Mental Health: Ch 9- Managing Stress

EQ- What are ways to recognize stress?How do you deal with stress?

By PresenterMedia.com

What is Stress?

The key is learning to manage stress in your lifeDifferent things stress out different people

The same thing that causes you stress may not cause another person stress

• Any new or potentially unpleasant situation• Only have the potential to cause a

stress response

Stress :

Stressor:

Stress Response:

• The body’s reaction to stress

The combination of a stressor and a stress response

Examples include, but not limited to:• Trying out for a sports team• Parents not getting along• Trying to get a knot out of shoe laces• Getting marriedGet an idea of how much your life has changed in the past year: 1. Complete pg 193: Life Changing Units 2. Add up the life-change units for the change you’ve experienced during last 12 months 3. Total score:

What are some stressors in people’s lives?

Stress Response

• Deals with relationship between the brain and rest of your body• If stressor is seen as nothing to worry about then nothing happens,

• If stress is seen as a threat then brain signals your body to produce certain chemicals that contribute to the stress response

How/ why does the stress response help us?

• Allows “fight” or “flight” to occur so you can act immediately and with great physical effect.

• Body produces a hormone called adrenaline, which aides in the body protecting itself.

Physical Changes

• More blood goes to the brain, legs and arms

• Hearing improves• Pupils open wider• Mouth gets dry• Breathing speeds up• Sweating increases• Adrenal glands secrete adrenaline• Muscles tense up• Blood pressure increases and heart

beats faster and contracts harder

Stress can make you sick

• If the stress is not released it can lead to sickness

• Estimated 60-80% of all physical and mental disorders are related to stress.

• Not all are caused by stress, but many are made worse by stress

• Long-term stress can lead to weakening your immune system

.

Sickness and disorders related to stress•Cold and Flu

Weaken immune system can’t fight infection

Also, longer time to heal once sick

•Tension Headaches Stress causes muscles in

neck and head to tense up•Backache

Frequent tension in muscles on back

•TMJ Syndrome• Stress can cause the

clinching or grinding of teeth, resulting in the joint connecting upper jaw to lower (temporomandibular joint) to have pain.

•Coronary Heart Disease Higher levels of cholesterol can

occur, which can lead to a heart attack

•High Blood Pressure Part of the stress response Eventually lead to rupture of

blood vessel in brain•Chronic Fatigue

Prolonged stress can cause a person to feel tired all the time, long-term loss of energy

Different then being tired after exercise

•Depression Prolonged stress can wear a

person down to a point of “Burnout” or exhaustion

This is just an advance stage of “burnout”

Mental/Emotional Signs Physical Signs

Anxiety HeadachesFrustration Dry mouthMood swings Teeth grindingDepression Shortness of

breathIrritability Pounding of heartNightmares IndigestionNervous laugh DiarrheaWorrying ConstipationConfusion Muscle achesForgetfulness Weight changePoor Concentration FatigueLoneliness Insomnia

Signs of Stress:

How to manage stress: The Stress Model

Step 1• A new or

potentially unpleasant situation (stressor)

Step 2• You interpret

the situation as threatening

Step 3• Your emotional

response

Step 4• Your physical

response

Step 5• The negative

consequences

•You can stop yourself from progressing from one step to the next.•When this occurs you have used a Stress Intervention

Stress Intervention: Any action that prevents a stressor from resulting in negative consequences.

Eliminate the stressorAnticipate a common stressor and find a way to remove it from your lifeStress intervention in front of Step 1

Change your interpretation of a Stressor

•Road block to intervention of Step 2•Selective awareness:

Focusing on the aspects of a situation that help a person feel better

Relaxation Techniques•Stress Intervention of Step 3•Engage is some method to relieve the stress•Anything that changes the focus of the mind

Meditationo Focusing on something repetitive or unchanging

Progressive Relaxationo Tense up muscles in one part of body o Then relax the muscleso Then move through out entire body tensing and relaxing

muscles Body Scanning

o Searching body for that one relaxed body parto Once it’s found, imagine that feeling throughout rest of the

body Autogenic Training

o Thinking of a relaxing image or place Laughing

o One of the easiest and most natural relaxation techniques Yelling or Crying

Allows feelings of being more relaxed and able to deal with a stressor

Physical Exercise•Intervention from step 4•Takes advantage of the body readiness to do something physical•Uses the stress response in a positive way

Many of the negative consequences of stress can be avoided through proper physical health.

•Eat balanced diet•Exercise regularly•Get enough rest/sleep•Use one of the relaxation techniques•Don’t use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs

Find a support group (group of people who trust each other and are able to talk to each other about their problems)

•Allows you to discuss your stressorsHave a spiritual life (sense of connection with something greater than oneself).

•Helps you get through high levels of stressGet professional help

•Whenever you feel you can’t deal with the stress in your life.

Managing Stress is Lifelong