Transcript Slide 1

Stress

Did you know…

Happy or joyous events can be a source of stress?

Emotional stress can damage your health?

Chronic anger can be harmful to your heart?

Regular exercise increases your resilience to stress?

Writing about traumatic experience may boost the body’s immune system?

I HAVE STRESS, YOU HAVE STRESS… WE ALL HAVE STRESS!

What is Stress?

Sources of Stress

Reactions to Stress

Coping with Stress

Grief, Bereavement, & Mourning

Thought Processes & Stress

WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress

 pressure or demand put on the mind &/or body to adjust or adapt  Change you must adapt to 

Stressor

 an event or situation that produces stress (source)  Chronic stressor(s) – continuing or lingering source(s) of stress

Types of Stress

Distress – negative stress  state of emotional or physical suffering or discomfort  Eustress – positive stress  state of emotional or physical positive feelings

I Have Stress!

 Feeling ‘stressed out’?

 inability/difficulty coping & readjusting  daily "wear and tear"  Natural & normal to have stress everyday

 both physical & psychological effects  Mind-body connection!!!!

 Stress can be a positive or negative influence on our behavior & feelings  Positive influence  Negative influence

You experience stress from:

4 SOURCES

 1) environ  stuff going on around you  2) social  deadlines, $, time, attn, ppl  3) physiological  illness, injury, poor nutrition, sleep deprivation  4) you  thoughts, emotions, behaviors

CAUSES

Traumatic Events

 situations outside ‘normal’ experience 

Controllability

 uncontrollable events are more stressful 

Predictability

 unpredictable events are more stressful 

Life Events

 transitions or major changes

Daily Hassles

 minor events  little things that don’t go your way 

Internal

 own expectations, thoughts, emotions, attitudes, perspectives, &/or behaviors  (i.e. ineffective coping strategies)

Conflicts

 State of tension brought about by opposing motives @ the same time  Approach-Approach: drawn toward 2 + goals @ the same time

OR

Avoidance-Avoidance: you face 2 opposing, unpleasant goals

OR

Approach-Avoidance: you face a goal that has both + & - qualities

OR

Double Approach-Avoidance: involves 2 or more goals; each w/ + & - characteristics

Possible Effects of Stress

PHYSICAL

Nervous system arousal Dev. of stress related health problems Suppressed immune system

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Negative emotional states Dev. of psych.

disorders Withdraw or aggressive behavior

BODY’S RXN TO STRESS

General Adaptation Syndrome: 3 stage response of the body to persistent or intense stress  1) Alarm stage – body prepares for action to cope w/ immediately  Fight or flight response – strong psych & physical arousal  Heart rate & breathing increases, sweat, adrenaline & blood sugar increases, flooded w/ strong emotions

2) Resistance stage – body’s attempt to adjust or adapt to persistent stress  Cortisol is released  Digestion stops  3) Exhaustion stage – depletion of bodily resources  ‘burnout’ effect  Immune system lowered

PSYCH. RXNS TO STRESS

 Anxiety  Fear  Anger  Denial  Frustration  Apathy  Sadness  Cognitive Impairment

OTHER PROBS STRESS CAUSES

 BIOLOGICAL PROBS  PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBS  Indigestion  Panic attacks  Diarrhea/constipation  Heart disease  Anxiety  Ulcers  High blood pressure  Sinus infections/Colds  Increased perspiration  Headaches/migraines  Insomnia  Depression  Memory  Concentration  Hyperventilation  Asthma attacks  neck & back pain  Metabolism  Libido problems  Irritability  Eating disorders

Reducing, Preventing, & Coping w/ Stress

I wish I didn’t procrastinate!!

