Stress Management PDF

Stress Management By Dr. Vishal Sharma Introduction of Stress  Stress is the term used to describe the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses to events that are appraised as threatening or challenging.  When we experience or perceive challenges to our phys...

Stress Management By Dr. Vishal Sharma Introduction of Stress  Stress is the term used to describe the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses to events that are appraised as threatening or challenging.  When we experience or perceive challenges to our physical or emotional well-being that exceed our coping resources and abilities, the psychological condition that results is typically referred to as stress.  Events are usually referred to as stressors (Internal or External).  Stressors can range from mild to severe or stressors can be imaginary.  There are two kinds of stressors: 1. Those which cause distress, it occurs when people experience unpleasant stressors. Ex- Loss of Job 2. Those that cause Eustress, which results from positive events that still make demands on a person to adapt or change. Ex- Getting a new desired job, marriage, promotion etc.  Hans Selye (1936) coined the term eustress describe the stress experienced when positive events require the body to adapt.  Eustress is now defined as the optimal amount of stress that people need to promote health and well-being  Small amount of stress improves memory.  Although both kinds of stress produce similar bodily reactions, a more positive interpretation of a stressor leads to more positive coping with that stressor. Nature of stress  Stress is an Everyday Event:  Stress can be major (hijacking) or minor (waiting in line).  Major and minor stressors are not entirely independent. Ex- divorce  Routine hassles may have significant negative effects on a person’s mental and physical health.  Minor hassles strongly related to mental health than major stressful events. Theorist believe that stressful events can have a cumulative or additive impact.  Stress lies in the eye of the Beholder:  The experience of feeling threatened depends on what events you notice and how you choose to appraise or interpret them.  Cognitive-mediational theory of emotions given by Richard Lazarus.  Primary appraisal is an initial evaluation of whether an event is 1) irrelevant to you, 2) relevant, but not threatening, or 3) stressful.  When event view as stressful, then person make a Secondary appraisal which is an evaluation of coping resources and options for dealing with stress.  Some people are more prone to feel threatened by life’s difficulties than others. Ex- Anxious and neurotic people.  Stress maybe embedded in the environment  Ambient stress consists of chronic environmental conditions that, although not urgent, are negatively valued and that place adaptive demands on people.  Excessive noise, heat, and pollution.  Temporary experiences of crowding, such as being packed into a rock concert venue with thousands of other fans, can be stressful.  Urban poverty and violence. Exposure to street crime, gang activity, drug dealing, neighborhood decay, and unruly behavior. Stress May Be Self-Imposed  We tend to think of stress as something imposed on us from without.  You might sign up for extra classes to get through school quickly. Or you might actively seek additional responsibilities at work to impress your boss.  Many people create stress by embracing unrealistic expectations for themselves.  People have more control over their stress than they probably realize. Stress Is Influenced by Culture  Culture can play a role in different experience of stress in two countries.  Everyday discrimination can take many forms, including verbal insults (ethnic slurs), negative evaluations, avoidance, denial of equal treatment, and threatsn of aggression.  Ethnicity/ minority Symptoms of Stress