managing your stress

3PowerPoint® Lecture Outlines prepared by Dr. Lana Zinger, QCCCUNY

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Managing Your Stress


What Is Stress?

The mental and physical response to the changes and challenges in our lives

Can be real or imagined• Stressor—event or condition that causes the body to adjust to

a situation• Can be physical, social, or psychological

• Strain—wear and tear on the body and mind• Coping—managing conditions to lessen the effects of excess

stress


What Is Stress?

• Eustress—positive stress• Opportunity for personal growth and satisfaction

• Example: getting married

• Distress—negative stress• Can have negative effect on one’s health

• Example: financial problems


The Body’s Response to Stress

The Fight-or-Flight Response• Surprised by sudden stressor• Sudden burst of energy (i.e., being chased by a dog)

• Adrenal glands jump into action• Glands secrete adrenaline and other hormones into

bloodstream• Causes increased heart rate, blood pressure, and

blood flow to muscles• Sudden physiological changes allow for quick

response to stressor; fight it or escape from it• Basic human survival mechanism


The General Adaptation Syndrome


Stress and Your Health

• 40 percent of deaths and 70 percent of disease in the United States are related to stress

• Ailments related to chronic stress include the following:• Heart disease; diabetes; cancer; headaches; ulcers;

low back pain; depression; the common cold; increases in rates of suicide, homicide, and domestic violence


The Body’s Acute Stress Response



Stress and Cardiovascular Disease• Increases with chronic, unresolved stress• Prolonged elevation of heart rate and blood pressure• Increased blood pressure damages vessel lining.• Damaged lining allows fatty substances (plaque) to

more readily adhere to vessel tissue.• As plaque builds up, arteries harden and narrow.• Results in compromised blood flow



Stress and Impaired Immunity• Reduction in the ability

of killer T cells to aid immune response

• Individuals become more susceptible to illnesses.

Stress and the Mind• Perhaps the single

greatest contributor to mental disability and emotional dysfunction in industrialized nations



Stress and Digestive Problems• Stress can be a trigger that causes you to be nauseated,

vomit, and have stomach cramps and other pain in the gut

• Stress can make you more susceptible to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), probably because stress stimulates colon spasms via the nervous system.

• Use techniques that promote relaxation by reducing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.


Common Physical Symptoms of Stress


What Stresses You?

Psychosocial Stressors• Factors in our daily lives that cause stress:

• Adjustment to change—can be good or bad• Relationships—fight-or-flight reactions• Hassles—petty annoyances and frustrations • Academic and career pressures—feeling forced to meet

higher expectations, financial problems• Frustrations and conflicts—disparities between goals and

behavior• Overload—too much going on, lack of support• Stressful living environments—where you live and the

surrounding environment


What Stresses You?

Environmental Stress • Based on physical surroundings

• Noise• Natural disasters• Pollution

Stress and “-isms”• Racism, ageism, sexism, low socioeconomic status, or

other “-isms”• Different viewpoints and backgrounds


What Stresses You?

Internal Stressors • Appraisal

• Interpretation and evaluation of information • Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy

• Feeling of self-worth• Belief in own abilities or confidence in skills

• Personality Types• A, B, C, D

• Psychological hardiness• Control, commitment, and an embrace of challenge


Stress and the College Student

Symptoms of stress overload• Sense of anxiety• Sleeping difficulties• Short temper• Headaches or dizziness• Recurring colds or minor

illnesses• Inability to concentrate



Different stressors between genders• Women

• Dieting, school overload, gaining weight• Men

• Being underweight, not having enough sex, lack of friends, drug and alcohol use

What stressors have you experienced?


ABC News Video: Stress at Work and Home

Discussion Questions

1. For those in class who work full or part time, share an extremely stressful work event and how it was resolved. How did you feel at that time?

2. In potentially stressful situations at home, how do you prevent issues from escalating to an uncontrollable level?

3. Name a few ways to reduce stress at school. Have you had success in any of these? What support systems need to be in place?

| Stress at Work and Home



Taking Mental Action• Assess your stressors

• Recognize a stressor and evaluate it• Stress inoculation— consciously anticipating and

preparing for specific stressors in advance• Change the way you think

• Cognitive restructuring— become aware of the negative talk, then stop it, and finally replace negative with positive talk

Developing a Support Network• Consider the nature and extent of your friendships and

support network



Managing Emotional Responses• Examine your self-talk and your emotional responses to

interactions with others.• Learn to Laugh, Be Joyful, and Cry

• Smiling, laughing, singing, dancing and crying have positive physiological effects.

• Fight the Anger Urge• The five main sources of anger are the following:

• Threats to safety and well-being• Power• Perfectionism and pride• Self-sufficiency and autonomy • Self-esteem and status



Fight the anger urge using the following strategies to keep anger at bay

• Indentify your anger style.• Learn to recognize patterns.• Plan ahead.• Develop a support system.• Develop realistic expectations of yourself and others.• Turn complaints into requests.• Leave past anger in the past.



Taking Physical Action• Exercise—increases mood elevating hormones, energy

levels• Relax—involve mind and body (taking a bath, listening

to quiet music, practicing deep breathing, or stretching)• Eat right—avoid food substances that produce stress-

like responses (caffeine, sugar)• Get enough sleep—refresh your vital energy, cope with

multiple stressors more effectively, be more productive, and increase the immune response



Managing Your Time• Take on only one thing at a time.• Clean off your desk.• Prioritize tasks by creating a “to do” list.• Don’t be afraid to say “no.”• Find a clean, comfortable place to work, and avoid

interruptions.• Reward yourself for work completed.• Use time to your advantage.• Break overwhelming tasks into small pieces, and allocate a

certain amount of time to each.• Time is precious—don’t take it for granted.

How have you managed your time?



Managing Your Money• Consider Downshifting• Downshifting or voluntary simplicity—taking a step

back and simplify your life• Determine your ultimate goal.• Make both short-term and long-term plans for simplifying

your life.• Complete a financial inventory.• Plan for health care costs.• Select the right career for you.• Consider options for saving money.


ABC News Video: The Multitasking Myth

Discussion Questions

1. Why isn’t multitasking as good as one might think? Do you agree that it’s a problem?

2. How do you multitask in your own life? Does it have an effect on the quality of the tasks you are doing simultaneously?

3. Translate the three steps outlined to be more productive to your own daily life. Could you follow them?

| The Multitasking Myth



Relaxation Techniques for Stress Management• Yoga• Qigong• Tai chi• Deep breathing• Mindfulness and mediation• Visualization• Progressive muscle relaxation• Massage therapy• Biofeedback• Hypnosis


Diaphragmatic Breathing


Progressive Muscle Relaxation

managing your stress

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