How Well Do You Manage Stress?

1. How Well Do You Manage Stress? By Shepherd Care

2. What is Stress? Stress is what you experience internally in response to new or difficult situations. It’s impossible to avoid stress entirely. But you can build up your resistance to the harmful effects of stress through a combination of exercise, good communication, time management and relaxation. The quiz will help you evaluate your ability to manage the unavoidable stressors in your life.

3. Menu-Select Option • Take the Stress Survey Quiz • “Help! I’m Stressed Out Now!”

4. Take the Simple 10 Question Quiz

5. If You Scored: • 10-23, there are several important stress management skills that will help you. Start a regular exercise schedule if you don’t already have one. Improve your communication skills and make more time for relaxation. • 24-35, you have a variety of ways to deal with stress. Take a look at those that you need to improve and develop new strategies for these areas. • 35 and above, congratulations, you have some effective ways to deal with the complexities of life. Continue to develop and protect these skills.

6. Resources • Send me to resources to improve my physical skills to manage stress. • Send me to resources to improve my mental and emotional skills to manage stress. • Send me to resources to improve my spiritual and acceptance skills to manage stress. • “Help! I’m Stressed Out Now!” • For More Information

7. Physical Skills, Part 1 • By practicing these quick and easy warm-up exercises, the body will be able to release tension. The Head and Neck Roll- Relax your shoulders and let your head drop to one side. Then with your chin down, slowly roll your head forward in a circular motion from side to side about ten times. • By practicing these quick and easy warm-up exercises, the body will be able to release tension. The Leg Stretch- Gently lower yourself to the ground with your palms touching the floor and one leg bent forward at the knee under your chest, and the other leg straight behind. Hold this position for ten seconds then switch leg positions. Repeat about five times. • By practicing these quick and easy warm-up exercises, the body will be able to release tension. The Back Stretch- lie down on your back with your arms folded under your head and your knees bent, placing the sole of your feet flat on the floor. Gently push your lower back onto the floor. Hold for ten seconds. Relax. Repeat about five times.

8. Physical Skills, Part 2 • By practicing these quick and easy warm-up exercises, the body will be able to release tension. The Arm Stretch- Raise your arms over your head, fingers interlaced, palms facing up. Push up as far as you can. Hold for ten seconds. Relax. Repeat about five times. • Take a walk outside after work. • Eat healthy! • Clear the air- Take a breather; take a walk outside. • Take a deep breath; Count to ten…Count to twenty; Take another deep breath. Then speak.

9. Physical Skills, Part 3 • Do not let the stress sink in. Practice exercise and healthy habits to build up your resistance to the negative effects of stress. • Please remember that you are very important and that if we deal with the stresses of life in healthy ways, we will cause the world around us to be in better shape. The opposite is also true, unfortunately. • We can allow the pressure of life to force our lives into molds and patterns that are instructive or destructive. • The only thing worse than a tough situation is when people make poor decisions and turn to unhealthy options in an attempt to relieve the pain and discomfort of stress and frustration.

10. Physical Skills, Part 4 • The Bad Day- when a person has a challenging or overwhelming day and in the desire for comfort, the person turns to junk food, poor viewing habits on the computer, or other unhealthy outlets. • Take a nap! • The Stress Solution: the Sabbath Principle- Take a break or day off! • The Stress Solution: Drain it- We may not be able to entirely empty our bucket, but look for opportunities to pour some of the water out. • Send me back to option to Select Resources.

11. Mental and Emotional Skills, Part 1 • Get a hobby. • Do a crossword or Sudoku puzzle. • Enroll in a college course for personal improvement. • Read a magazine or book that is not related to work. • Watch a comedy. Laugh! • Set realistic goals.

12. Mental and Emotional Skills, Part 2 • Turn off the radio as you drive to or from work for some quietness. • Do not let the stress sink in. Practice relaxation techniques to build up your resistance to the negative effects of stress. • Please remember that you are very important and that if we deal with the stresses of life in healthy ways, we will cause the world around us to be in better shape. The opposite is also true, unfortunately.

