10. Overview
Why managing stress is important.
Consequences of not managing stress.
Benefits of reducing stress.
Barriers preventing people from reducing
stress.
Strategies for managing stress.
11. What is Stress?
Stress is the inability to
cope with a threat (real or
imagined) to your well-
being, which results in
a series of responses and
adaptations by your body.
Stress can lead to poor
health and even injury.
13. Stress Defined
GOOD
Getting Married
Moving to a new home
Starting a new job
Getting ready to perform in a sporting event/race
BAD
Deadlines
Death of a loved one
Chronic illness
Family problems
Unresolved conflicts
Downsizing
14. Why Are Your
Stressors?
• Financial
• Daily Hassles
• Environmental
• Family-Related
• Health-Related
• Work-Related
15. Signs and Symptoms
Mental Physical Behavioral
Nervousness Headache Overeating
Impatient GI distress Substance
Low self image Tight muscles abuse
Depression High BP Lack of interest
Crying easily Sleep Issues Irritable
Frustration Fatigue Blaming others
16. Stress in America
Studies show Americans work longer than
counterparts in all other developed countries
25% - job is the number 1 stressor in their life.
26% - they are very often burned out by their work
35% - jobs were harming their physical/emotional health.
40% - job was very often extremely stressful.
42% - job pressures interfere with family/personal relationships.
50% - have a more demanding workload this year than
previous.
75% - have more job stress than the generation before them.
17. Why Should We Be Concerned?
Chronic stress may be
the ultimate risk factor.
May cause of 50%
of all disease.
Cancer and Disease
Stress has a dramatic
effect on your immune
system.
18. Why Be Concerned?
Stress has also been linked to a number
of other conditions including:
Lung ailments • Sleeping problems
Accidents • High blood pressure
Cirrhosis of the liver • Asthma
Suicide • Allergies
Migraine headaches • Ulcers
Digestive problems
• Tooth decay
Mental illness
• The common cold
19. Good News
Life doesn’t have to be as stressful for you.
Managing and reducing stress can protect
you against the negative health
consequences of stress.
May also improve your quality of life.
Everyone can do something to decrease
their stress!
20. Stress Management Coping Skills
Healthy Coping Skills Unhealthy Coping Skills
Exercise Alcohol or drug use
Downtime for self-care Avoidance of event
Balance between work and Procrastination
play Overeating
Time management—initiate
a schedule
21. Benefits of Stress Management
Keeps you calm when things go wrong
Keeps you focused & positive
Improves the quality of sleep
Improved immune function
Increase your energy level
Improves digestion
Prevent illnesses
22. Barriers to Managing Stress
1. “I just ‘deal’ with my stress, it’s not a big issue.”
2. “It’s just stress, I don’t need counseling”
3. “Stress is just a part of my job.”
4. “I don’t have time to deal with my stress.”
5. “I thrive on stress.”
6. “People who are stressed just can’t cope with reality.”
7. “If I just make it through these next few weeks I’ll be OK.”
8. “I’m so stressed, I don’t even know where to start.”
9. “Dealing with my stress would just be too expensive.”
10. “I’m always stressed, it hasn’t made a difference so far.”
23. Making Stress Management A
Priority
In order to make stress management a
priority, it’s important to understand the
process of how people change. When
changing behaviors, like those associated
with reducing stress, most people go
though a cycle known as the “Stages of
Change.”
24. Stages of Change
Stage 1: Nope…Not interested in dealing with
my stress right now.
Stage 2: Hmm…I’m seriously considering
stress management.
Stage 3: Yep…I’m getting ready to start dealing
with stress.
Stage 4: Let’s go…I’m managing my stress.
Stage 5: Old news…I’ve been able to cope
with my stress for a long time.
25. What Stage
Are You In?
Determining what stage you’re in is an
important first step in learning to manage
stress. Once you know where you’re at,
you’ll be better equipped to cope with
whatever life throws at you.
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26. Key Point: Change
is a Process
Pay attention to all of these change
strategies no matter which stage you’re in.
Because learning to manage stress is a
process, chances are you’ll find yourself in
each stage at some point in the process.
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27. HOW TO MANAGE STRESS:
WELLNESS
Way of Thinking
Exercise
Laughter
Let it Go!
Nvolvement
Eat a Balanced Diet
Set Priorities
Sleep
39. Management Strategies
Stress management is a decision-making
process. When we are under stress, there
are three major ways we can deal with it.
