Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person's level of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of and for the motive of improving everyday functioning.
2. Step One: Identify the sources
of stress in your life
1. Do you try to do as much as possible in the least amount of time?
2. Do you become impatient with delays or interruptions?
3. Do you always have to win at games to enjoy yourself?
4. Do you find yourself speeding up the car to beat the red light?
5. Are you unlikely to ask for or indicate you need help with a
problem?
6. Do you constantly seek the respect and admiration of others?
7. Are you overly critical of the way others do their work?
8. Do you have the habit of looking at your watch or clock often?
9.Do you constantly strive to better your position and
achievements?
10. Do you spread yourself "too thin" in terms of your time?
3. 11. Do you have the habit of doing more than one thing at a
time?
12. Do you frequently get angry or irritable?
13. Do you have little time for hobbies or time by yourself?
14. Do you have a tendency to talk quickly or hasten
conversations?
15. Do you consider yourself hard-driving?
16. Do your friends or relatives consider you hard-driving?
17. Do you have a tendency to get involved in multiple
projects?
18. Do you have a lot of deadlines in your work?
19. Do you feel vaguely guilty if you relax and do nothing
during leisure?
20. Do you take on too many responsibilities?
4. What is stress?
Stress is the way that you react physically,
mentally and emotionally to various conditions,
changes and demands in your life.
High levels of stress can affect your physical and
mental well-being and academic performance.
6. First Type Of Stress
EUSTRESS (HEALTHY ESSENTIAL
STRESS)
Eustress which is a type of short term
stress that provides immediate strength.
Eustress arises at points of increased
physical activity, enthusiasm, and
creativity. Eustress is a positive stress that
arises when motivation and inspiration are
needed.
Sensible recreational activities.
Joy- any kind of positive impulse.
Sports- practiced as hobbies.
7. Second Type Of Stress
DISTRESS Negative stress
1. Acute stress is an intense stress that
arrives and disappears quickly.
2. Chronic stress is a prolonged stress that
exists for weeks, months, or even years.
Anger
Hatred ,frustration, jealousy.
Continuous mental and physical strain of
any kind.
8. Third Type Of Stress
HYPERSTRESS
Which occurs when an individual is
pushed beyond what he or she can
handle.
Being overloaded or 0verworked,
9. Fourth Type Of Stress
HYPOSTRESS
Occurs when an individual is bored or
unchallenged.
10. What Happens in Stress?
All the Organs of the Body are on ALERT :
BRAIN
Affects...
BRAIN stimulates Autonomic Nervous
System
Liver
Stomach
Blood Pressure &
Heart rate increases
Acid secretion
increases
Level of blood sugar
increases
Response without utilization leads to :
* Restlessness * Uneasiness * Irritation
Helps you to
Run or Fight
Heart
11. • The factors that contribute to
the experience of stress are
many and varied
• A useful overview of these
causes can be gained by using
the 'Analysis Wheel‘.
• Using this wheel, you can take
six different perspectives on the
causes of stress.
THE CAUSES OF STRESS
12. SOCIAL/CULTURAL
•Pressure to Conform to Social or
Employment Patterns of Behavior
•Conflict in Relationships, or an
Absence of Praise and Being Valued by
Others
•Lack of Support, Time to Be Listened
To, and Time for Relaxation.
•Having a High-pressure Job, Being
Unemployed, or Only Having a Small
Range of Social Circumstances Change
of Social Circumstances
Stress Can Be Caused by a Whole Range of Social a
And Cultural Pressures, Such As:
13. BIOLOGICAL
• Lack of fitness
• Poor diet (Eg.: Deficiency of vitamins; too much
caffeine)
• Allergic reaction to chemicals in Food
• Genetic disorder resulting in chemical
imbalances in the body
• Changes in bodily functions, such as
pregnancy, puberty, menopause
Some examples of the biological causes of stress
include:
14. RATIONAL
•Perceiving the consequences of actions as being
dangerous or threatening.
•Having an inaccurate perception of self.
•Believing one is capable of achieving far too
much - setting standards and expectations too
high
•Misinterpreting the actions of others so as to
discount
•Not having the skill or knowledge to cope with
certain situations, such as not having a rational
approach to problem-solving, or conflict
resolution, and therefore being unable to cope
with problems
Some Examples of Rational Causes of Stress
Include:
15. PSYCHODYNAMIC
• Inner conflicts that have not been
addressed, but repressed
• Encountering situations that evoke
stressful feelings that were experienced
in childhood
• Expending Effort to Maintain Defenses in
Situations That Threaten Self-esteem.
• Lack of Self-awareness
• Increasing Self Awareness and Personal
Growth
The Term 'Psychodynamic' Refers to Subconscious Thoughts
and Feelings, Which Often Arise From Childhood Experiences.
Examples of Psychodynamic Causes of Stress Include:
16. SPIRITUAL
•Lack of Spiritual Development
•An Absence of Truth (Eg: Self-deception
and Deception of Others)
•The Lack of a Sense of Personal Agency
•Absence of a Relationship With God, and
Lack of Forgiveness.
