YOU, STRESS AND STAYING HEALTHY

WHAT IS STRESS?Threat, challenge, changeStressor = any situation or activity that has physical, mental or emotional demands5 categories of Stressors:

STRESSORSEnvironmental StressorsBiological StressorsThinking StressorsBehavioral StressorsLife Change Stressors

STRESSORSEnvironmental– Natural disasters– Temperatures, too hot or too cold– Power outages– Flooding– Pollutants

STRESSORSBiological– Injury– Illness

STRESSORSThinking– School!– Debt– Difficult Decisions

STRESSORSBehavior– Arguing– Negative behaviors

STRESSORSLife changes– Deaths, births– Wedding(s), divorce(s)– Move to new residence, country

STRESS RESPONSESPhysical Stress– Breathing speeds up– Heart beats faster– Muscles get tense– Pupils dilate– Digestion slows– Blood sugar increases

STRESS RESPONSE CONTINUED

Emotional and Behavioral Response– Eustress (Positive Stress) energizes and

helps you reach a goal in a stressful situation, makes you fell alert and lively

– Distress (Negative Stress) makes you feel sick or keeps you from reaching a goal, can keep you from performing at your best

SICKNESS AND STRESS: GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME

Alarm Stage- alert body/mind, “fight or flight” response, all efforts focused on responding to demandResistance Stage- body more resistant to disease and stress, body can cope for awhileExhaustion Stage- body cannot resist stressor anymore, body becomes exhausted past normal exhaustion

STRESS-RELATED DISEASE AND DISORDERS

Tension HeadacheCold and fluAsthmaMigraineBackacheHeart diseaseStrokeHigh blood pressureChronic fatigueUlcerAnxiety disorderInsomniaDepression

5 WAYS TO MANAGE STRESS

Take Care of Yourself

Learn to Relax

Build Resiliency

Change Your Attitude

Manage Your Time

5 WAYS TO MANAGE STRESS

Take Care of Yourself– Proper nutrition– Rejuvenating sleep– Regular exercise

5 WAYS TO MANAGE STRESS

Learn to Relax– Relaxation breaths– Progressive muscle relaxation– A-Z by themes (animals, foods)– Transcendental Meditation– Yoga

5 WAYS TO MANAGE STRESS

Build Resiliency– Mental– Physical– Emotional– Family, social support systems– Recuperative sleep

5 WAYS TO MANAGE STRESS

Change Your Attitude– Positive!– Self advocacy

5 WAYS TO MANAGE STRESS

Manage Your Time– Write down homework due dates– Regularly check Dashboard, teacher

websites– Daily work instead of all-nighters– DON’T PROCRASTINATE!