How to stay mentally healthy. Aka reducing stress in your lives.

What am I? Nobody can escape me. I am sometimes good and sometimes harmful to your health. I can be the spice of life. I can be life threatening.

Stress

The effect of an event on your mind and body, these effects can be both helpful or harmful; the forms of stress can be either positive or negative. Good = Eustress Bad= Distress

What stresses you out?

Signs of stress in our lives?

Fight or Flight

Get to know YOUR Adrenalin “triggers”

Signs of stress overload Increased physical illness (headaches, stomach aches, muscle pains, chronic fatigue) “Shutting down” and withdrawal from people and activities increased anger or irritability, or lashing out at others Increased tearfulness and feelings of hopelessness Chronic feelings of nervousness and worry Difficulty sleeping or eating Difficulty concentrating

What do you do when you are stressed out? Bad stuff we do? –Cope by using alcohol or drugs –Over eat or not eat enough –Excessive exercise –Lose touch with friends –Physically take it out on someone or something –Shut people out, keep things inside

How to stay mentally healthy? Look at Lifestyle habits Care for yourself Well-balanced diet Decrease intake of junk food and caffeine Regular exercise and relaxation Adequate sleep Make time for things you like to do Build a support system

Mastering stress Spend at least 30 minutes outside everyday Perform low intensity exercise everyday (e.g. walking, yoga, pilates) Eat regular and balanced meals to keep blood sugar levels at an ideal level Use only small hits of carbohydrates when mood is low – 40g or 160 calories

Mastering stress – any other ideas? 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, Deep breathing

Change your thinking Look at things more positively See problems as opportunities Have realistic expectations Challenge negative thoughts Keep a sense of humour Specific: one goal Measurable: check it off Achievable: realistic? Rewarded: decide how Time-limited: set a due date

Exam Stress Have healthy escapes during studying. Get a good night’s sleep the night before the exam. Have healthy snacks that are ready to grab and go. Be positive! Students are hard on themselves! See if you can find ways to break down the big projects into “bite-size” or more manageable pieces. Remember the importance of laughter. Keep perspective. It really is NOT the end of the world… Praise yourself for your efforts! Just do your best…that’s all any of us can do.

Replace alarm with relaxation Take a deep breath when you get bad news Give yourself time to react Count to ten before responding Write down your thoughts or talk to someone Keep it in perspective …what’s the big picture here… Have faith, things will work out...

Be Resilient Resilient: capable of returning to an original shape or position, as after having been compressed. Aka “bouncing back” Keep tabs on yourself: “How am I feeling emotionally?” “What is my body telling me?” Practice a variety of healthy coping strategies.

Be a cheerleader for yourself! Think Positively – your body responds to the messages you give it!

Stress Balls Thank-you