This document discusses stress, resilience, and stress management. It provides definitions of stress from historical figures. It describes the body's stress response and how stress can impact health. It discusses signs of chronic stress and adrenal fatigue. The document also outlines lifestyle factors like nutrition, exercise, and sleep that impact stress levels and provides stress management techniques.

1. Stress &
Resilience
Management
“The Nuts & Bolts”
Michael Comyn
The Centre for Self Management

2. The Bigger Picture
Stress is the trash of modern life - we all generate it but
if you don't dispose of it properly, it will pile up and
overtake your life. ~Danzae Pace
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3. 3
First Reference
 First reference to stress in
librarians came from Dr
Bernardino Ramazzini Italian
physician – 1700 the year and
Diseases of Workers the Book.
 His diagnosis: “these workers
suffer from the itch, are a bad
colour and in poor condition…for
when the body is not kept
moving the blood becomes
tainted, its waste matter lodges
in the skin, and the condition of
the whole body deteriorates.
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4. Definition
What is Stress?
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5. 5
The Father of Stress
“Stress is the body’s nonspecific
response to a demand placed
on it.” Hans Selye
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6. 125,000 Years Ago Fight or Flight 6
•Walter Cannon defined Flight or Flight in 1929 and the caveman theory
•But there are two problems with this Neanderthal model. First, the
riskiest animals our predecessors had to confront were rabbits and deer,
not elephants and tigers.
•
•In fact, our hairy forefathers spent most of their time collecting berries
and roots with their children, aunties and pals. Just like us, the caveman
never stood alone in front of wild animals - unless there had been some
kind of terrible mistake.
•The second error is to try to relate stress solely to adrenaline. Although
the physical effects of frights and acute (short-term) stress are caused
by adrenaline, this hormone doesn't enter the brain.
•Longer-term stress relates to a range of other hormones and brain
neurotransmitters.
•serotonin - involved in regulation of sleep, appetite and mood
•dopamine - part of the brain's 'reward system’
•noradrenalin - involved in regulating energy and drive
•GABA - has a general sedative effect
•glutamate - tends to activate nerve cells
•CRF - increases steroid levels
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7. 7
All Stress is not Bad!
 Stress is difficult to define because it is
so different for each of us.
 A good example is afforded by
observing passengers on a steep roller
coaster ride. Some are hunched down
in the back seats, eyes shut, jaws
clenched and white knuckled with an
iron grip on the retaining bar.
 But up front are the wide-eyed thrill
seekers, yelling and relishing each
steep plunge who race to get on the
very next ride. And in between you
may find a few with an air of
nonchalance that borders on boredom.
So, was the roller coaster ride
stressful?
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8. Human Performance Curve
Boredom
8
Optimal Performance
Distress Experience
Exhaustion
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9. 9
Stress
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10. 10
Stress
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11. 11
The Danger Signs
 sleep disturbances  irregular heartbeat, palpitations
 asthma or shortness of breath
 back, shoulder or neck pain
 chest pain
 tension or migraine headaches
 sweaty palms or hands
 upset or acid stomach, cramps,  cold hands or feet
heartburn, gas, irritable bowel
syndrome  skin problems (hives, eczema, psoriasis, tics,
itching)
 weight gain or loss, eating disorders  periodontal disease, jaw pain
 reproductive problems
 muscle tension
 immune system suppression: more colds, flu,
infections.
 Fatigue
 high blood pressure
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12. Ohmmm 12
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Ohmmm! By Peter de Sève Source: The New
Yorker