COPING METHODS

 ways that we try to deal w/ stress  Positive  productive, reduce effects & causes  Negative  avoid or ignore the prob; self defeating  Compulsion  repetitive or addictive behaviors

Typical Negatives

 Take it out on others or ourselves  Denial  Procrastination or ineffective time management  Behavioral disengagement (giving up)  Unhealthy worry  telling yourself not to feel this way  Substance disengagement  Blaming others or making excuses  irrational self-talk or beliefs

Typical Positives

 Optimize health  Problem solving  Planning, ST goals  Flexibility  Relaxation techniques; making ‘me’ time  Perceiving challenges as opportunities for positive growth  Social support  Eliminate unnecessary distressing thoughts  Effective time management

???? – depends stressor/situation

 Emotional detachment  Mental disengagement  Suppressing competing activities  Sleep

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE RXNS & COPING

 Personality differences: vulnerability to stress  Type A – body in chronic state of stress (adrenaline); irritable; free floating anger; can’t stand delay  Type B – relaxed, patient, not easily angered

 Emotional Expressiveness  denying or bottling up despair, depression, & anger = more stress  Cognitive Appraisal  how you interpret the event  how much stress you think it will cause (value)

 Gender Differences  Becoming more =  Women are more likely than men to live in poverty, exp discrimination, abuse, etc.

 Women as homemakers exp more stress, anxiety, & depression than counterparts w/ careers  Women are more likely to express feelings related to stress than men

BUFFERS AGAINST STRESS

What makes some ppl more resilient to stress?

1) High self-esteem & self-worth

 I am committed & what I do is impt to myself, others, & the world 

2) Optimism

3) Social support

 we’re cared for; emotional support

4) Internal locus of control

 perception of how much control we have over stressors, ourselves, & our lives  Not satisfied w/ something in life? Then do something to change it!  Ppl w/ external? Feel overwhelmed & helpless

5) Self-efficacy

 we’re capable of accomplishing what we set out to do  Stressors = challenges & opportunities, not obstacles  Constant change, learning, adapting, & growth is normal part of life

GRIEF

 GRIEF – complex response to a loss  We all experience grief  difft situations  cultural understanding of death, mourning, rituals, afterlife, etc.  Kids understand & cope w/ death difft than teens & adults;  Reversible; unrealistic causes; kids feel stressed when adults around are stressed

STAGES OF GRIEF

• Denial  “this can’t be happening to me” • Anger  “why is this happening?” “who’s to blame?” • Bargaining  “If ______ happens, I will never ask for anything again”

• Depression  “I’m too sad to do anything” • Acceptance  “I’m ok w/ what’s going to happen/what has happened”

DENIAL ACCEPTANCE ANGER BARGAINING DEPRESSION

THOUGHT PROCESSES & STRESS

IRRATIONAL IDEAS

Irrational beliefs –beliefs that cause stress & prevent people from adjusting to life’s challenges/changes  Self-defeating patterns  Self talk - internal dialogue we use to view the world, explain/interpret situations, & communicate to ourselves  Positive or negative  You can counteract anxious, angry, and irrational thoughts in stressful situations

3 most common irrational beliefs:

1) Things are done to me

 “_______ made me mad/sad” – objects/ppl don’t make you feel – you’re interpretation makes you feel a certain way  Take responsibility & control of your behaviors & emotions  Confront your excuses  Don’t let others’ priorities be an obstacle against you achieving your priorities

2) Awfulize

 Make catastrophic/exaggerated/negative interpretations of events  Everything is ‘end of the world’ or terrible 

3) Absolutize

 Things ‘should’, ‘ought’, ‘always’ or ‘never’ be a certain way – says who?  Ppl, situations, objects, etc. that doesn’t fit into standard is bad?...

WORRY CONTROL

 Worrying okay… natural response!  Healthy worry  Looking @ situation as a challenge  look @ options, evaluate outcomes, & dev. steps to reach goal  Unhealthy worry  Continually examining worse-case scenarios (‘what if’ -- outcomes)  Overestimate seriousness

 Accurately evaluate your worries  Eliminate unnecessary worrying about what you can’t control  Am I exaggerating?  MANAGING YOUR WORRY  Relax –eliminate the fight or flight rxns  Risk assessment – don’t exaggerate!  Schedule worry time – limit & focus the amt. you worry  Thought stopping – eliminate nagging worry

MAKING ‘ME’ TIME

Prioritize  Break large tasks down – looking @ big pic. is overwhelming! (short term goals)  Take care of yourself  Alone time, do nice things, bodies  Schedule worry time – thought stopping  Learn to say “no” – set limits for yourself!

 Tell people “no”!; can’t do everything!

 Don’t let others’ priorities be an obstacle to your own