Stress Management

Prepared by : Hardik Panchal Enro no : 107420592004

Table of content
No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Content Objective of the presentation What is Stress? Definition of stress Levels of stress Stages of Stress Student stress rating scale Tips to Reduce Stress Relaxation Techniques

Objective of the presentation

To understand what is stress. To know about types of stress. To find out how stress can be reduced.

WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress is your mind and bodys response or reaction to a real or imagined threat, event or change. The threat, event or change are commonly called stressors. Stressors can be internal (thoughts, beliefs, attitudes or external (loss, tragedy, change).

Definition of stress:

The term stress has been derived from the Latin word stringier which means to draw light. The term was used to refer to hardship, strain, adversity or affliction. Various forms have been synonymously used with stress namely, anxiety, conflict, pressure, strain, etc... According to selye (1980) The concept of stress is still fraught with definitional contradiction & suffers from the mixed blessing of being too well known & too little understood. Ivancevich & Matteson (1980) have compared stress with sin, as both are consider important by many people even thought different people are not always talking about the same thing when they use the world. What has hampered the adequate use of the concept of stress is the fact that different investigator have employed some what different referents & meaning for the term stress, & thus have employed different explicit & implicit models.

LEVELS OF STRESS

EUSTRESS DISTRESS

EUSTRESS
Eustress or positive stress occurs when your level of stress is high enough to motivate you to move into action to get things accomplished.

DISTRESS
Distress or negative stress occurs when your level of stress is either too high or too low and your body and/or mind begin to respond negatively to the stressors.

STAGES OF STRESS

ALARM STAGE RESISTANCE STAGE EXHAUSTION STAGE

ALARM STAGE
As you begin to experience a stressful event or perceive something to be stressful psychological changes occur in your body. This experience or perception disrupts your bodys normal balance and immediately your body begins to respond to the stressor(s) as effectively as possible.

EXAMPLES

Cardiac - increased heart rate Respiratory - increased respiration Skin - decreased temperature Hormonal - increased stimulation of adrenal genes which produce an adrenal rush.

RESISTANCE STAGE
During this stage your body tries to cope or adapt to the stressors by beginning a process of repairing any damage the stressor has caused. Your friends, family or co-workers may notice changes in you before you do so it is important to examine their feedback to make sure you do not reach overload.

EXAMPLES

Behavior indicators include: lack of enthusiasm for family, school, work or life in general, withdrawal, change in eating habits, insomnia, hypersomnia, anger, fatigue. Cognitive Indicators include: poor problem solving, confusion, nightmares, hypervigilance.

RESISTANCE STAGE MORE EXAMPLES

Emotional indicators include: tearfulness fear anxiety panic guilt agitation depression overwhelmed.

EXHAUSTION STAGE
During this stage the stressor is not being managed effectively and the body and mind are not able to repair the damage.

EXAMPLES
Digestive disorders, withdrawal, headaches, tension, insomnia, loss of temper.

STUDENT STRESS RATING SCALE

The following are events that occur in the life of a college student. Place a check in the left-hand column for each of those events that has happened to you during the last 12 months.
___ Death of a close family member - 100 points ____ Jail term - 80 points ____ Final year or first year in college - 63 points ____ Pregnancy (to you or caused by your) - 60 points ____ Severe personal illness or injury - 53 points ____ Marriage - 50 points ____ Any interpersonal problems - 45 points ____ Financial difficulties - 40 points ____ Death of a close friend - 40 points ____ Arguments with your roommate (more than every other day) - 40 points ____ Major disagreements with your family - 40 points ____ Major change in personal habits - 30 points ____ Change in living environment - 30 points ____ Beginning or ending a job - 30 points ____Problems with your boss or professor - 25 points ____ Outstanding personal achievement - 25 points ____ Failure in some course - 25 points ____ Final exams - 20 points ____ Increased or decreased dating - 20 points ____ Changes in working conditions - 20 points ____ Change in your major ____ Change in your sleeping habits - 18 points ____ Several-day vacation - 15 points ____ Change in eating habits - 15 points ____ Family reunion - 15 points ____ Change in recreational activities - 15 points ____ Minor illness or injury - 15 points ____ Minor violations of the law - 11 points Score: _________________

INTERPRETING YOUR SCORE

Less than 150 points

: relatively low stress level in relation to life events 150 - 300 points : borderline range Greater than 300 points : high stress in relation to life events
Note: From Girdano, D.A., Everly, G. S., Jr., & Dusek, D. E. (1990). Controlling stress and tension (3rd edition), ENnglewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Tips to Reduce Stress

