STRESS

1. STRESS Chapter 10

2. Test your knowledge • Which of the following events can cause stress? • Taking out a loan • Failing a test • Graduating from college • Watching a hockey game • ALL FOUR. Stress-producing factors can be pleasant or unpleasant and can include physical challenges and goal achievement as well as events that are perceived as negative.

3. Test your knowledge • Moderate exercise can stimulate which of the following: • Analgesia (pain relief) • Birth of new brain cells • Relaxation • ALL THREE. Regular exercise is linked to improvement in many dimensions of wellness

4. Test your knowledge • Which of the following can be a result of chronic stress? • Violence • Heart attack • Stroke • ALL THREE. Chronic stress can last for years. People who suffer from long-term stress may ultimately become violent toward themselves or others. They also run a greater than normal risk for certain ailments, especially cardiovascular disease.

5. WHAT IS STRESS? • Stress refers to two different things: • Situations that trigger physical and emotional reactions  stressor • A first date • A final exam • The reaction itself stress response • Sweaty palms • Pounding heart • Stress describes the general physical and emotional state that accompanies a stress response.

6. Physical Responses to Stressors • Systems in our body responsible for physical response to stressors: • Nervous system  brain, spinal cord, nerves. • Endocrine system  glands, tissues and cells

7. Actions of the Nervous System • Somatic nervous system: under conscious supervision • Moving your arm away from a flame • Autonomic nervous system: not under conscious supervision • Heart rate, breathing, blood pressure

8. Autonomic nervous system • Parasympathetic division • In control when you are relaxed • Aids in digestion, storing energy, promoting growth. • Sympathetic division • Activated during times of arousal, including exercise and when there is an emergency. • Sympathetic nerves use the neurotransmitter norepinephrine to exert their actions on emergency related organs.

9. Actions of the Endocrine System • During stress, the sympathetic nervous system triggers the endocrine system. • Functions by releasing hormones and other chemical messengers into the bloodstream to influence metabolism and other body processes. • Is specific, acting on target organs

10. Nervous and Endocrine System Work Together • Chemical messages and actions of sympathetic nerves cause the release of key hormones that trigger physiological changes: • Heart and respiration rates increase • Hearing and vision become more acute • The liver releases extra sugar into the bloodstream • Perspiration increases to cool the skin • The brain releases endorphins – chemicals that inhibit or block sensations of pain Fight or flight reaction

11. Return to homeostasis • Once the stressful situation ends, the parasympathetic division of the autonomous nervous system takes command and restores homeostasis. • The parasympathetic nervous system calms your body down, slowing a rapid heartbeat, drying sweaty palms and returning breathing to normal.

12. The fight or flight reaction and modern life • Is a survival mechanism • Becomes inappropriate in some circumstances: • Exams • Speeches • Stop lights or traphic • When someone bothers you.

13. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors • The physical response to stressors may vary in intensity from person to person. • Several factors help to explain these differences, all related to your cognitive (mental ) appraisal of a potential stressor. • This appraisal is: • Highly individual • Strongly related to emotions • The facts of a situation typically are evaluated consistently from person to person, but the personal outcome varies

14. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors • Effective and ineffective responses • Common emotional responses to stressors include anxiety, depression and fear • Behavioral responses to stressors are entirely under our control. (Somatic Nervous System)

15. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors • Personality and Stress • Personality is the sum of cognitive behavioral and emotional tendencies • Clearly affects how people perceive and react to stressors.

16. Personality types: • Type A • Ultracompetitive, controlling, impatient, aggressive and even hostile • Reacts explosively to stressors and are upset by events that others would consider only annoyances • Type B • Relaxed and contemplative • Less frustrated by daily events and more tolerant of the behavior of others. • Type C • Characterized by anger suppression, difficulty expressing emotions, feelings of hopelessness and despair and an exaggerated response to minor stressors.

17. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors • Gender and Stress • Behavioral responses to stressors, such as crying or openly expressing anger may be deemed more appropriate for one gender than other. • Strict adherence to gender roles can limit one’s response to stress and can itself become a source of stress.

18. Emotional and Behavioral Responses to Stressors • Past Experiences • Can profoundly influence the evaluation of a potential stressor.

19. The Stress Experience as a Whole • Physical, emotional and behavioral responses to stress are intimately interrelated

20. STRESS AND WELLNESS • Stress can increase vulnerability to many affections • Several theories have been proposed to explain the relationship between stress and disease • The general adaptation syndrome • Allostatic load • Psychoneuroimmunology

21. The general adaptation syndrome (GAS) • Hans Selye (1930 – 1940) • Described an universal and predictablee response pattern to all stressors • Recognized that stressors can be either pleasant (eustress) or unpleasant (distress). • The sequence of physical responses occurs in three stages: Distorted perceptions Disorganized thinking Fight- or-flight reaction

22. Allostatic Load • Long term overexposure to stress hormones such as cortisol has been linked with health problems. • The long – term wear and tear of the stress response is called allostatic load. • Depends on many factors including genetics, life experiences, and emotional and behavioral responses to stressors • When your allostatic load exceeds your ability to cope, you are more likely to get sick.

23. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) • The study of the interactions among the nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system • Stress, through the actions of the nervous and endocrine systems, impairs the immune system and thereby affects health. • Hormones and chemical messengers released during stress response influence the immune system by affecting the number and efficiency of immune system cells or lymphocytes • Neuropeptides, the biochemical language between brain and the immune system (also language of emotions) can strongly influence the functioning of the immune system.

24. Links between stress and specific conditions • CVD • During stress response, blood pressure rises • Emotional responses increase a person’s risk of CVD • Altered functioning of the immune system • Changes in the immune system function include vulnerability to colds and other infections, asthma, allergy attacks, susceptibility to cancer and flare – ups chronic diseases (HIV, herpes). • Other health problems • Digestive problems • Tension headaches and migraines • Insomnia and fatigue • Injuries • Menstrual irregularities, impotence and pregnancy complications • Psychological problems: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, post traumatic stress disorder.

25. COMMON SOURCES OF STRESS • Major life changes • New jobs, graduation, marriage, moving out. • Daily hassles • Losing your keys or wallet • College stressors • Academic stress • Interpersonal stress • Time pressures • Financial concerns • Worries abut the future

26. COMMON SOURCES OF STRESS • Job-related stressors • Tight schedules and overtime • Worries about performance, salary, job security and interactions with bosses, coworkers and customers. • Helping professions • Interpersonal and social stressors • Community and society • Prejudice and discrimination • Language • Other stressors • Environmental stressors: loud noises, unpleasant smells, industrial accidents, violence and natural disasters. • Internal stressors: personal goals, evaluate our progress and performance, physical and emotional states such as illness and exhaustion.

27. MANAGING STRESS

28. MANAGING STRESS • The best way to manage stress is by pursuing a wellness lifestyle: • Being physically active and doing exercise • People who exercise react with milder physical stress responses before, during and after exposure to stressors • Eating well • Healthy, balanced diet helps to cope with stress • Getting enough sleep • Lack of sleep can be both a cause and an effect of excess stress

29. Managing stress • Finding social support • Sharing fears, frustrations and joys makes life richer and seems to contribute to the well being of body and mind. • Communicating in an assertive way • Respect the rights of others as well as your own rights to prevent potentially stressful situations from getting out of control • Striving for spiritual wellness • Spiritual wellness is associated with greater coping skills and higher levels of overall wellness.

30. Managing stress • Learning to manage your time • Set priorities • Schedule tasks • Set realistic goals • Budget enough time • Break up long term goals into short term ones • Visualize the achievement of your goals • Keep track of the tasks you put off. • Consider doing your least favorite tasks first. • Consolidate tasks when possible • Identify quick transitional tasks • Delegate responsibility • Say no when necessary • Give yourself a break • Avoid your personal “time sinks” • Stop thinking or talking about what you’re going to do and just do it

31. Managing stress • Changing destructive thinking • Reduce hostile, critical, suspicious and self-deprecating thoughts • Modify your expectations • Live in the present • Go with the flow • Cultivate your sense of humor • Writing a diary • Helpful for those who are shy or introverted and find it difficult to open up to others.

32. Managing stress • Relaxation techniques • Progressive relaxation • Visualization • Listening to music • Deep breathing • Meditation • Taijiquan

33. Managing stress • Other techniques • Biofeedback: • Measure of stress (heart rate, skin temperature or muscle tensions) mechanically monitored. Feedback is given using sound. • Hypnosis and self-hypnosis: • An attentive perception and concentration, which leads to controlled imagination. • Lets participants choose to feel something other than anxiety or stress or pain. • Massage: • Reduces the stress response, depression and even increases alertness.

34. GETTING HELP • Peer counseling • Student health center or counseling centers • Professional help • Psychotherapy • Find out if it’s stress or something more serious such as depression, anxiety or other emotional problems. • Symptoms for depression include • Negative self concept • Prevasive feelings of sadness and hopelessness • Loss of peasure in usual activities • Poor appetite and weight loss • Insomnia or disrturbed sleep • Restlessness or fatigue • Thoughts of worthlessness and guilt • Throuble concentrating or making decisions • Throughts of death or suicide.

35. LAB LAB 10,1 Identify your stress level an key stressors • LAB 10.2 Stress-management techniques LAB 10,3 Developing spiritual wellness