Dynamic Wellness . . .Because Prevention is the Best Medicine

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Dynamic Wellness . . .Because Prevention is
the Best Medicine!

• STRESS MANAGEMENT PRESENTATION
• Evanston Township High School
• April 15, 2004

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YOURE FIRED!
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AGENDA

• History of Stress
• Emotional Stress
• Anatomy of Stress
• Types of Stress
• Effects of Stress
• Identifying Your Stressors
• Coping With Stress
• Relaxation Techniques
• Stress and Exercise
• Stress and Nutrition
• Wrap-Up

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What is Stress?
Stress is your bodys response to anything that
makes you feel pressured or threatened.
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HISTORY OF STRESS
Without STRESS, man would have been Dinner!
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HISTORY OF STRESS

• In Primitive Man, STRESS was primarily PHYSICAL
• Powerful chemicals prepared the body for Fight
  or Flight
• Provided extra strength or energy
• When danger passed, physical response subsided

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Now, Stress is Mostly Mental / Emotional
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Modern Stress is Everywhere
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Stress is a Choice

• We cant control all of the things that can
  cause us stress

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What Is Your Coping Style?

• When a problem or stressful situation arises, do
  you
• Catastrophize?
• Problem-solve?
• Go with the Flow?
• Look for the Opportunity?

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COPING STYLES

• Four Womens Responses to Getting a FLAT TIRE

Oh !! Now Im going to miss the meeting and
lose the account.
No sweat. Thank God I took that class on
emergency repairs!"
"What a pain! Well, Ill call AAA and just be
late..."
"WOW! This must be my lucky day--This AAA guy is
a Hunk! "
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Anatomy of Stress
The body responds to EMOTIONAL stress exactly
like it responds to PHYSICAL danger or stress.

Thoughts and emotions produce actual
physiological responses that prepare us for
Fight or Flight
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THE STRESS RESPONSE

• FIGHT or FLIGHT Response
• The BRAIN signals the body to release Hormones
  and Neurotransmitters that prepare all systems to
  be ready to go to meet a perceived threat

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CHEMISTRY OF STRESS

• STRESS HORMONES Chemicals produced in the
  adrenal glands that carry messages around the
  body
• Cortisol increases energy production in
  response to stress

• NEUROTRANSMITTERS Chemical messengers that
  transmit THOUGHT from one brain cell (neuron) to
  the next
• Adrenaline produces stress response
• Serotonin relieves stress and calms the mind

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STRESS HORMONES / NEUROTRANSMITTERS

• Powerful Chemicals that carry
• signals between cells

ANTI-STRESS NEUROTRANSMITTER SEROTONIN the
FEEL GOOD Chemical
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CHEMISTRY OF STRESS cont.

• HORMONES and NEUROTRANSMITTERS cause
• Brain to become more alert
• Heart and Blood Vessels to pump blood faster
• Lungs to expand breathing rate to increase to
  provide more oxygen to blood
• Muscles to tense
• Stored sugars and fat to be released for energy
• Digestive system to shut down
• Sensory organs to sharpen
• Immune system to send infection-fighters to skin

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Stress Response System
Person Experiences Stress / Perceived Threat
Physical Discomfort Intensifies Stress More
Harmful Chemicals are Released
Body Releases Stress Chemicals Adrenaline
Cortisol
Muscles are Tensed, Heart Rate Increases
Breathing Rate Increases/ Blood Pressure Rises
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TYPES OF STRESS

• ACUTE STRESS
• The physical, mental and emotional reaction to
  an immediate REAL or PERCEIVED Demand or Threat
• One-time incident that usually comes and goes
  quickly
• Once the acute threat has passed, the response
  subsides and levels of stress hormones return to
  normal
• Physical damage is minimal

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TYPES OF STRESS

• EPISODIC ACUTE STRESS
• The physical, mental and emotional reaction to
  an immediate REAL or PERCEIVED Demand or Threat
• . . . OVER AND OVER AGAIN!

• People who are
• Always busy, late, disorganized
• Type A personalities
• Worry Warts
• Blame others, external events for problems
• Extended over-arousal produces CHRONIC HEALTH
  PROBLEMS

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TYPES OF STRESS

• CHRONIC STRESS
• Unrelenting, long-term demands, pressures or
  negative situations
• People who
• Feel trapped in a situation they cant change
• See NO WAY OUT
• GET USED TO IT Forget the Stress is there

• CHRONIC STRESS produces CHRONICALLY ELEVATED
  CORTISOL
• Can negatively affect all body systems
• A key factor in the process of AGING!
• CAN KILL YOU!

