Stress Interventions and Coping Mechanisms

Interventions

• Interventions are activities to prevent a stressor from having negative outcomes
• Negative outcomes include psychological discomfort, anxiety, illness, and disease

Coping with Stress

• Stress occurs when demands exceed available resources
• Coping involves behaviors or thoughts in response to a demand
• Task-oriented coping is finding a better way to perform a task
• Emotion-focused coping involves managing feelings or accepting limitations

Appraisal Categories

• Primary appraisal involves judging the threat level and outcome importance
• Secondary appraisal involves determining resource availability to meet demands
• Reappraisal involves evaluating the effectiveness of responses to demands/threats

Self-Efficacy

• Self-efficacy is the belief in one's ability to manage a demand/threat
• Outcome efficacy measures the availability of effective strategies
• Personal efficacy measures successfully employing a strategy

A Model of Stress

• Cognitive appraisal interprets the stressor
• Emotional arousal includes fear, anger, and insecurity
• Physiological arousal includes increased cholesterol, heart rate, muscle tension, blood pressure, and blood glucose
• Consequences include poor performance, interpersonal issues, and illness
• Stress can have feedback loops, where the consequence of stress can become a new stressor

Setting Up Roadblocks

• Intervention involves setting up roadblocks in the stress theory model's phases
• Sequential phases are included in the model, each dependent on the previous phase

Mitigation Strategies

• Cognitive restructuring or medications can serve as initial roadblocks
• Relaxation techniques prevent emotional reactions from causing prolonged physiological arousal
• Physical activity can block stress continuation after physiological arousal

Comprehensive Stress Management

• Comprehensive stress management involves intervention in the stress theory model's phases
• Intervention is used using several means at each phase
• Eliminating stress completely is not recommended
• Optimal stress levels are attempted

Skills to Manage Stress

• Prevention is the most effective method and involves planning to avoid stressors
• Source management involves reducing or eliminating the stress source
• Relaxation is a less effective method and includes meditation or diaphragmatic breathing
• Thought management involves reinterpreting thoughts to be less stressful

Eustress

• Eustress is stress resulting in positive outcomes and encourages optimum performance
• It can be used to explain stress's negative and positive consequences
• Being stressed for the better involves adjustment due to a positive life event
• A threatening event can lead to make significant changes in life

Taking Control

• Stress management means exercising control
• Individuals can decide to control or not control the stress response
• Practicing techniques involves assuming responsibility
• Stress management techniques in a stressful way are dysfunctional

Making a Commitment

• Starting immediately is important
• Determine a contract with yourself
• Include rewards for accomplishments
• Plan punishments for not fulfilling the contract
• Set realistic goals

Stress Diary Components

• Stressors for the day (routine and unique)
• Reactions to each stressor (psychological, physiological, behavioral)
• Coping means used
• Better coping means that could have been attempted
• Relaxation techniques tried
• Effectiveness of relaxation techniques
• Sensations during the day (bodily and mind)

Questions to Ask

• What stressors are frequently experienced?
• Which routine stressors can be eliminated and how?
• How does the body typically respond to stressors?
• How does the psyche typically respond to stressors?
• What is typically done when confronted with a stressor?
• What coping techniques are used more than others?
• Do these techniques work for or against you?
• What coping techniques would be helpful but aren't used enough?
• What relaxation techniques are most effective?
• Summarize recording and analyzing diary results, describing time, place, and method of relaxation

Nutrition and Stress

• Stress leads to poor nutritional habits
• This results in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia
• Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia affect 20 million women and 10 million men in the US
• A balanced diet is essential to staying healthy
• People with eating disorders often have obsessional, perfectionistic, and anxious personality styles
• If you or someone you know has one of these conditions, please seek professional help soon

