1. Playing with Your Stress:
Balancing Your Life

2. What is STRESS?
• The reaction of the body to a physical or psychological
threat.
• Sources of Stress
– Environmental stressors
– Social stressors
– Physiological stressors
– Thought stressors

3. Some STRESS is good, but too much
STRESS is not good for you
Performance
Stress Level
High
Low High

4. Positive & Negative
• Stress is a natural part of life.
• Stress can be both positive and negative.
• Positive stress is a stress that can help motivate
individuals to accomplish something good.
Positive stress helps an individual to make any
necessary changes in their lives.
• Negative stress is a stress that a person feels
they cannot handle and makes everything
complicated.

5. STRESS Indicators
• You can feel physical stress when you have too
much to do.
• You notice behavioral stress when you begin to
act abnormally.
• You can feel emotional stress when you worry
about money, your job or a loved one's illness
• You can even feel it when you experience a
devastating life event

6. Negative STRESS Response
• Stress can lead to depression, anxiety, lower
self esteem and other mental health issues.
• The body releases chemicals in response to a
threat or negative stress that trigger:
– Increased heart rate & blood pressure
– Rapid Breathing
– Increased sweating
– A sudden rush of strength
– Slowed digestion
– Dilated pupils

7. Ill effects
• Jumping to Conclusions is making a negative assumption even
though there are no clear facts supporting the conclusion.
• Personalizing is assuming external events are automatically being
caused by or directed at yourself when in fact they are not.
• Selective Attention is ignoring accomplishments and positive
experiences and focusing only on negative events and perceived
failures
• Catastrophizing is exaggerating the significance of an unpleasant
event or events.
• Alcohol and drugs are preferred by people when under negative
stress for long period of time.

8. Overcoming STRESS
• The key to coping with stress is to
determine your personal tolerance levels
for stressful situations.
• You must learn to accept or change
stressful or tense situations whenever
possible.

9. Maintain A Balance Within Your Life
MANAGING
STRESS
RELAXATION
APPROACH
NUTRITION
&
EXERCISE
MIND
APPROACHES

10. Relaxation Approach
• Deep Breathing
• Autogenic
• Visualization
• Progressive Muscular Relaxation
• Meditation
• Biofeedback

11. Water
• Drinking good amount of water can
reduce your stress to a great level.
• With the help of water, various
toxics find a way out.
• Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water is
recommended by doctors to keep
us mentally and physically fit.
• Our body is made up of 70% water
and thus having a considerable
amount of water is a must.

12. STRESS Free Lifestyle
• Exercise. Thirty minutes of physical activity per day
helps both body and mind. If you have an hour lunch
break at the office, use half of it for a walk or a jog.
• Hobbies. Take a break and do something you enjoy.
• Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Get adequate rest, eat right,
exercise, limit your use of caffeine and alcohol, and
balance work and play.
• Share your feelings. Don't try to cope alone. Let
friends and family provide support and guidance.