Stress and Stress Management

1
Stress and Stress Management

• Hahn, et al, Section 1, chapt 2,3

2
Stress - types

• Environmental Stressors
• Climate, noise, pollution, crowding, time of day.
• Physiological stressors
• Training, medications, caffeine, injuries,
  disease, nutritional status

3
Stress - types

• Emotional stressors
• Major stressors - those that create major turmoil
  and usually require major adjustment and time to
  do so.
• Minor stressors - those that are short term or
  less severe

4
Top Ten Stressors in the lives of College Students

• The Future
• Lack of sleep
• Wasting time
• Inconsiderate smokers
• Physical appearance
• Too many things to do
• Losing things
• Lack of time for tasks
• High standards
• Avoiding loneliness

5
Other stressors for College students

• Personal relationships
• Parents
• Change in residential environment
• Rural vs urban, Res vs home
• Support systems, or lack of
• Money
• Courses

6
The worst stressors

• Negative ones consequences are harsher, provide
  no benefit, effect self-concept, self-image
• Ambiguous ones when the problem cannot be
  defined, it is harder to devise solutions.
  Develop avoidance behaviours.
• Uncontrollable events we feel powerless in the
  face of uncontrollable events.

7
Response to Stress

• Everyone responds differently
• Inherited predispositions
• Experience with..
• Personality
• Everyone has a different Optimal level of arousal

8
Level of performance
Level of arousal
9
Stress - acute effects on the body
10
Symptoms of stress

• Physical
• Accident prone
• Sick
• Apetite change
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• restlessness

11
Symptoms of stress

• Emotional
• Mood swings
• Anxiety
• Crying spells
• Irritable
• Bad tempered

12
Symptoms of stress

• mental
• Forgetfulness
• Confusion
• dulled senses
• Lethargy
• Negative attitude
• Poor concentration

13
Effects of chronic stress - endocrine reaction

• HPA axis is stimulated (hypothalamus, pituitary,
  and adrenal glands)
• Leads to increased secretion of Corticotrophin
  releasing Hormone (CRH), which
• Leads to increased levels of Adrenocorticotropic
  hormone (ACTH), which
• Leads to increase production of Cortisol
  (catabolic hormone)

14
Effects of chronic stress

• Headaches
• Indigestion
• Insomnia
• Suppressed immune system
• Cardiovascular disease/hypertension
• Depression and /or anxiety
• Alcohol, tobacco drug dependency
• Obesity

15
Stress Test

• Partner up.
• One sits with right arm on the rest, close eyes
  and relax as deeply as possible.

16
Stress Test

• Partner wait for 5 min. then assess visual
  symptoms (next page). Count total no. of YES.
• Gently p/u wrist and lift it 3 in. and let it go.
• Assess manual symptoms (next page)

17
Stress test
18
Stress Test

• Results
• Excellent 0 points
• V. good 1-3 points
• Good 4-6 points
• Fair 7-9 points
• Poor 10-12 points

19
Stress Management

• Physical Activity and Stress
• Decreases likelihood of developing stress related
  disorders
• Decreases the intensity of the stress response.
• Decreases anxiety
• Decreases depression

20
Stress Management

• Sleep and Recreation
• Impaired sleep can be the cause and result of
  stress
• Required sleep varies between individuals, but 7
  - 8 hrs is minimum.
• Sleep busters! - big meal late in the evening,
  spicy food, alcohol, nicotine, heavy exercise
  late in the day, lots of fluuids, naps in the
  day, irregular patterns.

21
Stress Management

• Recreation is a stress reducer.
• It must be PLAY
• It neednt be terribly physical e.g. reading
• Passive participation has been proven of value as
  well.

22
Stress Management

• Coping strategies
• Three basic strategies
• Emotion-focused coping (reaction)
• Problem-focused coping (source)
• Appraisal-focused coping (perception of source)

23
Stress Management

• Emotion-focusing coping
• Relaxation techniques
• Stretching
• Prayer
• Positive self-talk
• Appraisal-focusing coping
• Changing distorted thinking

24
Distorted thinking

• All-or-none thinking
• Overgeneralization
• Mental filter
• Discounting positives
• Jumping to conclusions
• Magnification/minimization
• Emotional reasoning
• should statements
• Labelling
• Blame

25
Unraveling Distorted thinking

• Identify the distortion - write down the thought
  identify
• Examine the evidence and distorted outcome.
• Pretend you are a friend looking at the evidence
  and talk to yourself as a friend.
• Survey method - ask others for an unbiased view.
• Re-distribution of blame - think of other causes
  for an unfortunate event.

26
Stress Management

• Problem-focused coping
• Depends on degree of control over the situation
• Depends on self-efficacy
• Depends on outcome expectancy
• Social support is very important

27

• Social Support Questions not somewhat very
  true
• I have close personal ties with my
  relatives 1 2 3
• I have close relationships with friends 1 2 3
• I have a deep and meaningful relationship 1 2 3
• total for access to social support ________
• My parents and friends take time to listen to me
  1 2 3
• I have friends I can confide in 1 2 3
• I have a nonjudgmental friend who supports me
  1 2 3
• total for degree of social support
  ________
• I feel comfortable asking others for assistance
  1 2 3
• I have confidence in my social skills 1 2 3
• I am willing to open up about my personal life
  1 2 3
• total for getting social support
  ________
• Total for Social Support
• (sum of three scores) _______

28

• Locus of Control Questions
• not somewhat very true
• Hard Work usually pays off 1 2 3
• Buying a lottery ticket isnt worth it. 1 2
  3.
• Even when I fail I keep trying 1 2 3.
• I am usually successful at what I do 1 2
  3
• I am in control of my own life 1 2 3
• I make plans to be sure I am successful1 2
  3
• I know where I stand with my friends 1 2
  3
• Total of locus of control _______

29
Stress Management

• Rating for Social Support
• High 24 - 27 total
• Moderate 18 - 23 total
• Low below 18 pts.
• Rating for Locus of Control
• High 19 - 21 pts
• Moderate 12 - 19 pts
• Low below 12 pts

30
(No Transcript)