STRESS MANAGEMENT

WHAT IS STRESS?

  1. Stress is the reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed upon them. It arises when they worry that they can’t cope.

 

  1. Stress is the “wear and tear” our minds and bodies experience as we attempt to cope with our continually changing environment
  1. S = P > R – Stress occurs when the pressure is greater than the resource

 

STRESS FEELINGS
These include

  1. Worry
  2. Tense
  3. Tired
  4. Frightened
  5. Elated
  6. Depressed
  7. Anxious
  8. Anger

TYPES OF STRESSORS

  1. External
  2. Internal

EXTERNAL STRESSORS

  1. Physical Environment
  2. Social Interaction
  3. Organisational
  4. Major Life Events
  5. Daily Hassles
  1. Physical Environment
    1. Noise
    2. Bright Lights
    3. Heat
    4. Confined Spaces
  1. Social Interaction
  1. Rudeness
  2. Bossiness
  3. Aggressiveness by others
  4. Bullying

 

  1. Organisational
  1. Rules
  2. Regulations
  3. Deadlines
  1. Major Life Events
  1. Birth
  2. Death
  3. Lost job
  4. Promotion
  5. Marital status change
  1. Daily Hassles
  1. Commuting
  2. Misplaced keys
  3. Mechanical breakdowns

 

INTERNAL STRESSORS

  1. Lifestyle choices
  2. Negative self - talk
  3. Mind traps
  4. Personality traits
  1. Lifestyle Choices
    1. Caffeine
    2. Lack of sleep
    3. Overloaded schedule

 

  1. Negative Self - Talk
  1. Pessimistic thinking
  2. Self criticism
  3. Over analysing
  1. Mind Traps
  1. Unrealistic expectations
  2. Taking things personally
  3. All or nothing thinking
  4. Exaggeration
  5. Rigid thinking
  1. Personality Traits
  1. Perfectionists
  2. Workaholics

 

TYPES OF STRESS

  1. Negative stress
  2. Positive stress

Negative Stress

  1. It is a contributory factor in minor conditions, such as headaches, digestive problems, skin complaints, insomnia and ulcers.
  2. Excessive, prolonged and unrelieved stress can have a harmful effect on mental, physical and spiritual health.

Positive Stress

  1. Stress can also have a positive effect, spurring motivation and awareness, providing the stimulation to cope with challenging situations.
  2. Stress also provides the sense of urgency and alertness needed for survival when confronting threatening situations.

THE INDIVIDUAL

  1. Everyone is different, with unique perceptions of, and reactions to, events. There is no single level of stress that is optimal for all people. Some are more sensitive owing to experiences in childhood, the influence of teachers, parents and religion etc.
  1. Most of the stress we experience is self-generated. How we perceive life - whether an event makes us feel threatened or stimulated, encouraged or discouraged, happy or sad - depends to a large extent on how we perceive ourselves.

 

  1. Self-generated stress is something of a paradox, because so many people think of external causes when they are upset.
  1. Recognising that we create most of our own upsets is an important first step towards coping with them.

 

THE STRESS RESPONSE

Endocrine System

  1. Stress response controlled by the Endocrine System.
  2. Demands on the physical or mental systems of the body result in hormone secretion (Adrenaline, testosterone)

This results in

  1. Increased pupil dilatation
  2. Perspiration
  3. Increased heart rate and blood pressure
  4. Rapid breathing
  5. Muscle tenseness
  6. Increased mental alertness

GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME

  1. Alarm response
  2. Adaptation
  3. Exhaustion

Alarm Response
This is the “ Fight or Flight” response that prepares the body for immediate action.
Adaptation Phase
If the source persists, the body prepares for long-term protection, secreting hormones to increase blood sugar levels. This phase is common and not necessarily harmful, but must include periods of relaxation and rest to counterbalance the stress response. Fatigue, concentration lapses, irritability and lethargy result as the stress turns negative.
Exhaustion
In chronic stress situations, sufferers enter the exhaustion phase: emotional, physical and mental resources suffer heavily, the body experiences ‘ adrenal exhaustion’ leading to decreased stress tolerance, progressive mental and physical exhaustion, illness and collapse.