Balanced Diet

• It should contain a variety of nutrients
• Make half of grains whole
• Eat at least 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day
• 1 ounce is about 1 slice of bread, about 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or half a cup of cooked rice, cereal, or pasta
• Vary veggies
• Eat more dark-green veggies like broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens
• Eat more orange vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes
• Eat more dry beans and peas like pinto beans, kidney beans, and lentils
• Focus on fruits
• Eat a variety of fruit
• Choose fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit, and go easy on fruit juices
• Get calcium-rich foods
• Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and other milk products
• If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free products or other calcium sources
• Go lean with protein
• Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry and bake, broil, or grill it
• Vary protein routine: choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds

Diet Recommendations

• A 2,000-calorie diet requires specific amounts from each food group; consult MyPyramid.gov for personalized amounts
• Eat 6 ounces of grains every day, 2.5 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruits, and 3 cups of milk (2 for kids aged 2-8)
• Eat 5.5 ounces of meat and beans every day

Healthy Foods Should Be Low In

• Saturated fat
• Trans fat
• Cholesterol
• Sodium
• Sugar

Foods to Limit

• Foods high in saturated and trans fats and cholesterol
• Processed and fried foods, high-fat milk and milk products, baked products, and snack foods
• Drinks with high-fructose corn syrup, foods fried in hydrogenated shortening and those with added sugars

Nutrition and Health

• Reducing saturated fats and increasing fiber reduces the risk of heart disease and cancers
• BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered desirable

Diet for Preventing Cancer

• The American Cancer Society recommends five or more servings of vegetables and fruits daily
• Choose whole grains over processed grains, limit the intake of processed and red meats, and carry a limited amount of body fat

Diet-Related Chronic Diseases

• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Osteoporosis

Pseudo Stressors

• Food substances that produce a stress response
• these are known as sympathomimetics and mimic sympathetic nervous system stimulation
• Creates a pseudo stress response in which the stressor elicits a stress response
• Caffeine is a sympathomimetic agent

Vitamins and Stress

• Chronic stress depletes vitamins from bodies, especially B complex vitamins and vitamin C
• Vitamin deficiency may cause anxiety, insomnia, muscular weakness, and stomach upset
• Stress interferes with calcium absorption and increases the excretion of potassium, zinc, copper, and magnesium

Sugar and Stress Relationship

• Vitamin B is needed to break down sugar
• Hypoglycemia is a condition of low blood sugar preceded by elevated levels of blood sugar
• Produces an intense stress response
• Chronic stress burns out the beta cells resulting in reduced production of insulin

Eating to Manage Stress Strategies

• Eat a balanced diet, guided by the food pyramid
• Limit saturated fats and increase fiber
• Add cruciferous vegetables and limit alcohol
• Limit caffeinated beverages and avoid tobacco
• Be more realistic about one's weight
• Supplement diet with vitamins, especially C and B complex
• Limit food containing sugar, intake of processed flower, and sodium

Noise and Stress

• Noise can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate, and lead to muscle tension
• Noise relates to job dissatisfaction and results in irritation, headaches, increased blood pressure, and sleep problems
• Stress responses develop at 85 decibels
• Prolonged exposure to sounds above 90 decibels results in hearing damage

To Reduce Noise Levels

• Use cotton or ear plugs if your job requires constant exposure to loud noises
• Sit far from performers at loud rock, symphony, or band concerts
• Enjoy listening to music at a moderate volume at home
• Use drapes over windows to reduce street noise
• Choose acoustical tile for ceilings and walls when building or adding a room
• Use carpeting or select an apartment with carpeting in all rooms
• Keep noise-making appliances away from bedrooms, den, and living room
• Select home sites or apartments away from truck routes, airports, businesses, and industrial areas

Soothing Noises

• White noise
• Surf rolling onto the shore
• Birds chirping
• Wind rustling through the leave
• Specific words

Life-Events Scale

• Developed by Holmes and Rahe to identify unhealthy life events
• Social Readjustment Rating Scale

Life Events and Stress Management

• Social support is a roadblock to stress; the presence of others to discuss stressors with
• Stressors include vacation and marital separation and require extra energy for adjustments

Hassles and Chronic Stress

• Hassles are daily negative interactions with the environment
• Everyday hassles are more detrimental to health than major life events
• Absence of uplifts relates to ill health
• It is associated with depression, unhealthy eating, and tobacco and alcohol use

