Stress Unit

1. CCTA Spring 2013 Mr. Stock Stress Unit

2. What is stress? • Forces from the outside world impinging on the individual. • Stress is a normal part of life that can help us learn and grow. Conversely, stress can cause us significant problems. • Stress releases powerful neurochemicals and hormones that prepare us for action • (to fight or flight). • If we don't take action, the stress response can lead to health problems. Prolonged, uninterrupted, unexpected, and unmanageable stresses are the most damaging types of stress.

3. Stress symptoms: Effects on your body, feelings and behavior • Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. • You may think illness is to blame for that nagging headache, your frequent forgetfulness or your decreased productivity at work. • Stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. When you recognize common stress symptoms, you can take steps to manage them.

4. 10 Common stress-triggers • Finances • Health issues • Marriage - relationships • Career pressures • Parenting - family • Aging parents • Legal issues • Scheduling - "to-do" list • Education • Transportation

6. Managing stress • If you do have stress symptoms, taking steps to manage your stress can have numerous health benefits. Stress management can include: • Physical activity • Relaxation techniques • Meditation • Yoga • Tai chi

7. Three relaxation techniques • Autogenic relaxation. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In this relaxation technique, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress. • You repeat words or suggestions in your mind to help you relax and reduce muscle tension. • You may imagine a peaceful place • Focus on controlled, relaxing breathing, slowing your heart rate, or feeling different physical sensations, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one. • Progressive muscle relaxation. In this relaxation technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. • This helps you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. You become more aware of physical sensations. One method is to start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. • Tense your muscles for at least five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

8. Visualization. In this relaxation technique, you form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation. • During visualization, try to use as many senses as you can, including smell, sight, sound and touch. • If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, for instance, think about such things as the smell of salt water, the sound of crashing waves and the warmth of the sun on your body. • You may want to close your eyes, sit in a quiet spot and loosen any tight clothing.

9. Relaxation techniques take practice • As you learn relaxation techniques, you'll become more aware of muscle tension and other physical sensations of stress. • Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can make a conscious effort to practice a relaxation technique the moment you start to feel stress symptoms. • This can prevent stress from spiraling out of control. • Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. And as with any skill, your ability to relax improves with practice. • Be patient with yourself — don't let your effort to practice relaxation techniques become yet another stressor.

10. What is proper breathing? • If you watch a baby breathing, you will see that the baby's belly goes up and down with each breath. This is called 'Diaphragmatic Breathing' or 'Belly-Breathing'. This is how we should be breathing. • In his book, Quantum-Touch, the Power to Heal, Richard Gordon describes what proper breathing should be like: "A full breath begins below the belly button and pushes the belly out of the inhalation. When the lungs are full, the breath should lift the shoulders slightly."

11. Breathing Continued • "Slow, deep breathing is probably the single best anti-stress medicine we have,” says Dr. James Gordon, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Georgetown University school of Medicine and director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington. • He continues: "When you bring air down into the lower portion of the lungs, where oxygen exchange is most efficient, everything changes. • Heart rate slows • Blood pressure decreases • Muscles relax • Anxiety eases • The mind calms

12. Dr. Andrew Weil's "Breath-Work" Exercise… Deep Breathing Exercise. • Place on hand on your chest and one on your stomach. • Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. • Breathe in deeply through your nose to the count of four. Feel your stomach push out first. • Hold your breath to the count of seven. • Breathe out through your mouth for a count of eight, emptying your lungs. Dr. Weil teaches his patients to do this exercise three to four times a day.

13. Venting Unhealthy Venting: • Blowing up at coworkers, employees, or friends. • Yelling at your family. • Throwing or breaking things. • Hitting walls. • Kicking things. • Scratching yourself, hitting yourself, or pulling your hair. Healthy Venting: • Talk to a therapist. • Make posts on a blog or in a journal that no one but you will ever see. • Vent on forums where you have friends who will listen. • Cry.  If you’re embarrassed, cry in a bathroom or out in the woods. • Go into the middle of nowhere and scream at the top of your lungs. • Grab your boxing gloves and take it out on a punching bag. 

14. Venting Partner • Let your problems go by talking to a trusted person who will not judge you. • Vent to a person who will not interrupt you and tell you how to fix your problem. • Vent to a person who will be empathetic. • “That’s terrible.” • “You poor baby.” • Vent to a person who is not involved in the situation. • If you, the venter, have anger issues or borderline personality disorders, etc. venting to a friend may not be the best way to decompress.

15. My quick survey on ways some people relieve stress. • What are things we can do to help relieve stress?(my suggestions on left side) • Breathing exercises • Deep Breathing • Venting partner • Cardio Exercise • Visualization • Weight lifting • Listen to music • Yard work • Pray • Others……. No names mentioned. • Walking • Texting • Hanging out with friends • Shower/bath • Massage • Crying • Sleeping (if lack of sleep an issue) • Gaming—solitaire, Xbox, etc. • Going out—eating, bowling etc. • Vacation in a warm tropical climate • Read • Watch a comedy

16. Relaxation Video. Follow along. Seriously!

17. If deep breathing isn’t working well for you yet, watch a short video on office stress…

18. Another “Office” stress video

19. Another “Office” stress video

20. Stress Assignments • Stress Survey • Summarize a stress article that you researched. It should be substantial. Your summary should be 3-5 paragraphs. 3-5 sentences per paragraph. (like you did in 3rd grade) • Make reference to something in the stress survey, the provided articles and this stress PowerPoint. • Present to class. • Stress Collage—pictures of people, places and things that stress you. Anything. • May use PowerPoint, Photoshop, Prezi, etc. • Present to class.