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EFFECTS OF STRESS

• Evidence suggest that long-term, CORTISOL

Short-term Effects of ADRENALINE

• Muscles Tense
• Breathing Becomes Rapid
• Heart Rate Blood Pressure Increase
• Digestion Stops
• Mental Alertness Increases

• Makes us Fat!
• Thins our Bones
• Shrinks our Brains
• Suppresses our Immune System
• Saps our Energy Levels
• Contributes to Aging!

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Stress Affects All Major Body Systems
Digestive
Respiratory
Circulatory
Immune
Nervous
Muscular
Skeletal
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Modern Medicine Has The Answer!

• Each year Doctors prescribe
• 5 Billion Tranquilizers
• 3 Billion Amphetamines
• 5 Billion doses of Barbiturates (sleeping pills)

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WHY STRESS MAKES US FAT
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Stress Response System
BREAK THE CYCLE!
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ANTI-STRESSNEUROTRANSMITTERS

• SEROTONIN -
• The Feel-good Chemical

• Reduces Stress
• Associated with Serenity Optimism
• Also affects Sleep, Pain, Appetite and Blood
  Pressure

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IDENTIFY YOUR STRESSORS
KNOW THINE ENEMY
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What Are You Stressed About?
Insecurity
Family Anger
School Pressure
Change
Pain
Decision stress
Driving Anger
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Two Types of Stressful Situations
Those you can avoid or change
Those you cant avoid or change
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SERENITY PRAYER

• God grant me the
• Serenity to accept the things I cannot change
• Courage to change the things I can
• Wisdom to know the difference

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SENILITY PRAYER
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BE CONSCIOUS!
Live in the Present

• See things just as they are
• Try to keep focused on now, not the past or the
  future
• Hear whats really being said
• Ask yourself How am I creating unnecessary
  pressure in my life?

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Look Objectively at your Stress
Learn how to cope so it affects your body less
Avoid or Change
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You've Got Stress?
REFRAME IT!

• Change your attitude toward, or label you give
  to, stress-producing people or events.
• Rather than difficult, think of a person as
  challenging

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Its All How You Frame It!

• Conversation in a Retirement Home

Mabel My arms are so weak I can hardly lift
this cup of coffee
Hazel  "I can't turn my head because of the
arthritis in my neck
Harry My cataracts are so bad I can't even
see my coffee"
Sam "I guess that's the price we pay for
getting old"
. . . brief silence . . .

• Grace, cheerfully
• "Well, it could be worse"

Thank God we can all still drive !!
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Are You Stressed by Anger?
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Anger Management
Reframe it De-Escalate Diffuse It
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Diffuse Anger with Generosity
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CHANGE YOUR MOOD!
ACT HAPPY

• Your brain will change your attitude to sync
  with the behavior

Change your Behavior
FEEL HAPPY!

• When you smile or laugh, you start a
  physiological response that alters your brain
  chemistry

• Your brain releases endorphins which enhance a
  feeling of well-being . . . and you start
  feeling happy!

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I'd rather be an optimist who's sometimes wrong
than a pessimist who's always right. -
Kathy Smith, iVillage.com
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Look for the Humor!

• A good laugh wipes out the stress inside your
  body
• HUMOR and STRESS CANT COEXIST!
• Humor changes your perspective and your biology

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The Power of Humor!

• Just anticipating a happy, funny event can raise
  levels of endorphins and other pleasure and
  relaxation-inducing hormones and lower production
  of stress hormones -University of
  California-Irvine

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• Whats the most stress-producing communication
  problem?

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PRACTICE POSITIVE SELF-TALK
IDENTIFY NEGATIVE SELF-TALK PATTERNS

• Catastrophizing
• Overgeneralizing
• Using "should statements

REFRAME
From "Why is this happening to me?" To "What
can I do about what is happening to me?"
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PRACTICE POSITIVE SELF-TALK
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Tips for Improving Your Mood

• Seek Out Positive People
• Pessimism is psychologically contagious
• Vent Talk about whats bothering you

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COPING TIPS

• Get Organized
• Put things where they belong and you will save
  time and stress looking for them

• Lose Control
• Accept that everything doesnt have to be done
  your way

• Give People a Break
• People may behave badly because they are stressed
  out about something

• Simplify Your Life
• Let go of possessions, relationships, etc. that
  no longer work or have lost their meaning or
  purpose

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TEST-TAKING TIPS

• Believe in Your Ability
• You wouldnt be where you are if you didnt have
  the ability to do well

• Develop a Realistic, Positive Attitude
• Accept that you may do your best and not get the
  highest grade. Be OK with that.

