Stress & Stress Management
Manoj D. shah

Stress

Stress
Stress is the reaction people have to excessive
pressures or other types of demand placed
upon them. It arises when they worry that they
can’t cope.
...our body’s physical and emotional reaction to
circumstances or events that frighten, irritate,
confuse, endanger, or excite us.

Stress
•Stress is a part of life
•The good news is that stress can be self-
controlled
•Stress prepares a person to react to the
causing event/stressor
•Positive correlations have been found between
physical fitness, social support, emotional
well-being and health outcomes
•Nurturance is another factor that affects the
way people handle stress

Stressors
Physical -- external factors.
Social -- caused by interactions between an
individual and his/her environment.
Psychological -- strong emotions can be
brought on by external or internal factors.

Major Life Events
• Birth
• Death
• Lost job
• Promotion
• Marital status change

Internal Stressors
• Lifestyle choices: Caffeine, Lack of sleep’
Overloaded schedule
• Negative self - Pessimistic thinking, Self criticism,
Over analysing
• Mind traps: Unrealistic expectations, Taking
things personally, All or nothing thinking,
Exaggeration, Rigid thinking
• Personality traits: Perfectionists, Workaholics

Negative Stress
It is a contributory factor in minor conditions,
such as headaches, digestive problems, skin
complaints, insomnia and ulcers.
Excessive, prolonged and unrelieved stress can
have a harmful effect on mental, physical and
spiritual health.

Positive Stress
Stress can also have a positive effect, spurring
motivation and awareness, providing the
stimulation to cope with challenging
situations.
Stress also provides the sense of urgency and
alertness needed for survival when confronting
threatening situations.

Stress Cycle
Behavior
Consequences
Activating Event
– trigger Point

Irrational Beliefs Leading to Stress
• Demand from Self: I must/ Should be perfect
complete & efficient in all things I do and others
should appreciate or approve of me all the time.
• Demand from others: Others should behave, as I
want them to behave. Otherwise they are worthless &
should be punished.
• Demand from the world: All the conditions in the
world should be arranged they are favorable to me.
The above beliefs play dominating role in
our emotional disturbance

Self Generated Stress
• Most of the stress we experience is self-generated.
How we perceive life - whether an event makes us
feel threatened or stimulated, encouraged or
discouraged, happy or sad - depends to a large extent
on how we perceive ourselves.
• Self-generated stress is something of a paradox,
because so many people think of external causes
when they are upset.
• Recognising that we create most of our own upsets is
an important first step towards coping with them.

Recognizing Distress
• Mood Signs (feeling jumpy, trouble sleeping,
worrying, responding with anger, insecure)
• Internal Signs (hands moist, sweating
profusely, heart pounds, stomach upset)
• Musculoskeletal Signs (jaw muscles tight,
frequent headaches, muscles tense, neck stiff,
twitches)

Stress Response: Fight or Flight
• Your heart rate becomes faster
• Your blood pressure rises
• Your breathing becomes rapid
• Hormones such as adrenaline increase
• Senses become more efficient
• Muscles become tense to enhance movement
• Blood flow increases to muscles and brain
• Blood flow decreases to organs, hands and feet
• Perspiration increases for improved cooling

How Do I Recognize When
Someone Has a Problem?
• Changes in usual
behavior
• Poor performance
• Tiredness / Irritability
• Increased sickness
• Poor timekeeping
• Tearfulness
• Increased use alcohol or
drugs
• Difficult relationships
• Headache / backache
• Reduced social contact
• Poor judgment /
indecision

Stress Related illness
Stress is not the same as ill-health, but has been related to such
illnesses as;
• Cardiovascular disease
• Immune system disease
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Digestive disorders
• Ulcers
• Skin complaints - psoriasis
• Headaches and migraines
• Pre-menstrual syndrome
• Depression

Factors Influencing Work Stress
• The drive for success
• Changing work patterns
• Working conditions
• Overwork
• Under-work
• Uncertainty
• Conflict
• Responsibility
• Relationships at work
• Change work

Adaption Phase
If the source persists, the body prepares for
long-term protection, secreting hormones to
increase blood sugar levels. This phase is
common and not necessarily harmful, but
must include periods of relaxation and rest
to counterbalance the stress response.
Fatigue, concentration lapses, irritability
and lethargy result as the stress turns
negative.

