Stress Why are we learning about stress? Is it important to know how to handle stress? Why?

This Unit…  We will be learning about different types of stress, how to deal with it, and much more!  Can we relate what we’re learning about to ourselves during our school career and later?  Who here has experienced some sort of stress today? Yesterday? Tomorrow?

 We are confronted and sometimes slapped in the face with stress  SO… we’re going to learn about how to deal with it so we can help ourselves stay as healthy as possible

Chronic Stress  Unrelieved stress that lasts for a long time  Very unhealthy!  Examples Unhealthy relationship Loved one is sick

Acute Stress  A temporary bout of stress that calls forth alertness or alarm to prompt the person to deal with an event

Eustress and Distress  Eustress Good stress Stress that will help you perform Examples?  Distress Bad stress Stress that inhibits performance Examples

Stressors  A demand placed on the body to react  Physical Stressors Include all physical conditions –Air Temp, intensity of lighting, bacteria, injuries  Psychological Stressors Include life changing events,both desirable and undesirable

Need to be able to adapt and adjust  If you can’t, you may feel both physical and psychological signs:  Physical: Pounding of the heart, feelings of weakness, light-headedness, trembling, easily startled, nervous laughter, headaches…

 Psychological signs Irritability, tension,depressing, lowered self-esteem, excessive worry, feelings of isolation, excessive work and no play

 Psychological stressors for high school students Divorce of parents, death, breakup, expulsion from school, failing grades, peer difficulties, moving, traffic tickets…

Perception  A meaning given to an event or occurrence based on a person’s previous experience or understanding  The way you look at something based on experience  Your perception will help determine if you get stressed out or not

Quiz Time!  ___ is the effect of a physical or psychological demand on a person.  A ___ is anything that requires you to cope with, or ____ to, a situation.  What is the difference between chronic stress and acute stress?  The way you react to an experience depends on your ___ of it.

There are 3 stages of the stress response  Alarm It happens when you think you are facing a challenge.

 The body releases the stress hormones, which activate the nerves and all systems.

Resistance  2 nd phase  State of speeded-up functioning.  Resources are mobilized just as an army mobilizes it’s equipment and supplies to fight a battle  Body’s resources are your attention, strength, and fuels

Recovery and Exhaustion  3 rd and last phase  Recovery-Occurs when stress ceases to affect the body.  Exhaustion- If stress continues to affect you without a break and your body stays in overdrive for too long  Your resistance finally breaks down.  Then recovery is delayed or becomes impossible All work and no play  You can also get this from Chronic stress

With Exhaustion can come illness or disease  Psychosomatic disease Mind makes the body susceptible Involves both the mind and body It is real, it can be diagnosed It is manifested physically

 Cholesterol levels increase with stress Hypertension –Emotional stress is generally regarded as a major factor towards hypertension Strokes Coronary heart disease

 Ulcers Fissures or cuts in the wall of the stomach or parts of the intestine Several causes, but stress can make the conditions more likely to make ulcers occur  Migraines  Cancer Some get cancer from carcinogens.

Now that we know what unmanaged stress can do, what can we do about stress?  Have a high self esteem It will improve your ability to manage crises when they happen.

Attitude has a lot to do with stress  Project  Test  Work  ACT  Almost anything can be turned into a positive event that shouldn’t give one stress, except death

Exercise  If you don’t exercise when you’re stressed, your muscles are tense and can’t relax  Think of three or four situations in which you were really tired and didn’t know why. Was it due to stress?

Time Management  Time is like money, you have three ways in which to spend it. You can save ahead (do tasks now so you won’t have to do them later) You can spend as you go You can borrow from the future (have fun now and hope you will find the time later to do things you have to do.

Make lists  Break your large tasks down into smaller ones  Make a list with times so you make time for fun.

Alternative Stress Techniques  Accupressure rubbing  Eye fisting  Balloon Breathing  And… there could be more….