Managing Stress: Coping with Life’s Challenges

Managing Stress: Coping with Life’s Challenges Patty Melody LAVC Health 11

Body Systems • Cardiovascular System • Respiratory System • Nervous System (CNS/PNS) • Gastrointestinal System • Endocrine System • Integumentary System • Musculoskeletal System • Urinary System • Hematologic System • Immune System • Reproductive System

Agenda • What is Stress? • The Body’s Response to Stress • Stress and Your Health • Mind/Body Connection (chemicals in brain – how do we trigger their release?) • Sources of Stress • Managing Your Stress

The Challenges We Face Closed off areas Detours Safety hazards Noise Dust Relocation Parking availability Classroom access Allergies Stressed students, faculty and staff Construction delays Aesthetics

When did we start talking about stress? Chinese medicine men Hippocrates Rene Descartes Galen Robert Koch Hans Selye Rudolph Virchow

So, what is stress? Write down 10 things that “stress you out” This is your first class assignment to be collected

Your list of things that “stress you out” are actually STRESSORS Stressors can be external or internal to your body

STRESS • The collective physiological and emotional responses to any stimulus that disturbs an individual’s homeostasis. • In other words – stress is “your thing”. You are in control of your body and your actions or reactions. Your perception of the world around you and the world inside of you can help you deal with life pleasantly and effectively or in a bitter, cynical, ineffective manner.

How does your body respond to stress? Think of a stressful event that happened this week – write down 3 things you felt

Stressors give you the feeling like you just had a shot of espresso

Your body responds to the world around you and inside of you Stimulus/Response Your response keeps you alive Your 5 senses = touch, taste, hear, see, feel respond to your world However, excessive stimulus/response can create overload and long-term health problems Especially when your response does not match the stimulus (i.e. could of, would of, should of, what if)

The General Adaptation Syndrome Figure 3.1

The General Adaptation Syndrome:Alarm Phase Figure 3.2

Alarm Phase • The cerebral cortex – region of brain responsible for higher mental functions – interprets nature of event (stressor). • The sympathetic nervous system is triggered. • Hypothalamus – interprets the body’s needs for more energy – triggers the pituitary gland to release ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) • ACTH acts on the adrenal gland to release stress hormones – cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine • These stress hormones trigger the muscles and liver to release glycogen (glucagon) into glucose (energy) • Heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increases • The body’s resources have to be prioritized! Activities of the body that are important – but not urgent are put on “hold”, such as digestion.

Resistance Phase • The body is actively trying to reverse the actions that transpired during the alarm phase. During the resistance phase the body is under the control of the parasympathetic nervous system. • The body’s vital functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, spleen function, vision, bladder function, glucose level, saliva and mucous, endorphins and hearing return to normal functioning. Remember – the body is trying to reach Homeostasis as a defense mechanism. The body wants to survive!

Exhaustion Phase • Long term exposure to a stressor or stressors can result in overload. When the body is over-taxed and there are no recovery periods illness can result. • This is a depleted state that has been the result of an ineffective balance of the alarm and resistance phase.

So, Is stress bad? Yes or No?

Eustress

Distress

Stress and Your Health Short-term and long-term consequences

How do your feelings impact your health? Depressed Normal Bliss Unhappy Euphoric Distressed

Stress: Short-term (Immediate) consequences Physical Signs/Symptoms

Emotional Signs/Symptoms nervousness, anxiety depression, moodiness “butterflies” irritability, frustration memory problems lack of concentration trouble thinking clearly feeling out of control substance abuse phobias overreactions Stress

Long-term ConsequencesChronic Diseases • Cardiovascular Disease • Stroke • Cancer • Diabetes • Accidents • Flu/pneumonia

ACSM GUIDELINES 2005Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors Positive Risk Factors • Family history • Cigarette smoking • Abnormal blood pressure (>120/80) • Dyslipidemia • Impaired fasting glucose • Obesity • Sedentary lifestyle Negative Risk Factor • High serum HDL cholesterol > 60mg/dL (1.6mmol/L)

Contributing Factors for CHD • Stress (hostile) or depressed • TG

Managing Your Stress Building Skills to Reduce Stress

Know Your Stressors – Then Develop Ways to Manage Them • Major life changes • Daily hassles • College stressors • Job-related stressors • Social stressors • Current events and global problems Are there future stressors this semester you can foresee and prepare for? What about your exams?

Techniques for Managing Stress • Social support or Support groups • Exercise • Nutrition • Sleep • Time management • Cognitive/Relaxation techniques • Go to school or develop a trade (empower yourself with knowledge/talents) • Acceptance of Your Strengths and Weaknesses

De-stress Have fun

Positive Behaviors: Exercise Eat right Plan a vacation Visit friends Go to the movies/theatre Take a bubble bath Go to school Travel the world Visit the Spas in Chile Change your profession Change your environment Negative Behaviors: Smoking Getting drunk Having sex w/ anyone Violence Being isolated Excessive risks Compulsive Gambling Compulsive Shopping Starving (anorexia) Binge eating Workaholic Compulsive exerciser Coping Strategies

Managing Your Stress Self-Awareness – ahhhhh!

Know yourself! • Your Personality • Low self-esteem • External focus of control • Passivity • Post-traumatic stress disorder • Your Environment • Access • Abusive home • Peer norms • Life events /oppression • Your Biology • Early exposure • ADD/Learning disabilities • Neurotransmitter imbalance • Genetic predisposition

Is a pill dissolving in your stomach more effective than a healing thought dissolving in your mind?

Managing Stress: Coping with Life’s Challenges