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

  1. Physical symptoms
  2. Mental symptoms
  3. Behavioural symptoms
  4. Emotional symptoms

Physical Symptoms

  1. Sleep pattern changes
  2. Fatigue
  3. Digestion changes
  4. Loss of sexual drive
  5. Headaches
  6. Aches and pains
  7. Infections
  8. Indigestion
  9. Dizziness
  10. Fainting
  11. Sweating & trembling
  12. Tingling hands & feet
  13. Breathlessness
  14. Palpitations
  15. Missed heartbeats

Mental Symptoms

  1. Lack of concentration
  2. Memory lapses
  3. Difficulty in making decisions
  4. Confusion
  5. Disorientation
  6. Panic attacks

Behavioural Symptoms

  1. Appetite changes - too much or too little
  2. Eating disorders - anorexia, bulimia
  3. Increased intake of alcohol & other drugs
  4. Increased smoking
  5. Restlessness
  6. Fidgeting
  7. Nail biting
  8. Hypochondria

Emotional Symptoms

  1. Bouts of depression
  2. Impatience
  3. Fits of rage
  4. Tearfulness
  5. Deterioration of personal hygiene and appearance

STRESS RELATED ILLNESSES
Stress is not the same as ill-health, but has been related to such illnesses as;

  1. Cardiovascular disease
  2. Immune system disease
  3. Asthma
  4. Diabetes
  5. Digestive disorders
  6. Ulcers
  7. Skin complaints - psoriasis
  8. Headaches and migraines
  9. Pre-menstrual syndrome
  10. Depression

COSTS OF STRESS

  1. 80% of all modern diseases have their origins in stress.
  2. In the UK, 40 million working days per year are lost directly from stress - related illness.
  3. Cost in absenteeism to British industry is estimated at £1.5 billion pounds per year.

CAUSES OF STRESS

  1. External Stresses
  2. Internal Stresses

External Stresses - Major Life Events

  1. Death of a loved one
  2. Divorce / separation
  3. Imprisonment
  4. Injury/illness ( self / family )
  5. Marriage/ engagement
  6. Loss of job
  7. Retirement
  8. Pregnancy
  9. Sexual Problems
  10. Change in financial status
  11. Change of job / work
  12. Mortgage or loan
  13. Foreclosure of mortgage/loan
  14. Change in responsibilities
  15. Moving house
  16. Holidays
  17. Christmas
  18. Minor violations of the law

RECOGNISE THE PROBLEM
The most important point is to recognise the source of the negative stress. This is not an admission of weakness or inability to cope! It is a way to identify the problem and plan measures to overcome it.

  
STRESS CONTROL

ABC Strategy
A = AWARENESS
What causes you stress?
How do you react?

B = BALANCE
There is a fine line between positive / negative stress
How much can you cope with before it becomes negative?

C = CONTROL
What can you do to help yourself combat the negative effects of stress?

STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

  1. Change your thinking
  2. Change your behaviour
  3. Change your lifestyle

 

Change your Thinking

  1. Re-framing

Re-framing is a technique to change the way you look at things in order to feel better about them. There are many ways to interpret the same situation so pick the one you like. Re-framing does not change the external reality, but helps you view things in a different light and less stressfully.

  1. Positive thinking
  2. Forget powerlessness, dejection, despair, failure 
  3. Stress leaves us vulnerable to negative suggestion so focus on positives;
  4. Focus on your strengths
  5. Learn from the stress you are under
  6. Look for opportunities
  7. Seek out the positive - make a change.