13. Mental and Emotional Skills, Part 3 • We can allow the pressure of life to force our lives into molds and patterns that are instructive or destructive. • Fox in a Trap- Someone is in a demanding situation and elects to do anything for relief…even as a trapped animal will harm their own being in the drive to escape, so the person makes self- destructive choices. • Breaking the cycle of stress: Make Good Choices! Our choices determine everything. We can choice healthy and positive outlets for our lives or make decisions that will continue to perpetuate the negative cycle.

14. Mental and Emotional Skills, Part 4 • Breaking the cycle of stress: Behave Appropriately- We can behave in acceptable manners that help alleviate our stressful situations or our repetitive actions can keep our lives in bondage or even make our situation worse. • The Stress Solution: Delegate. Share the Load- Ask for help and not try to carry the burden alone. • The Stress Solution: Unpack- Unload the cart. Make plans. • Send me back to option to Select Resources.

15. Spiritual and Acceptance Skills, Part 1 • Practicing letting things go. • Placing boundaries in your life, say no, • Seek counsel if you are overwhelmed with stress. • Do activities that cultivate inner peace. • Do not transfer your frustration and rage. Do not share the pain- Share the load. Let it go. • Get help. Practice your stress management skills.

16. Spiritual and Acceptance Skills, Part 2 • Let it go! • Practice daily quality time. • Develop a relationship with a spiritual leader or mentor. • Please remember that you are very important and that if we deal with the stresses of life in healthy ways, we will cause the world around us to be in better shape. The opposite is also true, unfortunately. • We can allow the pressure of life to force our lives into molds and patterns that are instructive or destructive.

17. Spiritual and Acceptance Skills, Part 3 • The events of life can make us into better creatures or bitter creatures. We may not have control over the temperatures or pressures in our situations, but we can control our perspectives and choices. • Breaking the cycle of stress: Plant Good Seeds! We harvest what we plant. If we plant and nurture apple seeds then they will grow into apple trees. So, if we sow wild oats and plant bad seeds, then we will reap what we sow. • Breaking the cycle of stress: Make Good Choices- Our choices determine everything. We can choice healthy and positive outlets for our lives or make decisions that will continue to perpetuate the negative cycle. • Please know that you are valuable and important. You have much to offer the world around you. This truth can help motivate us to make the hard and necessary steps to move forward into freedom.

18. Spiritual and Acceptance Skills, Part 4 • The Stress Solution: Put a Lid on it! Realistically we are not able to stop all of the stresses in life from pouring in, but we may be able to limit and place boundaries in areas of our lives. • We need to be especially careful how we respond to stress. Sometimes we have no choice and the traumatic event is like a large tidal wave overwhelming our buckets. But sometimes we make poor choices that result in increased stress for us and others around us. • Remember, as we are carrying the bucket of our lives around, we can make choices about what goes into the bucket and when it goes in. We each need to monitor the levels. It is important to prepare before the stress rises near the top! • Send me back to option to Select Resources.

19. I am in a Stress Crisis Now, Part 1 • We may not know how stress will manifest, but if we prepare to weather the storm, then we can master stress before it destroys our lives. • Here are a few tips in dealing and protecting yourself from Post-Traumatic Stress: Debrief- Talk, get counsel, share, and unload. • Here are a few tips in dealing and protecting yourself from Post-Traumatic Stress: Journal- Write and express your thoughts and feelings. This can help to come to terms with the incident. • Here are a few tips in dealing and protecting yourself from Post-Traumatic Stress: Get Help!

