2. Objectives Understand how your body responds to stress.
Identify common sources of stress.
Describe effective tools for stress management.
Create your own stress management plan.

3. Introduction
Stress has been linked to percent of all disease and illness
67% of adults say they experience great stress at least once per week
Stress can be associated with positive or negative experiences

4. What Is Stress?
Stress A physical, social, or psychological event that disrupts the body’s normal state and that the body tries to adapt to. Stressor Any event or circumstance that the body tries to adapt to; may be threatening, unfamiliar, disturbing, or exciting. Stress Response A set of reactions (physical and emotional) that your body initiates in response to a stressor. Eustress: Positive stress (can be motivating) Distress: Negative stress (can reduce wellness)

5. Sources of Stress
The first step in managing stress is to recognize the causes and to be aware of the symptoms.

6. Stressors
Major - create emotional turmoil or require tremendous amounts of adjustment.
Personal Crises
Job/School-related pressures
Major age-related transitions
Minor - shorter-term or less severe
Traffic hassles, peer/work relations, time pressures, family squabbles
Stressors vary in severity. Because stressors vary in magnitude and duration, many experts categorize them by
severity.
Major stressors create major emotional turmoil or require tremendous amounts of adjustment. This category includes
personal crises (e.g., major health problems or death in the family, divorce/separation, financial problems, legal problems) and
job/school-related pressures or major age-related transitions (e.g., college, marriage, career, retirement).
Minor stressors are generally viewed as shorter-term or less severe. This category includes events or problems such as traffic hassles, peer/work relations, time pressures, and family squabbles.
Major stressors can alter daily patterns of stress and impair our ability to handle the minor stressors of life, while minor stressors can accumulate and create more significant problems. It is important to be aware of both types of stressors.

7. Types of Stressors Environmental Physiological
Emotional*(psycho-social)
There are different types of stressors:
Environmental: heat, noise, crowding
Physiological: drugs, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, over-exertion, fatigue
Emotional (Psycho-social): Life events, relationships, responsibility, pressures
Of the three, psychosocial stressors generally are considered to be the most stressful.
There are many kinds of stressors. Environmental stressors include heat, noise, overcrowding, climate, and terrain. Physiological stressors are such things as drugs, caffeine, tobacco, injury, infection or disease, and physical effort.
Emotional stressors are the most frequent and important stressors. Some people refer to these as psychosocial
stressors. These include life-changing events, such as a change in work hours or line of work, family illnesses,
deaths of relatives or friends, and increased responsibilities. In school, pressures such as grades, term papers, and
oral presentations induce stress. A national study of daily experiences indicated that more than 60 percent of all
stressful experiences fall into a few areas (see Table 1). 6

8. Major Sources of Stress
Psychosocial, including from:
Change
Hassles
Performance demands
Inconsistent goals and behaviors
Conflict
Overload and burnout
Environmental sources

9. Major Sources of Stress
Racial, ethnic, or cultural isolation can affect stress levels.
Internal sources, including:
Low self-esteem (sense of positive self-regard).
Low self-efficacy (confidence in personal skills).

10. Stress-Prone Personalities
Type A
Time-urgency
Competitive
Anger and hostility
Type D – “Distressed”
Negative emotion (anxiety & depression)
“Social Inhibition,” or the tendency not to express negative emotions in social interactions.
Most people are not just one personality type.
Contrast with psychological hardiness

11. Personality Type & Stress
Type A
Increased risk of heart disease (anger, cynicism, hostility)
React more explosively to stressors
Type B
Kobasa found “hardy” people coped more positively with stress & found fewer stressful situations

12. Other factors: Family background Cultural background Gender roles
Past experiences

13. Characteristics of Stressful Events
Negative
Uncontrollable
Ambiguous
These are some common characteristics of stressful events.
Negative stress is considered harder to accept than positive stress. So while the stress of getting ready for a wedding may be high it is not as bad as worrying about losing a job
Uncontrollable stress is worse than something that you can control. In general, taking what control you have in a situation is about the best way to reduce your level of stress
Ambiguous stress is also harder to accept. This related to the question about job stress. With poorly defined or vague expectations stress is more likely. 8

