Chapter 14 Stress, Recovery, And Sleep

Question 1

Stressor

Answer 1

Something that disrupts homeostasis

Question 2

Stress response

Answer 2

A reaction to a stressor - designed to get our attention, manage a threat, deal with any damage produced, and return our bodies to homeostasis as soon as possible.

Question 3

homeostasis

Answer 3

the state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions maintained by living systems. This is the condition of optimal functioning for the organism and includes many variables, such as body temperature and fluid balance, being kept within certain pre-set limits.

Question 4

physical stressors

Answer 4

physical activity
poor nutrition
low energy intake and fasting
poor quality or not enough sleep
pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites)
illness
alcohol or drugs and medications
smoking
injury
jet lag
pregnancy and breastfeeding

Question 5

mental stressors

Answer 5

anxiety, rumination and racing thoughts
too many cognitive demands (such as multitasking)
decision fatigue
information overload
poor mindset and mental skills
perfectionism
having to function in your non-native language
mental illness

Question 6

decision fatigue

Answer 6

breakdown in reasoning after having to make too many decisions

Question 7

rumination

Answer 7

constantly worrying or focusing on negative thoughts or feelings

Question 8

perfectionism

Answer 8

a persistent urge to be perfect or feeling not good enough

Question 9

emotional stressors

Answer 9

grief, loss, sadness, depression
anger, aggression
shame, guilt
fear and apprehension
feeling alone, isolated, and/or disconnected from others

Question 10

existential stressors

Answer 10

meaninglessness, purposelessness
hopelessness, apathy
depression and despair
loss of certainty or belief system
worrying about one's place in the world

Question 11

relational/ social stressors

Answer 11

unsupportive or dysfunctional relationships/relationship conflict
loneliness, isolation
social rejection or judgment
lack of “belonging” or community
low social status
cultural misfit or culture shock (moving to a new country or culture)

Question 12

environmental stressors

Answer 12

disrupted light-dark circles
pollution and toxins
noise, odors
extreme conditions (heat, cold, altitude)
chaos
violence

Question 13

allostatic load

Answer 13

total sum of all stressors from any origin

Question 14

stress response pattern

Answer 14

1. we begin in homeostasis
2. we encounter a stressor that disrupts that homeostasis
3. we enter an “alarm phase” as we respond to the disruption
4. we recover and rebuild
5. we enter a new homeostasis baseline

Question 15

ATP turnover

Answer 15

the relationship between ATP availability and use

Question 16

catecholamines

Answer 16

a group of hormones that include our stress hormones and some neurotransmitters

Question 17

micro-damage

Answer 17

very minor damage to tissues and cells

Question 18

microphages

Answer 18

a type of immune cell that cleans up wastes and debris

Question 19

much of the behavior you see in your clients will be a response to stress

Answer 19

many clients will come to you in a moment of crisis, suffering, or anxiety (such as medical scare, injury, or life transition). This is crucial to understand.
“bad habits” aren’t just random choices, or evidence that a person is “lazy”, “unmotivated”, or “self-destructive”.
instead, behaviors are often attempts to cope with stress, anxiety, trauma, overwhelming emotions, and other difficult experiences.
Importantly: all behavior, even “bad” behavior, is an attempt to solve a problem.

Question 20

eustress

Answer 20

“good stress” that boosts our learning and growth

Question 21

distress

Answer 21

“bad stress” that breaks us down

Question 22

whether something is “stressful” or not, and what type of stress it is, will depend on our interpretation of and relationship to that stress. it will also depend on:

Answer 22

how long the stress lasts
how intense the stress is
how well we can recover from it

Question 23

coaching depends on a little bit of “good stress” and challenge that’s buffered by support from the coach.

Answer 23

when we respond, recover, and adapt well, stress makes us better. we learn, grow, change, heal, and improve.

Question 24

good stress

Answer 24

is short-lived
is infrequent
is over quickly (minutes or hours)
can be part of a positive life experience
inspires us to action
helps build us up - leaves us better than we were before

Question 25

bad stress

Answer 25

lasts a long time
is chronic
is ongoing
is negative, depressing, and demoralizing
de-motivates and paralyzes us
breaks us down - it leaves us worse off than we were before

Question 26

our ____ and ____ systems are key players in stress recovery

Answer 26

nervous and immune

Question 27

Central Nervous System (CSN)

Answer 27

the part of the nervous system made up of the brain and spinal cord; translates signals to coordinate the activity of all parts of the body

Question 28

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Answer 28

the system that organizes the basic functions of the body

such as our heartbeat and temperature regulation, the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system

Question 29

enteric nervous system

Answer 29

the “second brain” in the GI Tract

Question 30

mindfulness-based stress reduction

Answer 30

exercises involving purposeful relaxation, self-awareness, and/or meditation

Question 31

growth mindset

Answer 31

persistence, openness, and learning from setbacks

Question 32

you don’t need to be a psychologist to help your clients improve their mental skills and resilience. simple coaching techniques can do the job just fine.

