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1/10

EQs: What are the symptoms of stress?

What are common contributors to stress?

How can we deal with stress in our lives?

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2/10

What is stress? Stress is physical and emotional tension and strain.

We can experience stress in reaction to change or thepossibility of change.

Even uncertainty can create stress

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3/10

Recent Life Changes Read through the events on the questionnaire and

check off events that have occurred in your life in thepast 12 months.

Tally up the Life-Change Units (LCUs) to the right ofeach event you checked off.

Keep in mind that these aregeneral measuresof stress.

Each person experiences life-changing eventsdifferently.

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4/10

Results If you scored less than 200 points:

You have had lowrecent life-change stress and probablyhave been healthy over the past year.

If you scored between 200-400 points:

You have experienced moderate recent life-change stressand may have noticed some recent minor illnesses.

If you scored greater than 400 points: You have experienced elevated recent life-change stress.

Did you have a major illness or accident recently?

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5/10

Results, Ctd. If you have moderate to elevated stress and stayed

somewhat healthy, that means you have a strongresistance to illness in the face of stress.

It is important, however, to try and reduce the amountof stress you have in your life. How do we reduce

stress?

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6/10

The Stress Cycle 1. Stressful event leads to

2. Thinking negative thoughts about the event which

leads to 3. Producing negative emotions which leads to

4. A chemical imbalance which leads to

5. Symptoms of overstress which leads to

6. Physical ailments if stress is long term.

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7/10

Chemical Imbalance Neurotransmitters: Sent to our nervous system to help

us function under normal conditions.

Serotonin: sets our body clock and adjusts our bodychemistry for sleeping and walking. High levels ofserotonin are associated with aggression, and low

levels are correlated with depression.

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8/10

Chemical Imbalance Noradrenalin: sets our energy level and keeps us from

feeling tired and lethargic

Dopamine: allows us to feel pleasure and reduces painor discomfort

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9/10

OverstressWhen we are overstressed, these chemical messengers

cant do their jobs.

To counteract symptoms of stress, people often usestimulants:

Caffeine (Coffee, Mountain Dew, Monster)

Sugar

What are physical consequences of using stimulants? Caffeine Withdrawal, Sugar High, etc.

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10/10

RelaxantsJust as people use stimulants to fight stress, they also

use relaxants to slow things down.

Alcohol

Sleeping Pills

Neither stimulants nor relaxants are true solutions tostress. Without true stress reduction, we get caught in

a cycle.