Get a Grip!! Managing Stress and Anxiety

Stress Hans Selye “stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental.” Selye believed the biochemical effects of stress would be experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive or negative.

What is Stress? A combination of physiological and emotional responses to an event or situation a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense survival mechanism used to respond to perceived dangers stress is a powerful internal communication to raise awareness source of energy due to the release of hormones secreted during the physiological stress response

What is Stress? Physiological responses include Increased heart rate Increased blood pressure Sweating Dry mouth Headaches Cognitive and Emotional responses include Cognitive and Emotional responses include Negative self talk Restlessness Inability to concentrate

Negative Self Talk words our inner dialogue uses when we think can increase our stress levels by limiting our potential Can color our experience in a negative light When you tell yourself something is ‘difficult’ or ‘unfair’, it becomes more stressful to deal with than if you tell yourself it’s a ‘challenge’, or even a ‘test’ Patterns of negative self-talk typically begin in childhood the negative self-talk habit may have been coloring thinking for years

Promoting Positive Self Talk 1.Notice your patterns: The first step toward change is to become more aware of the problem. You may not realize how often you say negative things in your head, or how much it affects you 2.Journal Writing: keeping a journal can be an effective tool for examining your inner process. 3.Thought-Stopping: As you notice yourself saying something negative in your mind, try to alter your thought mid-stream my saying to yourself “Stop”.

What causes stress? Academic pressure Frustration Perception of lack of time to meet demands Difficulty making decisions Social pressures

What causes stress? Stress building beliefs Perfectionism Feeling a constant pressure to achieve Self criticism Inability to feel a sense of accomplishment or achievement

What causes stress? Stress building beliefs Control Have to be in control at all times Worry about how other perceive you when you are nervous Feel that a lack of control is a sign of weakness/failure

What causes stress? Stress building beliefs People Pleasing Self esteem depends on other’s opinion of you Better at caring for others than yourself Repress negative feelings to avoid displeasing others

What causes stress? Stress building beliefs Competence Feel as though you cannot do as good a job as others Feel that your judgement is poor Feel you lack common sense

Managing Stress Lead a balanced life, don’t overdo studies or recreation Understand and accept personal strengths and weaknesses Take frequent breaks during study periods Expand your support network Exercise regularly Learn and practice relaxation skills

Managing stress “Living a stress-free life is not a reasonable goal. The goal is to deal with it actively and effectively.” - David Spiegel, Ph.D.

Managing stress Anticipatory Planning Set realistic long and short term goals Maintenance time Break up large tasks into smaller chunks Take breaks! Give yourself rewards!!!

Managing stress Time Management Monitor yourself Schedule tasks Build in breaks and reward time Build in maintenance time OVERESTIMATE the time needed for each task! Get down and just do it!

Managing stress Anxiety Reduction Take charge of your situation Get good sleep Exercise regularly Relaxation techniques Quiet time Talk to your friends Get consultation if you need help with work

Managing stress Positive Thinking Don’t deny your anxiety Review your accomplishments Remember you have overcome hurdles before Don’t get caught up in negative thinking Positive imagery Focus on small achievable goals Congratulate yourself for small steps Nobody’s perfect, you’re doing just fine!

Managing stress Attitude Check! Attitude affects how successful you are at completing your goals and how you feel! Are you willing to learn? Do you try your best when studying? Do you demonstrate enthusiasm? Do you welcome challenges? Do you have a sense of humor?

7 Steps to a New Attitude Be confident Be positive Be punctual Be patient Believe in yourself Set goals for yourself Get fun out of life

Managing Stress Relaxation Deep Breathing Exercises 1.Lie down or sit in a comfortable chair 2.Your body should be as relaxed as possible 3.Close your eyes and scan your body for tension 4.Pay attention to your breathing 5.Place one hand on the part of your chest or abdomen that seems to raise and fall with each breath

Managing Stress Relaxation Deep Breathing Exercises 6. Breathe through your nose 7. Notice if your chest is moving in harmony with you abdomen 8. Now place one hand on your abdomen and one on your chest 9. Inhale deeply and slowly through your mouth 10.Relax as you focus on the sound and feeling of long, slow, deep breaths

Managing Exam Anxiety 1.Stay on a regular schedule of reviewing, eating, sleeping and relaxing 2.Try to start this pattern several days if not weeks before the exam 3.Don’t try to study 24 hours per day 4.Don’t force yourself to study beyond your normal limits of concentration 5.Short, regular study periods are more productive than lengthy single sessions

Managing Exam Anxiety 6.Eat a well balanced diet 7.Drink lots of fluids 8.Don’t use drugs or alcohol 9.Be reasonable and conservative about the demands you place on yourself

Alcohol and Stress Alcohol can have negative effects on performance

Heavy Drinking Impaired transfer of information from short to long term memory Attention span shortened up to 48 hours of drinking Disrupts sleep cycle, including REM sleep – you may feel tired even after 7-8 hours sleep Hangovers aren’t fun

What does that mean? Information learned before drinking is harder to remember Harder to pay attention on work Alcohol-induced sleep problems may decrease learning abilities So…. Drink responsibly and in moderation and balance academic and social lives

Moderate Drinking Moderate drinking (1 or 2 drinks) can impair learning and health Alcohol consumed up to 6 hours before bedtime can affect sleep patterns

Alcohol and Sleep A drink or two before bed may help you fall asleep, BUT as the alcohol is metabolized during the night, sleep is lighter and more disturbed The more you drink, the faster you fall asleep, but the more disturbed the sleep Sleep disturbances lead to fatigue during the day

Sleep Do you need more rest? It takes you at least an hour to fall asleep each night You struggle to get out of bed when your alarm sounds You worry about getting enough sleep most nights If you wake up during the night you can’t get back to sleep You use sleeping pills or alcohol to help you sleep You feel exhausted You sleep in or take naps to compensate for lack of sleep You get drowsy during the day

How to improve sleeping Know and get the sleep your body needs (sleep without an alarm to determine your body’s needs) Keep a regular sleep schedule Exercise regularly Avoid caffeine and alcohol Wake up early Relax and unwind the last hour before bed Deal with worries before bed by reviewing concerns and considering possible solutions