow
Cultivate your sense of humor
Writing a diary
Helpful for those who are shy or introverted and find it difficult to open up to others.

32. Managing stress Relaxation techniques Progressive relaxation
Visualization
Listening to music
Deep breathing
Meditation
Taijiquan

33. Managing stress Other techniques Biofeedback:
Measure of stress (heart rate, skin temperature or muscle tensions) mechanically monitored. Feedback is given using sound.
Hypnosis and self-hypnosis:
An attentive perception and concentration, which leads to controlled imagination.
Lets participants choose to feel something other than anxiety or stress or pain.
Massage:
Reduces the stress response, depression and even increases alertness.

34. GETTING HELP Peer counseling Professional help
Student health center or counseling centers
Professional help
Psychotherapy
Find out if it’s stress or something more serious such as depression, anxiety or other emotional problems.
Symptoms for depression include
Negative self concept
Prevasive feelings of sadness and hopelessness
Loss of peasure in usual activities
Poor appetite and weight loss
Insomnia or disrturbed sleep
Restlessness or fatigue
Thoughts of worthlessness and guilt
Throuble concentrating or making decisions
Throughts of death or suicide.

35. LAB LAB 10,1 Identify your stress level an key stressors LAB 10.2
Stress-management techniques
LAB 10,3
Developing spiritual wellness