14. Reactions to Stress All people have a general reaction to stress.
Fight-or-Flight response
Men more prone to hostility
Women – tend & befriend
In the early 1900s, Walter Cannon identified the fight-or-flight response to threat. According to his model, the body
reacts to a threat by preparing to either fight or flee the situation. The body prepares for either option through the
activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). When the SNS is activated, epinephrine (adrenaline) and
norepinephrine are released to focus attention on the task at hand. Heart rate and blood pressure increase to deliver oxygen to the muscles and essential organs, the eyes take in more light to increase visual acuity, and more sugar is released into the bloodstream to increase energy level. At the same time, nonessential functions like digestion and urine production are slowed. Figure 3 depicts some of the many physiological changes that occur during this process. Once the immediate threat has passed the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) takes over in an attempt to restore the body to homeostasis and conserve resources. The PNS largely reverses the changes initiated by the SNS (e.g., slows heart rate and returns blood from the muscles and essential organs to the periphery).

15. The Stress Response Steps: The senses and brain perceive a threat.
The brain sends a signal, releasing several hormones into your bloodstream.
More hormones are released by your adrenal glands.
These “stress hormones” trigger the conversion of stored fat, protein, and carbohydrates into glucose for energy to respond.
The physiological result is the “fight or flight” syndrome: the body reaches a heightened state of stress-related readiness to either flee from or confront a threat.
Fight or flight response/Tend or befriend model.

16. The Stress Response

17. The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
A model of stress reaction based on the idea of homeostasis: a state of physiological equilibrium.
Stages of the general adaptation syndrome:
Alarm
Resistance
Exhaustion
Hans Seyle’s work is credited with recognizing that sustained stress takes a toll on wellness.

18. The General Adaptation Syndrome

19. Other Ways Stress Causes Harm
Allostasis
The many changes that occur in the body in order to maintain homeostasis.
Allostatic Load
Long-term wear and tear on the body caused by prolonged/chronic stress.
Allostatic load can result from either too many or too few stress hormones released into your system as a result of sustained stress and stressors.

20. Kinds of Harm Stress Can Cause
Cardiovascular disease – heart rate + & risks greater for hypertension, heart attack, and stroke.
Immune system function impairment. Too much stress over a long period can negatively regulate cellular immune responses.
Mental disability, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

21. Health problems linked to stress
Cardiovascular problems
Cancer
Colds
Chronic infections
Asthma
Allergies
Digestive problems
Headaches
Insomnia
Fatigue
Injuries
Pregnancy complications

22. ABC News: Stress Management
Discussion Questions:
In what situations have school, friends, family, or work caused you to eat when you were not hungry?
How is “cortisol-induced stress fat” different from storage of fat caused by non–stress-related eating?
What are the health risks for both types of fat accumulation?
How does the perception of hopelessness, helplessness, and defeat influence cortisol levels in the body?

23. Contemporary Views of the Nature of Stress
The Process of Stress
Appraisal
Coping
Stressor
Stress
Outcome
This slide shows a contemporary view of stress. This model acknowledges that stress effects people differently. Everyone is exposed to stressors but we might vary in how we appraise a stressful situation and how we cope with that stress
The amount or intensity of stress is not the main factor affecting one’s health, it’s how a person manages, copes or deals with the stress the determines negative or positive impact.