20. I am in a Stress Crisis Now, Part 2 • Practice prayer or meditation techniques. • Here are a few tips in dealing and protecting yourself from Post-Traumatic Stress: Give Permission- Allow your family, friends, co-workers, and supervisors permission to speak to you if they observe your stress level approaching the critical mark. • Here are a few tips in dealing and protecting yourself from Post-Traumatic Stress: Relax in Healthy Ways- exercise, stretch, laugh, and consciously unwind. Avoid participating in harmful behaviors that can compound the situation and make it worse. • Do not become a stress causality- there are people and resources here to help you. Do something about it!

21. I am in a Stress Crisis Now, Part 3 • You have just experienced a traumatic event or critical incident (any event that that causes unusually strong emotional reactions that have the potential to interfere with the ability to function normally). • Even though the event may be over, you may now be experiencing or may experience later, some strong emotional or physical reactions. It is very common, in fact quite normal, for people to experience emotional aftershocks when they have passed through a distressing event. • Sometimes the aftershocks (or stress reactions) appear immediately after the traumatic event, Sometimes they appear a few hours or a few days later. And in some cases, weeks or months may pass before the stress reactions appear.

22. I am in a Stress Crisis Now, Part 4 • The signs and symptoms of an acute stress reaction may last a few days, a few weeks, a few months, or longer, depending on the severity of the traumatic event. • The understanding and the support of family, friends, and co-workers usually cause the stress reactions to pass more quickly. • Occasionally, the traumatic event is so painful that professional assistance may be necessary. This does not imply craziness, or weakness. It simply indicates that the particular event was just too powerful for the person to manage by their self. • Here are some common and normal physical signs and signals of a stress reaction: Chills, Thirst, Fatigue, Nausea, Fainting, Twitches, Vomiting, and Dizziness. • Here are some common and normal physical signs and signals of a stress reaction: Weakness, Chest Pain, Headaches, Elevated blood pressure, and Rapid Heart rate. • Here are some common and normal physical signs and signals of a stress reaction: Muscles tremors, Shock symptoms, Grinding of teeth, Visual difficulties, Profuse sweating, and Difficulty breathing.

23. I am in a Stress Crisis Now, Part 5 • Here are some common and normal mental signs and signals of a stress reaction: Confusion, Nightmares, Uncertainty, Hyper-vigilance, and Suspiciousness. • Here are some common and normal mental signs and signals of a stress reaction: Intrusive Images: Blaming someone, Poor problem solving, Poor abstract thinking, Poor attention, Poor & risky decisions, and Poor concentration & memory. • Here are some common and normal mental signs and signals of a stress reaction: Disorientation of Time, place, or person, Difficulty identifying objects or people, Heightened or lowered alertness, Increased or decreased awareness of surroundings. • Here are some common and normal emotional signs and signals of a stress reaction: Fear, Guilt, Grief, Panic, Denial, and Anxiety.

24. I am in a Stress Crisis Now, Part 6 • Here are some common and normal signs and signals of a stress reaction: Agitation, Irritability, Depression, Intense anger, Apprehension, and Emotional Shock. • Here are some common and normal signs and signals of a stress reaction, Emotional outbursts, Feeling overwhelmed, Loss of emotional control, and Inappropriate emotional responses. • Here are some common and normal behavior signs and signals of a stress reaction: Withdrawal, Antisocial acts, Inability to rest, Intensified pacing, and Erratic movements. • Here are some common and normal behavior signs and signals of a stress reaction: Change in social activity, Change in speech patterns, and Loss or increase of appetite.

25. I am in a Stress Crisis Now, Part 7 • Here are some common and normal behavior signs and signals of a stress reaction: Hyper-alert to environment, Increase in alcohol or drug consumption, and Change in usual communications. • Here are some common and normal spiritual signs and signals of a stress reaction: Anger at God, Turning towards God & Faith, Turning Away From God & Faith, Hopelessness, Finding it hard to pray, and Feeling abandoned by God. • Send me back to option to Select Resources.

26. For More Information • Contact Shepherd Care Visit: www.shepherdfiles.com • Talk to a Chaplain Email eric@shepherdfiles.com