Stress Management

Why would anybody want to manage STRESS?

 Stress Management
ONLY when we see STRESS as inevitable part of our life
 Stress
Entirely SELF – CREATED & SELF - INFLICTED
 Stress
INTERNAL & EXTERNAL
 Stress
INTERNAL – how we perceive our
FEELINGS
EMOTIONS &
SITUATIONS
 Stress
EXTERNAL – from the environment
 Stress dimensions
DISTRESS & EUSTRESS
 Stress dimensions - Reactive
DISTRESS – perceive stressor as negative (In disagreement)
 Stress dimensions - Responsive
EUSTRESS – perceive stressor as positive (In agreement)
 Stress
Injurious to HEALTH & the
Worst Enemy of Mankind
I have changed my mind about STRESS
and today, I want to change yours.
Pleasantness & Unpleasantness
In varying degrees
Human Faculties
BODY
MIND
EMOTIONS
ENERGY
 Pleasantness
State of Well Being
Pleasant Body
Health
Very Pleasant Body
Pleasure
Pleasant Mind
Peace
Very Pleasant Mind
Joy
Pleasant Emotions
Love
Very Pleasant Emotions
Compassion
 Pleasantness
Within and Without
 Pleasantness
Within – Peace / Joy / Happiness
 Pleasantness
Surroundings – Success
Experiencing Pleasantness
Unstable, Fleeting – On / Off
 Pleasantness - within
Makes us charming & attractive
 Pleasantness - within
Our Mind & Body functions at its BEST.
 Pleasantness & Unpleasantness
Depends how we THINK, FEEL and REACT .
Science of STRESS
How we think matters?
Synonyms for STRESS
Anxiety
Pressure
Tension
Friction
Nervousness
 Science of STRESS
Stress is primarily a physical reaction.
 Science of STRESS
When stressed our body thinks it is under attack
 Science of STRESS
Switches to ‘Fight or Flight' mode
 Science of STRESS
Body prepare itself for physical action
 Science of STRESS
Body is HIGHJACKED by HORMONES
 Science of STRESS
Heart POUNDING – blood vessels tightens
Pulse Rate goes UP
SWEATING
DEEP breathing
Science of STRESS
STRESS makes us SICK
I have changed my mind about STRESS
and today, I want to change yours.
 If I may ask you so…
How much stress you have experienced in the last year?
Please raise your hands
Let me start with the study that made me
RETHINK my approach to stress.
> 30,000 adults were under observation for 8 years.
 They were asked
1. How much stress they have EXPERIENCED in the last year?
2. Do they BELIEVE that stress is harmful for health?
Public death records were checked to
find who all died from the sample
 Bad News first
People experiencing High-Level of STRESS with belief that
STRESS is HARMFUL had 43% increased risk of dying.
 Good News
People experiencing High-Level of STRESS with belief that
STRESS is NOT HARMFUL had LOWEST risk of dying
Science of STRESS
How we think matters?
More than 2 Lakh premature death were reported
during the 8 years period of study.
Surprisingly STRESS was NOT the cause
for the premature deaths.
BELIEVING that STRESS is bad for the health
was the cause for the premature deaths.
 This study freaked me out.
I been spending so much energy telling people
STRESS is bad for their health.
 This study got me wondering:
Can changing how we think about stress make us healthier?
Science of STRESS
How we think matters?

YES it does
When we change our PERCEPTION about STRESS
We change our body’s RESPONSE to STRESS
Lets take a SOCIAL STRESS TEST
REACTION

Physical changes in that very moment are likely to be

interpreted as you aren't coping very well
with the pressure.
 Science of STRESS
THINK – It is NOT Illegal yet!
 Science of STRESS
How we think matters?
Lets change the way we THINK about STRESS.
RESPONSE

RETHINK STRESS RESPONSE

See distress as sign your body is ENERGIZING to face the
CHALLENGE
RESPONSE

RETHINK STRESS RESPONSE

See your pounding heart preparing for ACTION
RESPONSE

RETHINK STRESS RESPONSE

See your deep breathing pushing more Oxygen to Brain
 RETHINK STRESS
Shift from REACTING to RESPONDING
 RETHINK
CHANGE in Physical STRESS response
Shifted Unhealthy to Healthy Profile
I no longer want to get rid of your STRESS.
I want to make you better at STRESS.
 INTERVENTION
When you raised your hand to show that last year you
experienced High level of stress
I COULD HAVE SAVED YOUR LIFE
 RECALL
My talk
You will CHANGE your Physical STRESS response
Shift Unhealthy to Healthy Profile
 Science of STRESS
Our PERCEPTION to STRESS
Determines our BODY’s RESPONSE
 Always REMEMBER
Choose to view your pounding heart is working hard to give you strength
and energy and just get better at stress. By doing so you make a
profound statement saying that you can trust
yourself to handle life's challenges
 Take Away

Experience Life your way

Quality of our Life is determined by our ability to RESPOND
DO NOT compromise your Intelligence, Competence with your
Compulsive and Reactive attitude.
Take Away

Take Charge – Be Responsible

Being Responsible is a conscious CHOICE.
Responding is the ability to CHOOSE.
Take Away

You have a CHOICE

REACTIVITY is Enslavement
RESPONSIBILTY is FREEDOM
Take Away

You have a CHOICE

REACT Compulsively or
RESPOND Consciously.
Take Away

DO NOT Battle LIFE

No Adversity is IMPEDIMENT
if you choose to RESPOND consciously.
Take Away

DO NOT Battle LIFE

Life is too SHORT…..ENJOY.
Take Away

RECLAIM LIFE
Feel the Extraordinary transformative power
For being RESPONSIBLE.
APPLY and WATCH the MAGIC UNFOLDS
CA Vinod Kr Sharma
vinod.kr.sharma@gmail.com