Chapter 3:

1. Chapter 3: Managing Stress Ms. Fitchwell Health Education

2. Chapter 3:Managing Stress • What Causes Stress? • How Stress Affects the Body • Stress and Personality • Managing Stress

3. So just what is stress and what causes it??? • STRESS: is a reaction of the body and mind to threatening or challenging events in one’s life. • You experience stress when situations, events, or people make demands on your body and mind

4. What Causes Stress? • STRESSOR: something that causes stress • Major life changes: new school, moving to a new town • Everyday problems: lost shoe, missing keys, etc. • Physical surroundings: crowded bus, weather, jammed locker • At moderate levels, stress can improve your ability to concentrate and perform at your best.

5. Stress can be positive!!! • Positive Stress • Promotes growth and accomplishment • Also called EUSTRESS • Examples: • Feelings before athletic event/ musical performance • Does it help you to perform better?

6. Stress can be Negative • Negative Stress • Decreases ability to concentrate and perform • Also called DISTRESS • Examples: • Nervous to the point of being sick to your stomach • Difficulty doing every day tasks Boo for negative stress .

7. Alarm Stage:Body releases adrenaline into the bloodstream: Burst of energy Heart beats faster Increased rate of breathing Muscles tighten Pupils widen Mind more alert to take in information FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE: a series of physical changes that prepare the body to react to stress Either “fight” the stressor OR “take flight” and escape How Stress Affects the Body:Stages of Stress

8. Stages of Stress • Resistance Stage • Body tries to recover from alarm stage and go back to normal • Your body adapts to the continued presence of the stressor • As a result you body may become: • Tired • Irritable • Less able to handle added stress

9. Stages of Stress • Exhaustion Stage:Body is worn down and no longer has enough energy to fight off the stressor • More susceptible to illness, because body remains in unbalanced state • Most likely to enter this stage if stressor is out of your control, or if stressor continues for a long time

10. Physical Signs Muscle tension Headache Upset stomach Pounding heart Increased sweating Trembling/ twitching Emotional Signs Irritability Anger Impatience Nervousness Forgetfulness Negative thinking Excessive worrying Loss of interest Begin to cry easily How Stress Affects the Body:Recognizing the Signs of Stress

11. How Stress Affects the Body:Recognizing the Signs of Stress • Behavioral Signs • Loss of appetite • Overreacting • Drug abuse • Sleep problems • Hurrying • Withdrawing from relationships • Criticizing others • Fidgeting By recognizing these signs early, you may also be able to prevent some of the more serious effects of stress.

12. Stress and Illness • Severe or prolonged stress can affect health • Illness can be brought on or made worse by stress • Body less able to fight off infection • Makes some conditions more difficult to control • Asthma: attacks more likely • High Blood Pressure: increased blood flow • Heart Disease: heart must work harder when under stress

13. Stress and Personality • How you react to a stressor could depend on…. • Is this situation a threat to my well- being? • Do I have the necessary resources to meet the challenge? • Time • Skills • Experience • Energy • Just as your personality is unique, so is the way you react to potentially stressful situations

14. Stress and Personality: Optimism VS Pessimism Optimism: The tendency to focus on the positive aspects of a situation Pessimism: The tendency to focus on the negative and expect the worse. Do you look at the glass at half full or half empty?

15. Stress and Personality Perfectionist: A person who accepts nothing less than excellence. • Sets goals that are impossible to attain and never satisfied with what they have accomplished

16. How to break the cycle of perfectionism • It’s not easy!!! • Accept that you cannot be perfect • Take pride in the things you do well • Don’t focus on your mistakes

17. Stress and Personality • Resilience: The ability to recover or “bounce back” from extreme or prolonged stress • Key factor in resilience is having the support of family and friends

18. Coping with Stress • Managing stress helps to restore the balance in you life • Managing stress prevents the stressors from taking control and making you ill • Additional ways to handle stress • Eat well • Exercise regularly • Express your feelings • Say “NO” to alcohol and drugs

19. Coping with Stress • Time Management • Do you often wish there were more hours in the day? • Do you put things off until the last minute? • Poor time management is one of the BIGGEST contributors to stress

20. Coping with Stress • Mental Rehearsal: To practice an event in your mind without actually doing the event • Imagining yourself performing at your best • Have you used mental rehearsal before an event? • Did it help your performance?

21. Managing Stress:Stress Management Techniques • Physical Activity • Provide the body with an outlet for built up energy • Take your mind off problems • Give yourself a chance to relax • Do activities that you enjoy

22. Coping with Stress • Relaxation: A state when the mind and body are resting • Deep breathing relaxes muscles, take in more oxygen which helps the body function better • Progressive relaxation: concentration on each group of muscles in the body one at a time • Lets try!!! • Read a book, take a nap, listen to music, stretching, take a hot shower, etc.

23. Getting Help When You Need It Recognize when stress is becoming overwhelming Sharing your problems often helps you to see them more clearly Humor Laughter helps to relieve feelings of stress Deal quickly with stressor Can be harmful if laughter is used to cover up true feelings or if used inappropriately Coping with Stress