Answer 32

ex. planning and preparation
emphasize strategic thinking and tactical preparation:
basic planning and preparation - such as getting into the routine of checking ones calendar every day, looking ahead a few days, anticipating reasonably common obstacles, and devising a rough plan to deal with them - improves clients’ sense of control and self-efficacy.

Question 33

visualization

Answer 33

mental rehearsal through directed imagery

Question 34

5 whys

Answer 34

having a purpose lowers our stress, or at least makes suffering feel more bearable and valuable.
Asking clients about their reasons for doing things, and reviewing those reasons occasionally, can build their resilience by connecting their challenges to an ultimate goal. when we feel like hard work has a purpose, we’re much more willing to do it, and much less prone to despair or hopelessness when it’s difficult

Question 35

strengths-focused coaching

Answer 35

rather than focusing on “problems”, “failures”, or “flaws”, strengths-focused coaching looks for what’s gone right and what’s good about your client

Question 36

innate immune system

Answer 36

a non-specific first line of defense of physical and chemical barriers to pathogens

Question 37

adaptive immune system

Answer 37

a targeted, learned immune system response to specific pathogens
a more sophisticated system composed of highly specialized cells and processes. it kicks in when the innate immune system is overcome.

Question 38

the effect of exercise on immunity

Answer 38

people who never exercise get sick pretty often
people who exercise between once a month and three times a week did the best
people who exercise more than four times a week get sick most often.

Question 39

how an athlete trains - and how aggressively they pursue recovery - will play a role in both their innate and adaptive immune response

Answer 39

after one prolonged vigorous exercise session, we’re more susceptible to infection. ex. running a marathon may temporarily suppress the adaptive immune system for up to 72 hours.
however, one brief vigorous exercise session doesn’t cause the same immune-suppressing effect. further, just one moderate-intensity exercise session can actually boost immunity in healthy athletes.
chronic resistance training seems to stimulate innate (but not adaptive) immunity, while chronic moderate endurance exercise seems to strengthen the adaptive immune system.

Question 40

coordinating the neuro-immunological response

Answer 40

physiologically, responding to a stressor involves preparing the body to experience harm.
when we identify a potential threat, whether internal(worry or self-critical thought) or external (intimidating workout, or social rejection), parts of our brain such as the amygdala and the hippocampus send a signal to the hypothalamus. this begins the process through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Question 41

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

Answer 41

a feedback loop between hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands, involved in stress response
stage one - orient to the new stimulus
stage two - fight-flight
stage three - freeze-faint

Question 42

control is a key factor in our perception of stress

Answer 42

as a coach, you can use simple tools and techniques to calm your clients, and help them feel more in control of their experiences.
“You’re the boss” simply letting clients know that they’re in charge of their own process may relieve stress. “remember that this is your journey; I’m just here to facilitate.” I can offer advice and give you my opinion, but ultimately this is your decision. you’re the boss of what comes next.
“Here’s what to expect” explaining your process clearly beforehand, as well as what to expect at each step, helps clients manage uncertainty.
so your online coaching program works likes this. each day you’ll sign in to your PN homepage, and you’ll see some materials to read, a workout, and a little task to do, which we call a habit or practice.
“It’s okay not to change right now”
paradoxically, explicitly “allowing” your client not to change tends to make them more willing to change.
“what can you control? Let’s focus there.” Sphere of control exercise.

Question 43

Each of us has a unique “recovery zone”, whether that’s physical or psychological. This recovery zone depends on several factors, such as:

Answer 43

our genetic makeup and epigenetic expression (changes to genetic expression from environmental stimuli)
our allostatic load
our attitude and outlook
our life experience
our perception of control
our possible tendency to be "control freaks"
our ability to deal with our emotions 
our environment
our support network

Question 44

the challenge-support relationship

Answer 44

as the challenge goes up, so should support and recovery

Question 45

sleep rules our recovery and metabolism

Answer 45

getting enough good quality sleep helps us:
lose fat
gain muscle
recover and repair
regulate our blood sugar and blood lipids
regulate our hormones
regulate our hunger, appetite, and satiety
clean up and get rid of waste products
(the opposite happens when we don’t sleep enough or well.

Question 46

melatonin

Answer 46

a hormone secreted in response to darkness

Question 47

nutritional recovery

Answer 47

build a foundation of consistent fundamentals
lean protein at most meals
colorful fruits and vegetables at most meals
nutrient-dense, slower digesting complex carbohydrates at most meals
healthy fats (incl. if possible, balancing pro-inflammatory omega-6 and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids) at most meals
whole, minimally processed foods at most meals
drink enough water and choose drinks w/o calories when possible (incl. keep alcohol intake to a minimum)

Question 48

mental and emotional recovery

Answer 48

mind-body scan
20 minutes of purposeful de-stressing (leisurely walk outside, seek out laughter, cuddling with a person or pet
taking an information vacation (opt out of social media, news, tv)
be active outside in nature
have crucial conversations with people