•Violation of Personal or Religious Moral
Code, Contravention of Accepted Group
Practice, or Violation of Laws ("Sin")
Some Spiritual Causes of Stress Include:
17. EXPERIENTIAL
•Too Many Simultaneous Demands From
Different People
•Environmental Stresses, Such As Noise,
Cramped Conditions, or Cluttered
Surroundings.
•Needs That Are Being Unmet/Frustrated.
•The Appearance of a Threat to Survival,
Self-esteem, or Identity.
•Change in Patterns of Eating, Sleeping,
Time Zone, Relationships Etc..
There May Be Many Instant Pressures That Cause an
Individual to Experience Stress, Such As:
18. Dealing with Stressful
Situations
THE FIVE A’s AND ONE M
- AVOID the stressor
- ALTER the stressor
- ADAPT to the stressor
- ACCEPT the stressor
- ADOPT a healthy lifestyle
- MAKE time to relax
19. AVOID
Learn how to say “no”
Avoid people who stress you out
Take control of your environment
Avoid hot-button topics
Pare down your to-do list
20. ALTER
Express your feelings instead of
bottling them up
Be willing to compromise
Be more assertive
Manage your time better
24. Make time for fun and
relaxation
Set aside relaxation time
Connect with others
Do something you enjoy every day
Keep your sense of humor
25. Exercise: Self-assessment
Take the anxiety/stress assessment
Use the results of this assessment to pinpoint specific
causes of stress in your life. What (if any) control do
you have over these areas of your life?
Make a list of things that you can do to lessen your
stress.
26. Strategies to reduce stress
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.
27. Strategies to reduce stress
Work on your attitude
Put things into perspective. Do not to take
yourself too seriously.
Think positive. “If you think you will fail, or
think you will succeed, you are probably right.”
--Henry Ford
28. Strategies to reduce stress
Get help
See your instructor, go to tutoring, and participate in
study groups. See how to form a study group.
Keep in touch with friends and family, and
develop a support group.
29. Strategies to reduce stress
Physical stress busters
Eat right, exercise regularly and get plenty of rest
30. Strategies to reduce stress
Practice, practice, practice
Build your confidence: do extra math problems,
practice test-taking at home, rehearse your speech a
couple of times before the presentation
31. Self-reflection
Go back to the stressful incident that you
described in the first part
List some strategies for dealing with the situation,
List some things you could have done to prevent it from
being stressful.
List some ways you can avoid a reoccurrence of such a
situation in the future.
32. Strategies for dealing with 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.
33. Strategies for dealing with stress
Talk to someone
Find someone you trust, discuss the problems and
look for solutions
34. Strategies for dealing with stress
Put it in perspective
Chances are, this is only one small part of the rest of
your life
35. Strategies for dealing with stress
Visualize
Sit comfortably and think of a favorite place.
Imagine yourself in a successful situation.
36. Strategies for dealing with stress
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.
37. Strategies for dealing with stress
It’s all in your head... and shoulders
Roll your head loosely in a wide circle.
Repeat five times.
Tighten right shoulder and raise it as far up as
possible and hold, then relax slowly. Repeat with left
shoulder.
Repeat with both shoulders.
38. 38
Stress Management Techniques
Confronting the
Problem
Devise a plan to
solve the problem
Many stressors in
your life are things
that you can work
to change
Direct your energy
toward those
things you are able
to change
Time Management
Do you often wish
there were more
hours in the day?
Do you put things
off until the last
minute?
Poor time
management is one
of the BIGGEST
contributors to
stress
39. 39
Stress Management Techniques
Physical Activity
Provide the body with an
outlet for built up energy
Take your mind off
problems
Give yourself a chance to
relax
Do activities that you
enjoy
40. 40
Stress Management Techniques
Relaxation
A state when the
mind and body are
resting
Deep breathing
relaxes muscles,
take in more
oxygen which helps
the body function
better
Progressive
relaxation:
concentration on
each group of
muscles in the body
one at a time
Read a book, take a
nap, listen to music,
stretching, take a
hot shower, etc.
Mental rehearsal
Practice even in your
mind imagining
yourselfperforming
at your best
Increases
confidence in
ability to perform
Often done by
Olympic athletes
41. 41
Stress Management Techniques
Getting help when
you need it
Recognize when
stress is becoming
overwhelming
Sharing your
problems often
helps you to see
them more clearly
Humor
Laughter helps
to relieve
feelings of stress
Deal quickly with
stressor
Can be harmful if
laughter is used
to cover up true
feelings or if
used
inappropriately
First, Eustress which is a type of short term stress that provides immediate strength.
Eustress arises at points of increased physical activity, enthusiasm, and creativity.
Eustress is a positive stress that arises when motivation and inspiration are needed.
Scond type of stress, that is to say distress is a negative stress brought about by constant readjustments or alteration in a routine. Distress creates feelings or discomfort and unfamiliarity.
Third kind or Stress is hyper stress which occurs when an individual is pushed beyond what he or she can handle. Hyperstress results from being overloaded or overworked,
Finally, hypostress which is the opposite of hyperstress and occurs when an individual is bored or unchallenged.