13. Choosing to be Happy – or 13
Not
 How you respond to  What you notice on a
things which are not how daily basis and how you
you want them to be. construct you memories.
 How in tune you are with  How you feel about the
yourself. people around you.
 How you interpret your  Whether you ensure that
experience, and how there are enough things
autonomous you feel. in your life that give you
pleasure.
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14. Chronic Symptoms in People
 Stress
 Anxiety
 Insomnia
 Depression
 Generalised fatigue
 Afternoon fatigue
 Headaches
 Mood Swings
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15. Nutrition and Lifestyle
 Skipping breakfast or coffee and pastry only
 Relying on fast food/drive thru for lunch
 Afternoon slump – sugar/coffee pick-me-up
 Dine out/take out for dinner – late meals
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 No planning ahead for healthy meals and snack
 No time for relaxed, home-cooked meals
 No time for families to teach their kids about healthy eating and
lifestyles, perpetuating the lifestyle
 Stress is driving our culture to poor food choices, which in turn
damages our physiology making us more prone to stress
 Blood sugar imbalances and adrenal exhaustion result
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16. Signs of Adrenal Exhaustion
(due to chronic stress)
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17. Signs of Adrenal Exhaustion
(due to chronic stress)
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18. Cortisol
 Many people are chronically low in cortisol in the a.m.
and/or low in cortisol in the afternoon creating a need
for a “pick-me-up”. Then they may find that their
cortisol levels spike at night so that they can either not
get to sleep or they wake up in the middle of the night
or early morning.
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 Saliva testing can reveal cortisol levels throughout a
24hour period.
 Getting cortisol back in balance through the use of
balanced eating and certain nutrients will help improve
energy throughout the day, improve sleep at night,
and will help the body to better regulate insulin (i.e.
blood sugar).
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19. Nutrients for Blood Sugar
Management and Stress Support
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20. A Quote
 One of the most tragic
things I know about human
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nature is that all of us tend
to put off living. We are all
dreaming of some magical
rose garden over the
horizon - instead of enjoying
the roses blooming outside
our windows today.
Dale Carnegie
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21. Centres of Power
 Finances
 Good money management (or debt
management) is no less important than
having a good income. The healthy
21 approach is to make money work for you.
The challenge is when you are inefficient
about record keeping and bills.
 Significant Relationship
 Love, emotional support, physical contact
and good company are obvious blessings.
The challenge comes from finding a suitable
partner in the first place or making the
relationship fulfilling if you already have a
partner.
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22. Centres of Power
 Recreation and Fun
 Recreation is not only something for the
annual holiday. Best of all is to do
22 something that is enjoyable, social and
healthy. The challenge might be to find
people who share your interest.
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23. The Toolkit.
 Treat yourself as your best friend.
 Spontaneity.
 Special treats.
 Funny money.
 Stolen moments.
 Surprise yourself and others.
 Pamper yourself.
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24. The Brain and Stress
 To find stress in the brain
we have to go deep.
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25. Why does it matter?
Sleep deprivation can cause the following
 shortened life spans
 increased risk of heart disease and stomach
25
problems
 irritability, depression
 increased risk of automobile crashes
 decreased work performance and memory lapses
 marital, social and employment problems
 difficulty learning
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26. Irish Figures 2007
 Irish people loose over seven years of sleep
over their lifetimes, or the equivalent of one
26 night a week.
 Doctors get the lease sleep of all the
professions - they loose 13 years in a lifetime.
 Company directors rank second in the list of
sleep deprivation with 5.8 hours sleep per
night.
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27. Basics of Good Sleep Hygiene
 Avoid vigorous exercise before sleep
 (apart from the obvious)
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 Avoid late afternoon or evening naps
 Avoid eating large meals before bed
 Do not allow yourself to lie in bed and
worry
 get up and do something to alleviate the
worry (like journaling)
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28. Basics of Good Sleep Hygiene
 Avoid caffeine before bed
 Take a warm bath before bed if you have a
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particularly difficult time getting to sleep
 Listen to soothing music
 Use your bed only for sleeping
 do not read, watch TV, or study in bed - learn to
associate your bed with relaxation
 Ensure a dark, quiet, cool environment
 Avoid oversleeping or lying in bed for prolonged
periods of time after your sleep is completed
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29. If you can’t sleep . . .
 Try not to care whether you fall asleep or not
- sometimes worrying about falling asleep is
enough to keep you awake
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 Do something relaxing to distract yourself
from you inability to sleep
 Avoid activities like housekeeping, laundry,
reading, etc. that will get you active
 Try boring activities
 Eat a light snack
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30. 30
The Three Part Brain
1st Brain 2nd Brain
 Approach, avoidance  Territoriality
 Hormonal Control  Fear
 Temperature control  Anger
 Hunger / Thirst  Maternal Love
 Reproductive Drive  Social Bonding
 Respiration and heart  Jealousy
rate control
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31. The Three Part Brain
3rd Brain
 Self-awareness of thoughts and emotions
31  Ability to choose appropriate behaviour
 Self-reflection
 Problem Solving
 Goal satisfaction
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32. Cortical Inhibition and Facilitation
 Disordered heart
rhythms inhibit 3rd brain
activity and inhibit our
thinking.
 Your reactions are
slowed.
 You cannot think clearly.
 Ordered heart rhythms
improve 3rd brain
function and facilitate
our thinking.
 We see more options and
solutions.
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33. The Engagement of the Third 33
Brain
Once a signal can be sent to the subcortical area that you are back in
control then the frontallobe can re-engage and the stress response is
regulated
We find that the use of breath control in the radtio of 4:5:2 can bring
about this engagement in the fastest way.
4 Seconds in through the Nose
5 Seconds out through the Nose
2 Seconds Pause on the out breath before starting again.
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34. 34
Change lifestyle habits.
 Decrease caffeine (coffee,
tea, colas, chocolate).  Adequate sleep (figure out
what you need, then get
 Well-balanced diet. it).
 Decrease consumption of  Leisure time (do
junk food. something for yourself
everyday).
 Eat slowly.
 Relaxation exercises (e.g.,
 Regular exercise (at least meditation, self-hypnosis).
30 minutes, three times per
week).
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35. Thank You
www.comyn.com
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