Stress, Coping and Self-Care Handout

PART **3:** **MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF** **STRESS, COPING AND SELF-CARE** **Objectives:** At the end of the discussion, the student should be able to: 1. Understand the concepts involved in coping with stress and caring for oneself. 2. Identify strategies and techniques in in cop...

PART **3:** **MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF** **STRESS, COPING AND SELF-CARE** **Objectives:** At the end of the discussion, the student should be able to: 1. Understand the concepts involved in coping with stress and caring for oneself. 2. Identify strategies and techniques in in coping and caring for oneself. 3. Apply the strategies and techniques in coping through designing personal self care plan. A. **What is stress?** The term "stress", as it is currently used, was coined by Hans Selye in 1936, who defined it as "the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change". - - - This can start to feel like a vicious circle, and it might be hard to see where stress ends and your [[mental health problem]](https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/mental-health-problems-introduction/) begins. What are the signs of stress? Stress is a response experienced when a person encounters a threatening situation. A stressor is a stimulus that causes stress. When the person feels stressed, the body experiences a collection of changes known as a stress response or fight-or-flight response. It is a collection of physiological changes that occur when the person encounters a perceived threat or situations where the person feels the demands outweigh his or her resources to cope successfully. Types of Stress: 1. Acute stress - is a type of stress that comes quickly and unexpectedly but requires a response. For instance, an exam that you do not feel adequately prepared. 2. Chronic stress - is a type of stress that tends to occur on a regular basis. It may leave the person feeling drained and can lead to burnout if not managed. 3. Burnout - is a result of the prolonged chronic stress in situations that leave people with a feeling of lack of control over their lives. B. **Sources of Coping and Strength** Coping *is the process of attempting to manage the demands created by stressful events. It is* a conscious effort to solve personal and interpersonal problems. Coping skills or strategies seek to minimize stress and stressors that occur in everyday life. Coping Strategies are any actions you take to manage and reduce stress in your life, in a way that isn\'t going to be harmful or detrimental in the long term. a. Problem-Focused Strategies - aims to deal with the cause or source of the problem or stress, such as researching a problem or by learning management skills in solving it. Basically speaking, problem-focused (or solution-focused) coping strategies aim to eliminate sources of stress or work with the stressors themselves.  b. Emotion-Focused Strategies - addresses the feelings and emotions associated with the stressor. Emotion-focused coping focuses on regulating negative emotional reactions to stress such as anxiety, fear, sadness, and anger. All the [stress relief activities](https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-to-reduce-stress-3145195) in the world won\'t help if you are not taking care of yourself. [Meditation](https://www.verywellmind.com/meditation-4157199) won\'t do you any good if you are not getting adequate sleep. In fact, when you try to meditate, you might doze off because you aren\'t taking care of your body\'s need for sleep. Similarly, hitting the gym once in a while won\'t relieve much stress if you\'re not regularly fueling your body with healthy, nutrient-dense food. You need to take care of your basic needs first if you want your stress relief activities to be effective. The next topic discusses some of the different types of self-care and why they are so important. It also covers some of the things that you can do to develop a self-care plan of your own. **What Is Self-Care?** ---------------------- Self-care describes a conscious act a person takes in order to promote their own physical, mental, and emotional health. It compasses just about anything you to do be good to yourself. In a nutshell, it's about being as kind to yourself as you would be to others. There are many forms self-care can take. It could be ensuring you get enough sleep every night or stepping outside for a few minutes for some fresh air. Self-care is vital for building resilience toward those [stressors](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-stressors-3145149) in life that you can\'t eliminate. When you\'ve taken steps to care for your mind and body, you\'ll be better equipped to live your best life. It\'s important to assess how you\'re caring for yourself in several different domains so you can ensure you\'re caring for your mind, body, and spirit. **Different Types of Self-Care** -------------------------------- Self-care isn\'t just about finding ways to relax. It\'s about taking care of yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. In order to care for your health and well-being, it is important to find a balance that allows you to address each of these areas. Sometimes you might need more self-care in one specific area in order to restore balance or find relief from a stressor in your life. **Physical Self-Care** ---------------------- You need to take care of your body if you want it to run efficiently. Keep in mind that there\'s a strong connection between your body and your mind. When you\'re caring for your body, you\'ll think and feel better too. Physical self-care includes how you\'re fueling your body, how much sleep you\'re getting, how much physical activity you are doing, and how well you\'re caring for your physical needs. Attending healthcare appointments, taking medication as prescribed, and managing your health are all part of good physical self-care. When it comes to physical self-care, ask yourself the following questions to assess whether there might be some areas you need to improve: - Are you getting adequate sleep? - Is your diet fueling your body well? - Are you taking charge of your health? - Are you getting enough exercise?  **Social Self-Care** -------------------- Socialization is key to self-care. But, often, it\'s hard to make time for friends and it\'s easy to neglect your relationships when life gets busy. Close connections are important to your well-being. The best way to cultivate and maintain close relationships is to put time and energy into [building your relationships](https://www.verywellmind.com/qualities-of-healthy-relationships-2337785) with others. There isn\'t a certain number of hours you should devote to your friends or work on your relationships. Everyone has slightly different social needs. The key is to figure out what your social needs are and to build enough time in your schedule to create an optimal social life. **Mental Self-Care** -------------------- The way you think and the things that you\'re filling your mind with greatly influence your psychological well-being. Mental self-care includes doing things that keep your mind sharp, like puzzles, or learning about a subject that fascinates you. You might find reading books or watching movies that inspire you fuels your mind. Mental self-care also involves doing things that help you stay mentally healthy. Practicing [self-compassion](https://www.verywellmind.com/can-self-compassion-make-you-happier-4159536) and acceptance, for example, helps you maintain a healthier inner dialogue. Here are a couple of questions to consider when you think about your mental self-care: - Are you making enough time for activities that mentally stimulate you? - Are you doing proactive things to help you stay mentally healthy? **Spiritual Self-Care** ----------------------- Research shows that a lifestyle including [religion or spirituality](https://www.verywellmind.com/how-spirituality-can-benefit-mental-and-physical-health-3144807) is generally a healthier lifestyle. Nurturing your spirit, however, doesn\'t have to involve religion. It can involve anything that helps you develop a deeper sense of meaning, understanding, or connection with the universe.^5^ Whether you enjoy meditation, attending a religious service, or praying, spiritual self-care is important. As you consider your spiritual life, ask yourself: - What questions do you ask yourself about your life and experience? - Are you engaging in spiritual practices that you find fulfilling? **Emotional Self-Care** ----------------------- It\'s important to have healthy coping skills to deal with [uncomfortable emotions](https://www.verywellmind.com/embrace-negative-emotions-4158317), like anger, anxiety, and sadness. Emotional self-care may include activities that help you acknowledge and express your feelings regularly and safely. Whether you talk to a partner or close friend about how you feel, or you set aside time for leisure activities that help you process your emotions, it\'s important to incorporate emotional self-care into your life.^6^ When assessing your emotional self-care strategies, consider these questions: - Do you have healthy ways to process your emotions? - Do you incorporate activities into your life that help you feel recharged? **Why Is Self-Care Important?** ------------------------------- Having an effective self-care routine has been shown to have a number of important health benefits. Some of these include: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is important because it can help promote health, prevent disease, and help people better cope with illness. Specific forms of self-care have also been linked to different health and wellness benefits, including a longer life. Exercise, [finding a sense of purpose in life](https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-for-finding-your-purpose-in-life-4164689), and sleep have all been connected to an increased lifespan. **Develop Your Self-Care Plan** ------------------------------- An effective self-care plan should be tailored to your life and your needs. It needs to be something created by you, for you. Customizing your own self-care plan can act as a preventative measure to make sure that you don\'t get overwhelmed, overstressed, and burned out. Assess which areas of your life need some more attention and self-care. And reassess your life often. As your situation changes, your self-care needs are likely to shift too. As you are building your self-care plan, the following steps can be helpful: - **Assess your needs**: Make a list of the different parts of your life and major activities that you engage in each day. Work, school, relationships, and family are some you might list.  - **Consider your stressors**: Think about the aspects of these areas that cause stress and consider some ways you might address that stress. - **Devise self-care strategies**: Think about some activities that you can do that will help you feel better in each of these areas of your life. Spending time with friends or [developing boundaries](https://www.verywellmind.com/setting-boundaries-for-stress-management-3144985), for example, can be a way to build healthy social connections. - **Plan for challenges**: When you discover that you\'re neglecting a certain aspect of your life, create a plan for change. - **Take small steps**: You don\'t have to tackle everything all at once. Identify one small step you can take to begin caring for yourself better. - **Schedule time to focus on your needs**: Even when you feel like you don\'t have time to squeeze in one more thing, [make self-care a priority](https://www.verywellmind.com/how-and-why-to-find-time-for-yourself-3144757). When you\'re caring for all aspects of yourself, you\'ll find that you are able to operate more effectively and efficiently. References: **** Coping with and Managing stress from [**https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/coping-with-and-managing-stress/**](https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/coping-with-and-managing-stress/) =========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================== Effective Stress Relievers for Different Types of Stress by [**Elizabeth Scott, MS**](https://www.verywellmind.com/elizabeth-scott-m-s-3144382) and medically reviewed by [Carly Snyder, MD](file:///C:%5CUsers%5C63917%5CDownloads%5CCarly%20Snyder,%20MD) on November 12, 2019, from ==========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================