Change your Behaviour

  1. Be assertive
    1. Assertiveness helps to manage stressful situations, and will , in time, help to reduce their frequency.
    2. Lack of assertiveness often shows low self - esteem and low self - confidence.
    3. The key to assertiveness is verbal and non - verbal communication.
    4. Extending our range of communication skills will improve our assertiveness.
    5. Being assertive involves standing up for your personal rights and expressing your thoughts, feelings and beliefs directly, honestly and spontaneously in ways that don’t infringe the rights of others
    6. Assertive People
      1. Respect themselves and others
      2. Take responsibility for actions and choices
      3. Ask openly for what they want
      4. Disappointed if ‘want’ denied
      5. Self - confidence remains intact
      6. Not reliant on the approval of others
        1. Assertive Skills
            1. Establish good eye contact / don’t stare
            2. Stand or sit comfortably - don’t fidget
            3. Talk in a firm, steady voice
            4. Use body language
            5. ‘I think’ / ‘I feel’
            6. ‘What do you think?’ ‘How do you feel?’
            7. Concise and to the point
              1. Benefits
  2. Higher self-esteem
  3. Less self-conscious
  4. Less anxious
  5. Manage stress more successfully
  6. Appreciate yourself and others more easily
  7. Feeling of self-control
  1. Get organised
    1. Poor organisation is one of the most common causes of stress.
    2. Structured approaches offer security against ‘out of the blue’ problems.
    3. Prioritising objectives, duties and activities makes them manageable and achievable.
    4. Don’t overload your mind.
    5. Organisation will help avoid personal and professional chaos.
    6. Time Management
  2. Make a list
      1. What MUST be done
      2. What SHOULD be done
      3. What would you LIKE to do
  3. Cut out time wasting
  4. Learn to drop unimportant activities
  5. Say no or delegate
  6. Plan your day
  7. Set achievable goals
  8. Don’t waste time making excuses for not doing something

 

  1. Ventilation
  2. ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’
  3. Develop a support network through friends or colleagues to talk with. It’s not always events that are stressful but how we perceive them.
  4. Writing a diary or notes may help release feelings but do not re-read what has been written.
  1. Humour
  2. Good stress - reducer
  3. Applies at home and work
  4. Relieves muscular tension
  5. Improves breathing
  6. Pumps endorphins into the bloodstream - the body’s natural painkillers

 

  1. Diversion and distraction
  2. Take time out
  3. Get away from things that bother you
  4. Doesn’t solve the problem
  5. Reduce stress level
  6. Calm down
  7. Think logically

 

Change Your Lifestyle

    1. Diet
      1. Healthy eating habits
      2. Caffeine (Stimulant)
      3. Salt
    1. Smoking & Alcohol
      1. Stop or at-least your consumption to bare minimum

 

    1. Exercise
  1. Uses up excess energy released by the ‘Fight or Flight’ reaction.
  2. Improves blood circulation
  3. Lowers blood pressure
  4. Clears the mind of worrying thoughts
  5. Improves self image
  6. Makes you feel better about yourself
  7. Increases social contact
    1. Sleep
  1. Good stress reducer
  2. Difficult to cope when tired
  3. Wake refreshed after night’s sleep
  4. Plenty of daytime energy

 

    1. Leisure
  1. Interest
  2. Gives you a ‘break’ from stresses
  3. Provides outlet for relief
  4. Provides social contact
    1. Relaxation
  1. Lowers blood pressure
  2. Combats fatigue
  3. Promotes sleep
  4. Reduces pain
  5. Eases muscle tension
  6. Decreases mental worries
  7. Increases concentration
  8. Increases productivity
  9. Increases clear thinking

 

Alternatives

  1. Conventional Medicine
  2. Counselling & psychotherapy
  3. Relaxation
  4. Meditation
  5. Massage
  6. Yoga
  7. Acupuncture
  8. Aromatherapy
  9. Floatation
  10. Herbalism
  11. Biofeedback
  12. Homeopathy
  13. Hypnotherapy
  14. Osteopathy
  15. Religious Therapy
  16. Reflexology

 
Equality and Basic Rights
1) The right to express my feelings
2) The right to express opinions / beliefs
3) The right to say ‘Yes/No’ for yourself
4) Right to change your mind
5) Right to say ‘I don’t understand’
6) Right to be yourself, not acting for the benefit of others
7) The right to decline responsibility for other people’s problems
8) The right to make reasonable requests of others
9) The right to set my own priorities
10) The right to be listened to, and taken seriously