Coping with and Managing Stress- Objectives:  Define stress  Describe what happens in your body when stress occurs (the physiological response)  Describe the effects of stress on the immune system

Objectives continued:  Describe how stress affects the nutritional status.  Describe how to manage stress  Describe behaviors or habits that unnecessarily rob you of time.  Describe at least two time management tools

Definition of stress:  It is a mismatch between the demands in our lives and the resources we have to deal with those demands.  This mismatch is often caused by changes, either large or small.  Stress is not an event (not a person, place or thing) it is your reaction to that event.

Stress can be good:  It is a force that can generate and initiate action, therefore it is a motivating force.  Eustress  Gives humans an ability to respond to challenges or dangers.  It is vital for self-protection

The stress response is characterized by:  Muscle tension  Acute anxiety  Increased heart rate  Hypertension  Shallow breathing  Giddiness  joy

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS):  A series of changes that the body undergoes whether a stress is perceived as positive or negative.  First phase is Alarm, homeostasis is disrupted, known also as the “Fight or Flight” response syndrome. Adrenaline and other chemicals are pumped into the blood stream. .

GAS continued:  The emotional response stimulates a physical reaction associated with stress, such as: muscles and stomach tightening, the heart rate increasing, the mouth becoming dry, palms wet

GAS continued  The second stage is “Resistance” the body responds with increased strength, endurance, sensory capacity.  “Exhaustion” is the third phase, this occurs when the stress becomes chronic or pervasive.  If the person has not effectively managed stress then it affects the heart, stomach, blood pressure, muscles and joints.  Know the picture of stress on your body.

Stress and the immune system:  A defense system against illness and disease inside and outside the body.  Chronic stress suppresses the body’s ability to initiate an effective immune response  Suppression is due to increase secretion of corticosteroids which weaken the immune system.

Stress and the immune system, continued:  Research has shown that the immune system was severely compromised with social disruption:  leaving home for the first time  Feeling down for prolonged periods  Lack of self-confidence  Feelings of hopelessness and loneliness  Can make us more susceptible to colds to cancer  2/3 of all diseases have been linked to stress.

Illnesses/diseases associated with stress:  Migraines  Ulcers  Asthma  Cold/flu  Depression  Heart disease

Stress and nutritional status stress and how you eat:  Eating too much, too little, wrong kinds of foods.  Over using caffeine, tobacco, drugs and/or alcohol.  During stressful times, one needs more protein and vitamins

Managing stress:  Relaxation techniques  Deep breathing  Progressive muscle relaxation  Meditation  Visualization  Music  Humor  Massage  Exercise

Most of us know to eat right and do healthy activities to manage stress….  Most of us have problems being motivated to do these things.  You could compare the process of change to build a house.  If you build your house on a shaky foundation, it will crumble.  Think of the foundation as the way you think, self-love and self awareness are the building blocks to your foundation.

Everything you need to better ourselves-the desire, drive, discipline….we already have,  But, it is buried under fear and low self- esteem.  That is why changing is so difficult  Poor self-esteem puts you at odds with your well-being.

Behaviors that can rob you of your time:  Workholism  Time juggling-over scheduling  Procrastination-consistently putting off things that can be done immediately  Perfectionism-going beyond trying to do your best and, the inability to achieve unrealistic goals which then contribute to feelings of dissatisfaction and failure.  “yesism” –the inability to say “no” extremely nice people who fear rejection.

Suggestions:  Write down realistic goals and priorities.  Assess current activities to determine whether they are essential, important or trivial  Develop a timeline  Allocate a certain number of time each day of the week for a project like a term paper.  Know where and when you can best complete a task

Suggestions, continued:  Know the circumstances under which you function the best, library, at home, with friends, alone, etc.  Do you concentrate best in the morning, afternoon or at night ?  When prioritizing, try categorizing: 1. Need to be done now 2. Wait a brief time 3. Not essential * Ask for help, say “no”, play each day!

Overcoming test-taking anxiety:  Plan to start studying a week before the test  Build your test taking self-esteem: on a 3x5 card write down 3 reasons why you will do well on the test, aim high and look at it often. Write + affirmations on the test  Get adequate sleep  Eat a balanced diet  During the test, if you get anxious, read affirmations.

Relaxation techniques for stress management:  Breathing  Yoga: 20 million American practice this  Qi Gong (pronounced chee-kong) practiced in china for 2000 years, it is one of the most fastest growing popular mind-body exercises. Taps into meridians, energy pathways. When your “chi” becomes stagnant, you feel sluggish and disease may occur.

Summary:  Stress is part of our lives.  The GAS involves physiological responses to real and imagined stresses.  Stress that accumulates can compromise the immune system.  College can be very stressful.  There are healthy ways to manage stress and unhealthy ways which add more stress to the mind-body-spirit.