The AAAbc’s of Stress
A – alter it
A – avoid it
A – accept it
b – building our resistance or
c – changing our perception
Challenges are an important ingredient for healthy and productive work. Often confused, challenge energizes people psychologically and physically. It motivates people to learn new skills and master their jobs. When a challenge is met, people feel relaxed and satisfied.
Illness like the common cold and physical complaints like aches and pains. Better immune function More energy Higher quality of rest/sleep Better digestion Maintain physical, mental, and emotional balance Quiet your mind Increase your focus
Stage 1: People in this group have no intention of dealing with their stress, and frankly may not even see stress as something they should address. Serious consideration: These people understand that finding ways to manage their stress would be good for them, but they aren’t making concrete plans to manage their stress. Getting Ready: These individuals understand the benefits of stress management, and are looking at employing stress management techniques in the very near future. Let’s go do it: People in this stage have started to find ways to manage their stress. They’re actually incorporating stress management strategies as part of their daily routines. Stage 5 These people are successfully managing the stress in their lives. The new strategies they’re using to deal with and address stress have become a normal behavior for them.
Everyone needs a good laugh now and then. It’s free, it’s contagious, and it’s good for you! Here are some suggestions to help you add humor to your life. Play with kids Look at the big picture Consider how your favorite comedian would handle a situation Hang out with people you laugh with Have a positive outlook Make time for laughter Gives your heart and lungs a workout Helps you relax Boosts the immune system Reduces pain Improves mood Gives a feeling of control Makes us more creative Fights depression Reduces anger Helps with chronic breathing problems
Problem solving skills are impaired . Sleep loss noticeably impairs our ability to comprehend rapidly changing situations, increases the likelihood of distraction, makes us think more rigidly, and reduces our ability to produce innovative solutions to problems. Communication skills sufffer . Sleep loss reduced the words in one’s vocabulary both verbally and in writing, resulting in stilted conversations a greater use of cliches. Learning and memory suffer . Research studies show that the cerebral cortex is the part of the body most affected by inadequate sleep. A direct connection has been shown between sleep loss and our abilities to concentrate and remember. Motor skills are impaired . Numerous studies from both England and the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have demonstrated a direct connection between sleepiness and impaired hand-eye coordination. The degree of impairment has led researchers to compare it in severity to drunkenness. The combination of impaired judgment and diminished hand-eye coordination leads to at least 100,000 MVA’s per year in the U.S., and numerous home and industrial accidents. Summarized net results of sleep deprivation: impaired judgment, diminished creativity and productivity, inability to concentrate, reduced language and communication skills, slowed reaction times, and decreased abilities to learn and remember. All of these will increase your stress level!
Just kidding
Deep Breathing Deep breathing is a simple, but very effective, method of relaxation. It is a core component of everything from the "take ten deep breaths" approach to calming someone down, right through to yoga relaxation and Zen meditation. It works well in conjunction with other relaxation techniques such as Progressive Muscular Relaxation, relaxation imagery and meditation to reduce stress. To use the technique, take a number of deep breaths and relax your body further with each breath. That's all there is to it! Progressive Muscular Relaxation Progressive Muscular Relaxation is useful for relaxing your body when your muscles are tense. The idea behind PMR is that you tense up a group of muscles so that they are as tightly contracted as possible. Hold them in a state of extreme tension for a few seconds. Then, relax the muscles normally. Then, consciously relax the muscles even further so that you are as relaxed as possible. By tensing your muscles first, you will find that you are able to relax your muscles more than would be the case if you tried to relax your muscles directly. Experiment with PMR by forming a fist, and clenching your hand as tight as you can for a few seconds. Relax your hand to its previous tension, and then consciously relax it again so that it is as loose as possible. You should feel deep relaxation in your hand muscles. The Relaxation Response ‘The Relaxation Response’ is the name of a book published by Dr Herbert Benson of Harvard University in 1968. In a series of experiments into various popular meditation techniques, Dr. Benson established that these techniques had a very real effect on reducing stress and controlling the fight-or-flight response. Direct effects included deep relaxation, slowed heartbeat and breathing, reduced oxygen consumption and increased skin resistance. This is something that you can do for yourself by following these steps: Sit quietly and comfortably. Close your eyes. Start by relaxing the muscles of your feet and work up your body relaxing muscles. Focus your attention on your breathing. Breathe in deeply and then let your breath out. Count your breaths, and say the number of the breath as you let it out (this gives you something to do with your mind, helping you to avoid distraction). Do this for ten or twenty minutes. An even more potent alternative approach is to follow these steps, but to use relaxation imagery instead of counting breaths in step 5. Again, you can prove to yourself that this works using the biofeedback equipment.