Success Analysis

• Multi-faceted and is in the eyes of the beholder
• Maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses helps becoming successful
• Boosts one’s self-esteem
• Views on success vary from person to person

Some Definitions of Success

• Being chosen by others
• Pleasing others
• Being helpful
• Achieving academically or in sports
• Being the best, in spite of obstacles and difficulty, or learning something new
• Getting recognition or being happy

Patterns of Assertiveness

• Assertive: Satisfying one's needs without disregarding others' rights
• Nonassertive: Giving up one's entitlements to avoid upsetting others
• Aggressive: Acting to get entitlements at the expense of others' rights

Assertiveness

• Resolves conflicts and communicates effectively in verbal abuse situations
• Is founded on rights but people are taught to act contrary to these rights

Nonverbal Assertiveness

• Includes what is said and how it is said
• Consistent body language is required
• Standing straight, facing the person directly, maintaining eye contact, speaking clearly and steadily, and speaking fluently

Nonassertive Body Language

• Lack of eye contact
• Looking down or away
• Swaying and shifting weight
• Whining and hesitancy when speaking

Nonverbal Aggressive Behavior

• Leaning forward with glaring eyes
• Pointing a finger
• Shouting
• Clenching a fist
• Putting hands on hips and wagging the head

DESC Form

• It is a verbal assertiveness formula consisting of describing the situation and expressing feelings
• Specifying preferred changes and consequences for that change comes next

Conflict Resolution Steps

• Active listening paraphrases the speaker's words and feelings
• Reflective listening identifies speaker's position
• Exploring alternative solutions comes last

Successful Communication Sender Attributes

• Trustworthy, knowledgeable, and believable
• Familiar with what the receiver prefers

Successful Communication Message Attributes

• Credible, with evidence if possible
• The medium through which it is communicated should be effective

Communication Outcome

• If the message is to be received as intended, the sender should know a lot about the receiver

Nonverbal Communication

• Communication through body posture and gestures
• People show appreciation/affection and revulsion/indifference with expressions and gestures
• An individual's sexuality is communicated by how they dress, walk, and stand

Verbal Communication

• Ensures consistent nonverbal and verbal messages
• Plan time, allow sufficient time for distractions, and approach feelings
• Risk describing thoughts and feelings and approach with improved relationships
• Listen, paraphrase, and begin with a point of agreement
• Use "and" instead of "but" to avoid defensiveness, and avoid accusatory "why" questions

Emotional Intelligence (EI) Traits

• Accurately identify and understand one’s own and others' emotional reactions
• Regulate emotions to make decisions and act effectively
• Emotional intelligence is important in developing and maintaining relationships

Goleman’s EI Model

• Accurately perceive emotions in oneself and others
• Use emotions to facilitate thinking, understand and manage emotions

Developing EI

• EI can be improved at any age
• Several programs developed are described on the website of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations
• It takes a long time of concentrated effort
• Training is experiential because neural circuits must be modified to extend deep into the nonverbal parts of the brain

Technostress

• Reaction to technology affecting our lives causing Technology to eliminate personal down time
• Polyphasic behavior is a Type A behavior that affects relationships, with more than one form of technology employed at a time

Technostress Solutions

• Limiting the use of technology
• Reserving time for checking emails and texts
• Refraining from answering phone calls/texts purposefully when interacting with family/friends

Cyberbullying

• Behavior is performed through electronic or digital media by individuals or groups who target others
• repeated communication of hostile/aggressive messages intended to cause discomfort/harm
• Many forms, including sending threats via email, spreading online rumors/texts, and posting hurtful things online

Cyberbullying Actions

• Stealing a person’s account to break into their account or pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person
• Catastrophic and include decline in performance, increase in dropping out, violence or suicide

Reducing Cyberbullying

• Respond to cyberbullying by reporting on the platform
• Contact student services, campus department, campus security, and law enforcement
• Keep evidence and stay safe

Time Management Techniques

• Analyze spending of time, set range goals, prioritize tasks based, the ABC lists
• Include A,B,C lists to prioritize
• Schedule activities into the day
• Maximize rewards