ABC Strategy
A = AWARENESS:
• What causes you stress How do you react?
B = BALANCE:
• There is a fine line between positive /negative stress.
• How much can you cope with before it becomes negative
C = CONTROL:
• What can you do to help yourself combat the negative effects
of stress

Stress Management Techniques
• Change your thinking
• Change your behaviour
• Change your lifestyle

Change Your Thinking
• Re-framing
• Positive thinking

Re-framing
Re-framing is a technique to change the way
you look at things in order to feel better about
them. There are many ways to interpret the
same situation so pick the one you like. Re-
framing does not change the external reality,
but helps you view things in a different light
and less stressfully.
(Challenge your Beliefs & put it in right
perspectives)

Positive Thinking
• Forget powerlessness, dejection, despair,
failure
• Stress leaves us vulnerable to negative
suggestion so focus on positives;
• Focus on your strengths
• Learn from the stress you are under
• Look for opportunities
• Seek out the positive - make a change.

Change Your Behaviour
• Be assertive
• Get organised
• Ventilation
• Humour
• Diversion and distraction

Change Your Lifestyle
• Diet : Light Diet
• Smoking & Alcohol: Reduce or quit
• Exercise: Do it regularly
• Sleep: Have enough sleep
• Leisure: Have time for yourself
• Relaxation: Daily for at least 5-10 Minutes self
talk

Strategies To Reduce Stress
• Take control. Manage your time instead of letting it manage
you. Use a to-do list, follow a written plan, set goals and
follow through.
• Avoid procrastination: a major cause of stress. Make a
realistic list of things you need to do each day. Do the most
important things first. That way, even if you don’t finish the
list, you get the most important things done.
• Take a break: Sometimes it is better to get away from the
situation for a short time. Take a brisk walk, focus on pleasant
thoughts. Then, go back to the task feeling refreshed and ready
to tackle whatever it is you have to do.

Strategies To Reduce Stress
• Join the crowd: Even though you may think
you are the only person in the world who is
experiencing stress, the fact is that everyone
experiences it sometime.
• Talk to someone: Find someone you trust,
discuss the problems and look for solutions
• Put it in perspective: Chances are, this is only
one small part of the rest of your life

Strategies To Reduce Stress
Visualize: Sit comfortably and think of a favorite place. Imagine
yourself in a successful situation
Breathe: Sit quietly, and breathe deeply and slowly. Continue for
five or six breaths. It is calming and the extra dose of oxygen
increases the brain’s thinking ability.
Lighten up: Take responsibility for your feelings. When you get
angry, take a break and cool down before you act.
Use it: A little stress is a good thing. Athletes use it to increase
performance. If you are experiencing a small amount of
anxiety, it can help to keep you active and alert. Use it to
increase your performance.

What can you do?
• Deep breathing
• Biofeedback
• Progressive relaxation
• Meditation
• Self hypnosis
• Sound/music
• Exercise and massage
• Diet and Nutrition
• Autogenic Training

Live A Life That Matters
• What will matter is not what you bought, but what
you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
• What will matter is not your success, but your
significance.
• What will matter is not what you learned, but
what you taught.
• What will matter is every act of integrity,
compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched,
empowered or encouraged others to emulate your
example.

Don’t compare yourself with any one
in this world. If you do so, you are
insulting your self – Alen Strike
(Every one is Unique – accept & respect their
uniqueness)

You can not control what happens to you
but you can control your attitude towards
what happens to you and in that, you will
be mastering change rather than allowing
it to master you

Serenity Prayer
God, Grant me serenity to
accept the things I can not
change,
Give me the courage to
change the things that I can
And
Wisdom to know the
difference.