GET PHYSICAL 1. Relax neck and shoulders 2. Take a stretch 3. Get a massage 4. Exercise

GET MENTAL 5. Count to 10 6. Control your thoughts 7. Fantasize 8. Congratulate yourself 9. Ignore the problem if appropriate, after evaluation 10. Perform self maintenance 11. Talk to a counselor

GET SPIRITUAL 12. Meditate 13. Pray 14. Remember your purpose

USE YOUR BODY AND MIND TOGETHER 15. Take a break 16. Get hug therapy 17. Try progressive relaxation 18. Try yoga 19. Try aroma therapy 20. Laugh

DEVELOP NEW SKILLS 21. Prioritize daily tasks 22. Learn something 23. Practice a hobby

Relaxation Techniques
1. The information below briefly describes several relaxation techniques. Meditation: this technique involves focusing on something unchanging (such as a spot on the wall) or something repetitive (such as repeating a word a mantra). Then you realize your mind has wandered, merely return to repeating the word.

2.

Imagery: Imagery can be guided or unguided. When guided, someone else determines which image you should keep in mind when trying to relax. When unguided, you decide what image would be relaxing. If possible, it is best to choose your own image since you have a better idea of what you find relaxing than does someone else. Some images people generally find relaxing are sunshine warming the body, a day at the beach, a rippling lake, a walk in the woods, the surf rolling on the shore, birds flying through the air, a carpeted room warmed by a fire, and a sailboat floating on the water.

3.

Autogenic Training: Autogenic training requires you to imagine your arms and legs feel heavy, warm and tingly. By doing this, blood flow increases to these body parts due to a dilation (widening) of blood vessels in the arms and legs. This is part of the relaxation response. After the body is relaxed this way, the mind is calmed by adding images of relaxing scenes. Imagery that is part of autogenic training is called autogenic mediation. Progressive Relaxation: Progressive relaxation teaches the sensation of muscular contraction by focusing attention on the feeling of the muscles as they are tensed throughout the body. It then teaches the sensation to your more tense parts. The relaxed sensation can be imagined to be a warm ball that travels to various bodily locations warming and relaxing them.

4.

5. Diaphragmatic Breathing: Relaxed breathing occurs as a result of the diaphragm expanding, as opposed to stressful breathing that is a function of the chest expanding. Relaxed breathing is called Diaphragmatic Breathing. To try Diaphragmatic Breathing, lie on your back and place your hands on your abdomen. As you breathe you should feel your abdomen riseand your chest remain fairly stable.

6. Quieting Reflex: With practice, this technique is said to relax a person in just six seconds. The Quieting Reflex is done as follows: o Think about something that makes you afraid or anxious. o Smile inside. This breaks up the anxious facial muscle tension. o Tell yourself, I can keep a calm body in an alert mind. o Let your jaw go loose as you exhale, keeping your lower and upper teeth slightly apart. o Imagine heaviness and warmth moving throughout your body, from head to toe.

7. Instant Calming Sequence: Another relaxation technique said to take just seconds to elicit the relaxation response is the Instant Calming Sequence. Step 1: Uninterrupted Breathing. In the face of the stressor, keep breathing smoothly, deeply and evenly. Step 2: Positive Face. Flash a slight smile as soon as you recognize you are being stressed. Step 3: Balanced Posture. Keep your chest high, your head up, neck long, chin in, and in other ways balanced. Imagine being lifted from a hook at the top of your head. Step 4: Bathe in a Wave of Relaxation. Imagine youre standing under a waterfall that washes away your tension. Step 5: Acknowledge Reality. Face your causes of stress head-on. Dont try to deny it or wish that it hadnt happened. Think: This is real. I can handle it. Im finding the best possible way to cope right now. Step 6: Reassert Control. Instead of fretting about how the stressor had robbed you of control, focus on what you can control and take appropriate action. Also, think clear-headed, honest thoughts instead of distorted ones.

Bibliography

What is Stress Web Site. http//www.teachhealth.com

How to reduce and relieve stress Web Site. http//www.family.com Stress Relievers Web Site. http//www.residentassistant.com Massage Downing, G. (1972). Massage Book. New York: Random House. Aromatherapy Web Site. http//www/aromaweb.com/articles/wharoma.as Yoga Web Site. http//www.kevala.co.uk/yoga/overview.htr

THANK YOU

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