1. What is stress?
L.O. Definition of stress – Different types of stress L.O. Describe the symptoms of stress. L.O. Identify strategies that help.

2. Make a list of 5 things that make you stressed?   1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

3. How do you feel when you are stressed?

4. What do you do when you are stressed?

5. Starter: What do these words mean?
Chronic
Acute
Eustress
De-stress
Fight or Flight
GAS model

6. What is stress?
Stress – ‘relationship between the person and the environment that is seen as taxing ones resources or damaging well-being’ - ‘response to a stressor’ Stressful events = ‘Stressors’ (a stimulus which is threatening and causes a stress response)

7. What is stress Dr Dan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nm95BT3MnU
Psychologists have 3 definitions:
Stress as an external stimulus
Stress as an internal response
Stress as a transaction

8. Stress as an external stimulus
External stimulus which places strain on the individual
Taking an Exam
Moving House
Divorce
New Job

9. Stress as an internal response
Internal reaction to a stressor
Stress is happening inside the person rather than outside
Stress responses – psychological and physiological changes produced by stress

10. Stress as a transaction
Transaction between the individual and the environment – stress is seen in terms of the meanings people give to both their environment and their ability to cope with it. Stress as a transaction sees stressors and stress response resulting from how people interpret the events and their coping strategies.

11. Negative and Positive Aspects
In short term – low levels of stress can be stimulating, motivating and desirable. Without stress life would have no challenges In the long term – stress is a negative and harmful state which threatens psychological and physical well-being

12. Types of stress
Acute Stress (short term) Time limited events Chronic stress (long term) Stress caused by harmful but stable conditions of life Eustress Stress can have a positive influence on performance or well-being

13. Fight or Flight response
Walter Cannon (1932) idea of flight or fight response provides a relationship between arousal and stress. ‘response to a stressor that results in a state of physiological arousal so that the individual is prepared to take flight or fight”

14. Acute stress response
Your brain is on the look out for anything that threatens to upset it, if so it triggers off an 'alarm reaction'.
The alarm reaction prepares your body for action - sometimes known simply as the 'fight or flight reaction'.
Stress hormones and the action of the sympathetic nervous system prepare your body for vigorous muscular activity as follows:

16. What effect does stress have on the body?

17. The effects of stress
Physiological
Emotional
Cognitive
Behavioural
Health
Physiological – increased blood pressure and heart rate, expansion of air passages in lungs and possible breathing difficulties, release of adrenaline and noradrenaline
Emotional – anxiety, depression, apathy, anger, helplessness
Cognitive – poor concentration, distractability, short-term memory
Behavioural – loss of appetite, restlessness, excessive drinking, poor sleep, confrontation or withdrawal
Health – Fatigue, CHD, Ulcers, Headaches, migraines, weakened immune system

18. Stress as an evolutionary response
Stress is an adaptive and evolutionary response
Stamford University

19. Discussion
Human stress mechanisms have not evolved to cope with modern society. The mechanisms are more damaging to health than helpful. Many stress situations are not life threatening – so why do we have a flight or fight response?