Download Stress Reduction

Stress Reduction
Objectives
 Define Stress
 Develop an understanding of the symptoms associated with stress and recognize
the signs of too much stress.
 Identify the stressors in one’s life.
 Learn skills for managing stress.
Here’s what we’re going to accomplish. By the time we’re done, I hope you’ll have a
good understanding of stress, how it impacts you, what causes it and most importantly,
what you can do to minimize your stresses.
What is stress?
 Your body’s physical and psychological response to a demand, situation or
circumstance that disrupts a person’s internal balance.
 Natural part of life
 Too much or too little limits one’s effectiveness
 Optimal level balance at which you are most motivated
 Response to stress is highly individual
Is stress good or bad for me?
Stress is how you (your body) reacts to a physical or psychological demand. This creates
an imbalance – something out of your normal range. Everyone has a normal “operating”
range. Varying above or below that (too much input or too little input) causes stress.
Stress is a natural part of life. Some stress is good. Every one needs stress sometimes.
Meeting a deadline, preparing for a holiday, making it through a crisis on raw courage,
cramming for an exam, making a terrific impression at a job interview, walking into a
room full of strangers at a party- all demand the stimulation of positive stress and can be
helpful.
But stress can also become destructive. It can turn into distress. It can gnaw away at you
and sap your energy over the months and years. Distress can also come from less
traumatic events, such as fighting with someone you love, expecting too much of yourself,
turning every little setback into a crisis, or sacrificing sleep to add a few minutes to your
work day.
Also, remember that stress is highly individual. What is stressful for you may not be
stressful to someone else – AND – how you respond to a stressor will not be the same
response someone else has.
Stress
Stress is like spice — in the right proportion it enhances the flavor of a dish. Too little
produces a bland, dull meal; too much may choke you!
Stressors
 Stressors are the multitude of daily occurrences that call upon you to adapt.
 Stress is your response as you attempt to make the adjustment.
Acute vs. chronic stress
 Acute Stress: reaction to an immediate threat
 e.g.: late for an important meeting, traffic jam
 Chronic Stress: long term (aka- distress)
 e.g.: relationship problems, pressure at work/home, financial/health
problems
Two broad types of stress – Acute – short duration and Chronic – long duration. Chronic
stress is also referred to as distress. The physical and emotional problems that we all
relate to stress most commonly fall in the chronic stress category.
The human body has regenerative powers that help the body recover from short “blips” of
stress. The long or frequently repeated stressors are dangerous, though. At some point –
again, individual responses for everyone – body systems give way and damage is done.
Acute stress -> Chronic stress
Uneasiness/concern  Anxiety/panic attacks
Sadness Depression
Loss of appetite Anorexia/overeating
Alertness  Irritability
 immune system   resistance to infection
Here, you see some examples of the same broad issue and what falls into the acute / short
term side and what is the chronic / long term side. Everyone has occasional sadness, but
when that sadness lasts and lasts, it is called depression. Everyone gets concerned about
things or feels uneasy in certain situations, but when that happens day after day, it builds
to anxiety and can grow into panic attacks as the body can no longer moderate it’s
response.
Body’s response to stress
 Fight or Flight Response
 Stress hormone adrenaline released 
 Increase heart rate, breathing and blood pressure
 Liver increases output of blood sugar
 Blood flow is diverted to brain and large muscles
 Blood becomes “stickier” and clots easier
 Body is capable of handling an occasional stressful event
Two broad categories – Acute and Chronic. Now, how does your body respond?
We’ve all heard of the Fight or Flight Response. Basically, when stressed, a person will
make a choice between two options – they stand their ground and defend themselves – IE
Fight, or they try and run away – Flight. Both actions cause the same physiological
response.
Adrenaline is released and a cascade of events starts – all designed to help the
body react in Fight or Flight. The heart rate, respiration and blood pressure all go up.
The liver dumps extra sugar into the blood. Blood flow is concentrated in the brain and
large muscles, and the blood becomes stickier and clots faster.
Clearly, you would NOT want these things going on all the time. You have to
have them short term, but if they are always around, damage occurs. Cavemen needed
the extra sugar in the blood, the better clotting, higher heart rate, breathing and blood
pressure to run from or fight wild animals. There sure would have been more casualties
without it!
Quiz in understanding your stress
During peak activity periods do you:
A:
Get a good night’s rest
Eat well-balanced meals
Take much needed breaks during work
Rebuild energy sources with time off
OR
B:
Are you restless and constantly worried about work
Do you snack on junk food to get through the day
Do you stay with it to finish sooner
Are you a “work-a-holic” who never vacations
See where you fall with these behaviors. Are you mostly A’s or mostly B’s?
Again, everyone has short term episodes in the B category. You’re looking for chronic,
long term episodes.
Physical symptoms
 Headaches
 Indigestion
 Stomachaches
 Sweaty Palms
 Sleep Difficulties
 Dizziness
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Back Pain
Tight Neck, Shoulders
Racing Heart
Restlessness
Tiredness
Ringing in Ears
Cognitive Symptoms
 Trouble thinking clearly
 Forgetfulness
 Lack of creativity
 Memory loss
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Trouble thinking clearly
Forgetfulness
Lack of creativity
Memory loss
STOP
BREATHE
REFLECT
CHOOSE
STOP
Before your thoughts escalate into the worst possible scenarios. Simply the act of
saying “Stop!” to yourself can help break your pattern of automatic response and
interrupt the Negative Stress Cycle at the onset.
BREATHE
After you Stop, breathe deeply and release physical tension. This is useful in
breaking the Negative Stress Cycle. Physically taking a breath can be important
because at times of stress, most people hold their breath.
REFLECT
Now you can focus your energy on the problem at hand and reflect on the cause of
the stress.
CHOOSE
After you have stopped the process of responding automatically, taken a breath to
divert your attention from the stress, and reflected on the stress and its cause, it is
time to choose how to deal with the stress.
Stress Busters!
 Exercise
 Breathing for relaxation
 Guided Imagery
 Music
 Aromatherapy
 Healthy Diet
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Yoga
Movies
Laughing/Humor
Painting
Meditation
Sleeping
Spending time with Friends
Build your physical reserves
Eat well balanced meals—helps keep energy level high through out day
Drink enough fluids throughout the day to keep your urine pale and clear, but
avoid nutritionally “empty” calories (regular sodas, lemonade, punch, fruit
drinks, alcoholic beverages).
Avoid nicotine and excessive amounts of caffeine—stimulants can aggravate
stress levels
Get enough sleep—be as consistent with sleep schedule as possible
CONCLUSION
In conclusion we have:
– Defined stress
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ID warning signals and symptoms to look for that set off an alarm that you
are under too much stress.
Identified some of the common causes of stress.
Shown you some techniques to implement change and help you cope with
stress.
References
Kicking your Stress Habits, Donald A. Tubesing. Whole Person Associates, Inc.
The Wellness Book, Herbert Benson. M.D., Eileen M. Stuart. R.N., M. S. Simon &
Schuster Inc.
Guided Imagery for Groups. Andrew E. Schwartz. Whole Person Associates, Inc.
Creating Change to Relieve Your Stress. Kim Roberson, R.Ph. June, 2, 2007;
American College Health Association San Antonio, TX