STRESS MANAGEMENT

WHICH OF THESE CAUSES STRESS?

• A presentation to make
• Impending exams
• A late-night party
• Inability to answer three questions in your exam
• Marriage in the family
All of the above
WHAT IS STRESS?
Dr. Hans Selye, stress management expert, defines stress as:

Stress Response
 TYPES OF STRESS

EUSTRESS : +VE
DISTRESS : -VE
 HUMAN FUNCTION CURVE (Peter Nixon)

EXHAUSTION

BREAK DOWN

To little Optimum Too Much

Stress
 STRESSORS

STRESSORS

Internal External
sources sources

School / Environ-
Personality Family mental
Role stress
college/ job
 PERSONALITY STRESSORS

Aggressive and
anti-social
behaviour
Getting into Withdrawal and
isolation;
wrong habits detachment

PERSONALITY
STRESSORS

Poor self-worth,
Indecisive blame and feeling
ugly

Perfectionism
 SCHOOL/COLLEGE STRESSORS

Fight with a
friend/ being
bullied

A ‘blank feeling’
Little time for
when one tries
extra-curricular
to remember
activities SCHOOL/
answers
COLLEGE
STRESSORS

Losing books or
Exam stress
notes
 FAMILY STRESSORS

Parental
expectations

Chronic illness
Sibling rivalry in the family
FAMILY
STRESSORS

Serious loss in
Poor parent-child
the family
relationship
( life event)
 ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS

Peer Pressure

Traffic and
Competition
Overcrowding

ENVIRON-
MENTAL
STRESSORS

Time Pressure Weather Changes

Noise Pollution
 ROLE STRESSORS

WIFE

PLAYER FRIEND

INDIVI-
HOUSE
DUAL
SISTER
CAPTAIN

DAUGH-
STUDENT
TER
 COMMON RESPONSE TO STRESS

Common Response To Stress

EMOTIONAL COGNITIVE SOMATIC BEHAVIOURAL

 EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS

• Irritability
• Anger
• Apprehension
• Fear
• Sadness
• Feeling tense
• Mood swings
 COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS

• Difficulty in concentrating

• Indecisiveness

• Low performance

• Feeling mentally drained out

• Inability to complete the task

• Ruminative patterns of thinking (brooding)
 SOMATIC SYMPTOMS

• Disturbance in sleep, appetite loss, difficulty in digestion

• Loss or gain of weight
• Aches and pains
• Fast and shallow breathing, palpitations
• Chest discomfort
• Easily fatigued
 BEHAVIOURAL SYMPTOMS

• Reduced performance
• Low motivation
• Avoidance of certain situations
• Absenteeism
• Increase or decrease in activity level
• Increase in use of caffeine, smoking, alcohol and
any other drug
 STRESS

C O P I N G C A PA C I T Y
 AIM OF STRESS MANAGEMENT

Maintain a balance between these areas:

• Physical (exercise, nutrition, sleep)

• Intellectual (cultural, aesthetic)
• Social (friends and family relationships)
• Career (school and career - goal directed work)
• Emotional (expression of feelings, desires)
• Spiritual (quest for meaning)
 SPECIFIC GOALS FOR REDUCING STRESS

5R’s
• RETHINK
• REDUCE
• RELEASE
• RELAX
• REORGANIZE
 RETHINK

• Look at things more positively

• See problems as opportunities
• Keep a sense of humour
• Set realistic goals
• Accept your weakness and focus on your strength
 REDUCE

Stress by Building Physical Reserves

The Intensity of Your Emotional Reactions to Stress

The Time Wasted on Unnecessary Tasks

 RELEASE

• Write a dairy/ letter

• Have a good cry
• Talk to someone (friend, relative, professional)
• Physical exercise
• Go on a vacation
 RELAX

Activities:
– Going for walks

– Meeting with friends

– Reading for pleasure

– Listening to music

– Taking a bath
 Relaxation techniques

• Meditation and deep breathing

• Yoga therapy
• Music/dance therapy
• Acupuncture
 DEEP-BREATHING EXERCISE

Inhale = stomach should go out.

Exhale = stomach should go in.

Concentrate on breathing in and out.

Minimum = 20 minutes per day.

 QUICK HANDY TIPS TO MANAGE STRESS

• Get organized and prioritize your work

• Talk about your problems
• Adopt a positive attitude
• Realize that it’s okay to say “no”
• Decrease caffeine (coffee, tea, colas, chocolate)
• Well-balanced diet
• Regular exercise
• Adequate sleep
• Leisure time (do something for yourself everyday)
• Relaxation exercises (e.g., meditation, self-hypnosis)