Stress Management Guide PDF

 is...  is the way human beings react both physically and mentally to changes, events, and situations in their lives.  People experience stress in different ways and for different reasons.  The reaction is based on your perception of an event or situatio...

 is...  is the way human beings react both physically and mentally to changes, events, and situations in their lives.  People experience stress in different ways and for different reasons.  The reaction is based on your perception of an event or situation.  If you view a situation negatively, you will likely feel distressed—overwhelmed, oppressed, or out of control.  DISTRESS is negative stress.  results from a “positive” view of an event or situation, which is why it is also called “good stress.”  Eustress helps you rise to a challenge and can be an antidote to boredom because it engages focused energy.  It’s often a question of perception: A positive stressor for one person can be a negative stressor for another.  A stressor is a stimulus with the potential for triggering the fight or flight response. The stressors for which our bodies were evolutionarily trained were threats to our safety (Greenberg, 2010). o Greenberg (2010)  environmental toxins, heat, cold  psychological threats to self-esteem, depression  sociological unemployment, death of a loved one  philosophical use of time, purpose in life  The environment can bombard people with intense and competing demands to adjust.  Examples of environmental stressors include weather, noise, crowding, pollution, traffic, unsafe and substandard housing, and crime. The Klinic Community Health Centre (2010)  People can experience multiple stressors arising from the demands of the different social roles they occupy, such as parent, spouse, caregiver, and employee.  Some examples of social stressors include deadlines, financial problems, job interviews, presentations, disagreements, demands for your time and attention, and loss of a loved one.  Situations and circumstances affecting the body can be experienced as physiological stressors.  Examples of physiological stressors include rapid growth of adolescence, menopause, illness, aging, giving birth, accidents, poor nutrition, and sleep disturbances.  The brain interprets and perceives situations as stressful, difficult, painful, or pleasant.  Some situations in life are stress provoking, but it is our thoughts that determine whether they are a problem for us.  Everyone has developed a response to stress.  The key is to learn to monitor signs and become aware of them when they are indicating that the stress level is unmanageable.  What happens in the body during the fight or flight response?  He found that any problem, real or imagined, could cause the cerebral cortex (the thinking part of the brain) to send an alarm to the hypothalamus (the main switch for the stress response, located in the midbrain).  The hypothalamus then stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to make a series of changes in the body.  The heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension, metabolism, and blood pressure all increase.  The hands and feet get cold as blood is directed away from the extremities and digestive system into the larger muscles that can help fight or run.  The person experiences butterflies in the stomach; diaphragm locks; pupils dilate to sharpen vision; and hearing becomes more acute.  This is the Stress Response.  While all of this is going on, something else happens that can have long-term negative effects if left unchecked.  The adrenal glands start to secrete corticoids (adrenaline, epinephrine, and norepinephrine), which inhibit digestion, reproduction, growth, and tissue repair and the responses of the immune and inflammatory systems.  Some very important functions that keep the body healthy begin to shut down.  The stress response is useful and can be necessary in times of emergency, but the frequent or unrelenting triggering of the stress response without a balancing relaxation response can contribute to a number of illnesses and symptoms.  PHYSICAL  Aches and pains, muscle tension  Diarrhea or constipation  Nausea, dizziness, or butterflies in the stomach  Chest pain or rapid heartbeat  Shallow breathing and sweating  Frequent colds  COGNITIVE  Memory problems  Inability or difficulty concentrating  Poor judgment  Seeing only the negative  Anxious, racing, or ruminating thoughts  Constant worrying  EMOTIONAL  Moodiness  Irritability or short-tempered  Agitation, inability to relax  Feeling overwhelmed  Sense of loneliness or isolation  Depression or general unhappiness  BEHAVIORAL  Eating more or less  Sleeping too much or too little  Isolating yourself from others  Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities  Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax  Nervous habits (nail biting, pacing)  TAKE A DEEP BREATH  Take a deep breath.  Hold it for three seconds.  Then let it out slowly.  While exhaling, let the jaw and shoulders relax and think “calm” as the tension flow through the body and out the finger tips and toes.  Sit comfortably with eyes closed.  Bring your attention to your breathing.  Imagine that you have a balloon in your stomach.  Every time you breathe in, the balloon inflates.  Each time you breathe out, the balloon deflates.  Breathing from your abdomen, inhale through your nose slowly to a count of four.  Pause and hold your breath to a count of four and then slowly exhale through your mouth to a count of four.  Repeat for 3 to 5 minutes, placing a hand on your stomach to feel it rising and falling as you breathe.  Alternate tensing and relaxing muscle groups for 5-10 seconds each while seated.  