• Get Enough Sleep the Night Before
• Adequate sleep is crucial to proper brain
  function. Sleep deprivation will diminish mental
  performance.

• Take Deep-Breathing Breaks
• Close your eyes and take several long, slow deep
  breaths. Breathing in this way calms your whole
  nervous system.

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RELAXATION TECHNIQUES
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RELAXATION
Clench relax all the muscle groups in your body
Breath deeply to release your stress through your
breath
Focus on your heart and think of a peaceful place
or moment from your past
Think loving thoughts about your family, friends
and loved ones. Send messages out to them.
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Deep Breathing

• Focus on your breath
• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, pushing
  out your abdomen, then your lower ribs, then your
  chest as your body fills with air.
• Hold your breath for 3 seconds.
• Exhale for 4 seconds through your mouth, letting
  air our as you let it in, from your abdomen to
  highest parts of your lungs.
• Allow all the stress in your body to escape with
  your breath

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Deep Breathing

• Benefits
• Calms the mind
• Helps center your thoughts
• Brings you into the present
• Lowers the heart and respiratory rate
• Lowers blood pressure

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MEDITATION !

• MEDITATION Focusing the mind on relaxation,
  happiness and good will

• BENEFIT Naturally leads to the Relaxation
  Response"
• changes in the body that are deeply restorative
  and quicken healing

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MEDITATION !

• MEDITATION Pushing a Reset Button
• Enables the body to return to a state of optimal
  balance

• Reduces
• Heart rate
• Blood pressure
• Respiratory rate
• Oxygen consumption
• Blood flow to skeletal muscles
• Perspiration
• Muscle tension

• Improves
• Immunity
• Mood
• Energy

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THE POWER OF MUSIC
Music is a significant mood-changer and reliever
of stress

• Stress-fighting changes that take place when we
  hear a tune
• an increase in deep breathing
• acceleration of the body's production of
  Serotonin

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BRAIN RESEARCH !

• Researchers have shown that the same parts of
  the brain are activated whether people actually
  experience something or vividly imagine it.

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• Picturing an image of a beautiful beach
  activates the same area of the brain as actually
  seeing the beautiful beach

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EXERCISE THE REAL ANTI-STRESS MEDICINE!
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Weve Found the Fountain of Youth!
REGULAR EXERCISE

• What can
• improve your mood?
• help relieve insomnia?
• lower your risk for heart
  disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and
  colon cancer?

Hundreds of studies conducted over the past 50
years demonstrate that exercise helps you feel
better and live longer. (Exercise A Program
You Can Live With, Harvard Health Publications,
2001)
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EXERCISE STRESS
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Poor eating habits can increase stress

• Stress depletes the body of nutrients, mainly
  Protein, B Vitamins and Vitamins C and A.
• Good Nutrition can help relieve Stress

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NUTRITION and STRESS
STRESS-BUSTING FOODS
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NUTRITION and STRESS
STRESS-BUSTING FOODS cont.
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NUTRITION and STRESS
STRESS-TRIGGERING FOODS

• Caffeinated beverages
• Release adrenaline / Increases stress
• Fried foods
• Immune-depressing contributes to obesity and
  cardiovascular disease

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DONT PROCRASTINATE!
Procrastination is the art of keeping up with
yesterday. - Don Marquis
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Insanity is doing the same thing over and over
and expecting a different outcome. Chinese
Proverb
You cant reduce the stress in your life . .
. Until you really want to
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Wrap-Up
STRESS-BUSTING TIPS

• JUST DO SOMETHING!
• Change your behavior and your brain will change
  your attitude to sync with the behavior

• Identify Your Stressors
• You cant fight the enemy unless you know what it
  is

• Look Objectively at Your Stress
• Can you change or avoid it, or do you have to
  change your response to it?

• Reframe the Stressful Situation
• Examine your attitudes and change the labels you
  may be giving to people or events

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STRESS-BUSTING TIPS

• Diffuse Anger with Generosity / Kindness
• You gain a feeling of control, protect your body
  from stress response and cause a ripple effect of
  kindness

• Change Your Behavior to Change Your Mood
• Your brain will change your attitude to sync with
  the positive behavior

• Practice Positive Self-talk
• Try to see things as they really are and expect a
  positive result. Remember that you control how
  you feel.

• Exercise Regularly Eat a Healthy Diet
• Exercise and good nutrition generate serotonin
  and reduce the effects of the stress response