Time Efficiency Practices

• Learn to say "no"
• Delegate non-personal tasks and pick something up and start immediately
• Use a circular file for junk mail and invest time initially
• Keep interruptions to a minimum and stay organised

Social Support

• Belonging is being accepted, loved, or needed
• Tangible social support involves money or the use of a car
• Emotional social support involves love and caring concern
• Informational social support involves facts or advice

Social Support Availability

• Can be provided by family members, friends, or partners
• Includes direct effect, theory, preventing theory, and buffering

Stress Reduction

• Decreases the amount of stressors
• Provides help with negative consequences

Health Effects of Socail

• Improves quality of life and increases life satisfaction in urban youth
• Improves the immune/depression system and decreased cortisol secretion
• Improves medical adherance

Selective Awareness

• Selectively aware of positive aspects in situations
• People should be selective in what elements in a person's or a negative situation
• Requires perspective

Focus on the Positive to have Balance

• Put minor stressors into perspective
• Includes focusing on the current situation and gratitude

Optimism & Gratitude Importance

• Optimism keeps people healthy and stress-free
• Humor plays an important role in optimism
• Humor focuses interest and allows a greater amount of detail to be captured

Humor & Stress

• Creates relaxation and increases cheerfulness

Humor Forms

• Exaggeration
• Incongruity
• Surprise
• Slapstick

Humor Benefits

• Helps with relaxation and improves health of the elderly
• Requires inapropriate or distressed individuals

Type A Behavior Pattern Description and Outcomes

• 2 cardiologists (Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman) named and defined the behavior
• Cluster of behaviors associated with the development of coronary heart disease

Type A Behavior Pattern Traits

• Competitive drive Aggressiveness Impatience Time urgency Free-floating hostility Insecurity

Type B Behavior Pattern

• No free-floating hostility or sense of time urgency
• Behavior that doesnt promote competitiveness

Type A Patterns Outcomes

• There is a shown increase in nurses and teachers who experience it also suffer at work
• Type A hospital employees also had more health problems
• Also can cause suffer from coronary heart disease and obstruction

Type Modification Factors

• More time taken for stress
• Requires acknowledging hostility and anger
• Rewarding Type B behavior, while ignoring or punishing Type A behavior. Setting weekly, realistic, and attainable goals Listing behaviors that one wants to eliminate Separating needs from wants Slowing down and not taking things in a hurry

Self Esteem Components

• Self-esteem is how one regards oneself
• Poor self-esteem leads to various dangerous activity in society

Type C Characteristics

• Development of cancer leads to Suppression of emotions
• Requires individuals to be nice to others, even when a situation could cause a negative reaction
• Also causes denial from reality, and keeps negative reactions from being felt

Type D Characteristics

• Associated with death.
• Requires negative expression and emotional control

Building Self Esteem Strategies

• Identify what needs to be improved and use those areas for development
• Build self-esteem from friends, family, and personal achievements

Locus of Control

• External locus of control: Person control over one's life Belief that one is either the victim of circumstances or the master of circumstances

CCPD Definition

• Belief that one is either the victim of circumstances or the master of circumstances Both perceptions are faulty

Anxiety Manifestations

• Involves unrealistic fear, resulting in increased of arousal and avoidance

Types of Anxiety

• Involves unrealistic fear, resulting in increased arousal and avoidance

State Anxiety

• Results to stimulus

Social Phobia

• Overwhelming fear and self-consciousness in everyday situations Experienced in formal and informal situations

Specific Phobia

Intense fear of a specific situation that is harmless

ABCDE technique Characteristics

Inaccurate assumptions and beliefs ABCDE technique Analyzes rational and irational concepts

Activating Agent

• Actions or situations or events

Consequences

• Reactions to situations

Discomfort

• Replace negative outlook

Effect

• Self reliance

Resiliency

• Requires strenghts and tools to be strong

Resilient Traits

Creativity Self control Gratitude Forgiveness Humility

Four Basic Principles of Hardiness

Commitment Control Challenge