24. Stress - Appraisal & Response
High Stress
Healthy
See stressor as a threat
Stressor
Stress
Appraisal
Response
See stressor as a challenge
This slide shows the details of the appraisal process. A given stressor can lead to high or low stress depending on how it is appraised. Seeing stress as an opportunity for success versus an opportunity for failure are key aspects of the appraisal process.
Low Stress
Unhealthy

25. Hardiness Commitment Control Challenge
Individuals high in “Hardiness” have fewer stress related problems due to the way they perceive stress and the coping mechanisms they use (“approach” coping instead of “avoidance” coping)
Psychologists have proposed a construct called Hardiness that describes a theoretical “stress resistant” personality. People that are Hardy are
committed to their life,
take control over their situation and
see stressors as challenges to overcome rather than opportunities for failure

26. Unhealthy Responses to Stress
What are some unhealthy responses to Stress?
Smoking
Overeating or poor nutrition
Alcohol/Drugs
Procrastination
Avoidance
Ignoring/Suppressing
Frustration

27. Effective Tools for Stress Management
Exercise and get physical activity.
Cultivate basic wellness measures:
Eat right, get enough sleep, avoid tobacco and alcohol.
Change your behavioral responses:
Assess the stressor.
Change your response.
Look into cognitive coping strategies.
Prepare ahead of stressful events.
Calm down & breathe deeply

28. Techniques For Managing Stress
Social Support
Communication
Physical activity
Eat well
Adequate Sleep
Time management
Spirituality
Journal writing

29. Physical Activity Helps you to adapt to stressful situations
Provides a break from reality (“Time Out” hypothesis)
Improves mood and self-esteem
Reduces anxiety and depression
Can aid in changing behaviors related to health
Exercise has many benefits in terms of stress management. It provides a break in the day and the chance to temporarily forget about the stressors. It also improves mood and can increase confidence and self-esteem.
The physiological changes associated with exercise (breathing, increased body temperature) help to relieve symptoms of stress naturally. 17

30. Relaxation Techniques
Progressive relaxation
Visualization
Meditation
Deep breathing
Hatha yoga
Tai chi
Music
Biofeedback
Hypnosis

31. Time Management Set priorities Work when you are most productive
Set realistic goals
Break tasks into parts
Do the least favorite tasks first
Delegate responsibilities
Learn to say “NO”
Take breaks and have some fun!

32. Cognitive Techniques Only worry about things you control
Problem-solve for peace of mind
Keep expectations reasonable
Make self-talk positive
Un-clutter you mind
Forget the past and focus on the future
Learn to laugh at yourself
Learn to be flexible and forgiving

33. Social Support Effective in stress management.
May be particularly important for women. (Tend or Befriend Model)
Variety of sources
Obtaining social support requires close relationships
Accountability & Prayer groups
Quality, not quantity that counts
Women may be particularly likely to seek and provide social support when stressed. A paradigm called the “tend or befriend” model suggests that women have a unique stress response. Women respond to stress by tending to others (nurturing) and affiliating with a social group (befriending). This response is helpful in protecting offspring and reducing the risk for the negative health consequences of stress.

34. Preventing Negatives from Stress
Be physically active
Get sufficient sleep
Build a strong social support system
Allow time for recreation
Engage in effective time management
Tips to prevent excessive stress

35. Effective Tools for Stress Management
Manage your time, thoughts, and emotions:
Assess and prioritize how you spend your time.
Positive “self-talk”
Manage negative emotions and anger (Eph. 4:26)
Engage in meaningful spiritual practice:
Spirituality has been found in studies to correlate with a reduced perception of stress.
Prayer (Phil. 4:6-7)
Sharing your burden (Phil. 4:14 & Gal. 6:2)
Anger – Eph. 4:26 – “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Phil. 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything , but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Phil. 4:14 Paul tells the church in Phillipi that “ it was good for them to share in my troubles.”
Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

36. Creating Your Own Stress-Management Plan
Step One: Assess Yourself Use Lab 10.1 to get started. Step Two: Plan for Change Select one stress-producing behavior pattern to focus on changing. Step Three: Chart Your Progress Use a journal to record progress, set-backs, data, and your thoughts on the process. Use it to make a plan and revise as needed.