Raise your eyebrows and wrinkle your forehead.  Hold for a few seconds and release.  Clench your jaw and close your eyes as tightly as you can.  Hold for a few seconds and release.  Lift your shoulders up to your ears.  Hold and release.  With your eyes closed, take a moment to create, in your mind’s eye, an ideal spot for relaxation.  You can make it any place-real or imagined. Perhaps it is your favorite room, a beautiful meadow, an ocean beach, or a floating cloud.  See yourself in comfortable clothes, completely relaxed and take a few deep breaths.  Once you have created this place in your mind, you can go back there whenever you want an escape from your busy day or a stressful situation.  Focus your awareness on the present moment with all of your senses.  Notice in detail what it looks like, feels like, smells like, sounds like and tastes like (if applicable).  Give the activity at hand your full attention free from distractions.  Breathe slowly while experiencing the activity and do not focus on any particular thought.  Eating breakfast and eating regularly throughout the day (every 3-5 hours) prepares your body to better cope with stress.  Skipping meals should be avoided because it lowers your energy and your ability to focus.  Choose more whole and unprocessed foods, and eat a lot of colorful fruits and vegetables to feel your best.  A little bit of chocolate can go a long way when it comes to your diet.  Dark chocolate has been shown to be filled with antioxidant flavonoids (which can minimize your risk of heart disease and reduce blood pressure).  Some scientists have gone so far as to claim that the sweet stuff has more flavonoids than any other food (including blueberries).  According to research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, those said flavonoids help blood vessels relax, helping calm overall stress.  The main ingredient in garlic when digested is organosulfur allicin, which triggers your body to produce hydrogen sulfide.  The combo creates an internal reaction that relaxes blood vessels and encourages blood flow.  Garlic is good for your heart and your head and helps manage stress.  Physical activity increases your overall health and sense of well-being.  It also has stress-busting benefits like pumping up your endorphins, improving your mood, providing a break from your stressors and increasing self-esteem.  Try to walk or do something active for 20 minutes a day.  To gain additional benefits from aerobic and muscle strengthening activities, find a more intense physical activity that you enjoy and do that a few times a week too.  Massage is a great way to reduce stress.  It releases a hormone called oxytocin, which turns off your stress response and promotes a sense of relaxation.  Try to make time for self-massage, exchange massage with a friend, or treat yourself to a massage center.  Good sleep habits reduce stress and help your body recover from stress.  Everyone needs a different amount of sleep, however it is recommended to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  Short naps can also re-energize you and improve your mood.  It is suggested that naps not exceed 30 minutes or you may feel groggy.  Aromatherapy is a scientifically proven technique which uses your sense of smell to trigger areas in your brain that affect mood.  Laughing for one minute is the equivalent to 15 minutes on an exercise bike or 10 minutes on a rowing machine.  Laughter can reduce stress hormones, boost your immune system and lower your blood pressure.  So pop in an old Seinfeld video, read your favorite comic strip, turn on Comedy Central, call a friend who makes you laugh or pull out old photos albums.  Go ahead: laugh out loud!  Words have a powerful influence over our mind.  Think positive thoughts and use positive words.  Never utter the words “I can’t” again.  Saying things like “I can’t do it anymore” is a defeatist attitude that is a recipe for failure, and with failure comes stress.  So don’t say “I can’t.” Say “I’ll try.”  “No!” It’s one of the first words that babies learn - and they use it often.  But as adults, the word seems to have slipped from our vocabulary. Learn how to say “no.”  Know your limits and stick to them, whether in your personal or professional life.  Beautify!  Invest in a good haircut, adopt a 5-minute makeup routine or get out of those sweat pants.  Looking good makes you feel better.  Even if you just do a quick swipe of blush, mascara and lipstick, you’ll feel better.  A funky necklace or a great pair of earrings can quickly lift your spirits – even if you’re not leaving the house.  Touching, kissing, and hugging (or any other affectionate activities) are activities that stimulate the brain’s release of the hormone oxytocin.  Research has shown that having plants and flowers in your presence can elicit a positive mood and reduce stress levels.  Connecting with the Earth by sticking your hands in the dirt and tending to the plants yourself even further imbue you with an energy of calm.  Laughter is a proven way to ease stress.  Even the mere anticipation of something funny has the ability to calm us down thanks to the release of stress hormones like dopac, cortisol and epinephrine.  Short funny film clips have been proven to increase blood flow to the heart according to scientists at the University of Maryland.  Your “hoku” is that flap of skin on your palm that connects your pointer finger to your thumb.  It’s also an acupressure spot related to upper body tension that, when squeezed, can minimize stress by up to 39 percent— that’s according to scientists at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.