chapter 3 - stress management Flashcards
What is stress?
non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it.
The collective physiological and emotional responses to any stimulus that disturbs an individual’s homeostasis; accompanies the stress response
what is the stress-response?
The physiological changes associated with stress
Symptoms of stress:
Heart rate elevated.
Pupils dilate.
Respiration goes up.
Sweating
what are stressors?
any situation or event (physical or psychological) that produces stress (physical and emotional reactions)
what is eustress?
positive stress, triggered by a pleasant stressor
characterized by feelings of excitement, motivation, and a sense of fulfillment.
explain positive stress (eustress)
a type of stress that is experienced as a positive and beneficial force in a person’s life, rather than as a negative or harmful one.
how is eustress different than distress?
distress is typically associated with negative emotions and can be detrimental to one’s well-being.
what does some evidence suggest stress can help improve?
immune system, however chronic stress can be counterproductive and can cause burn out
what triggers distress?
an unpleasant event
examples of positive stress
o Education
o Going on a date
o Winning the lottery
what forms can stress be?
Stress can be acute, episodic, or chronic, depending on the nature of the stressors that cause the stress response.
Acute or short-term stress
Acute or short-term stress can range from a pop quiz to a bomb threat and trigger a brief but intense response to a specific incident
Episodic stress
such as monthly bills, midterm exams cause regular intermittent elevations in stress levels.
Chronic stress:
include everything from rush hour traffic to learning disability.
cause health issues
what is the “ideal” amount of stress we should have in our life?
Ideally, the level of stress in our lives should be just high enough to motivate us to satisfy our needs and not so high that it interferes with our ability to reach our fullest potential.
Common Sources of Stress:
Major Life Changes: marriage, breakups, different geographical changes, homesickness, employment,
Daily Hassles
University
Employment
environment
social: peer pressure
internal: trauma, putting pressure on yourself, body image, succeed in university, family and financial pressures, time management (balancing what you have going on)
what do low levels of stress improve and high levels impair?
low levels of stress may improve memory, but high levels impair learning and memory and, over long term, may shrink an area of the brain called the hippocampus.
what plays a role in how memory and brain structure are impacted?
the type and duration of stressors
what can have detrimental effects on learning and memory.
high levels of stress, especially chronic or severe stress
Prolonged exposure to elevated levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol
The hippocampus and stress
The hippocampus is a brain region critically involved in memory formation and spatial navigation. Prolonged exposure to chronic stress has been associated with negative structural changes in the hippocampus.
what two systems are activated during physical stress?
Nervous system: the brain, spinal cord, and nerves
Endocrine system: a network of glands that release hormones into the bloodstream to regulate various bodily functions.
how does stress relate to the endocrine system?
Stress triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol from glands such as the adrenal glands, which prepare the body for a “fight or flight” response by increasing heart rate, energy production, and alertness, but chronic stress can have detrimental effects on health.
what nervous system is not under voluntary control?
autonomic system
what is the autonomic nervous system responsible for?
is like the automatic control center of your body, managing things you don’t consciously control, such as your heart rate, digestion, and sweating, to keep your body functioning smoothly without you having to think about it.
Involuntary
when is autonomic system activated?
times of arousal: emergency, fear or anger, respond to a crisis.
relaxation
what uses the neurotransmitter norepinephrine?
autonomic nervous system
Norepinephrine:
chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter, in the human body. It plays a crucial role in the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, often referred to as the “fight or flight” response.
when is norepinephrine released?
in response to stress or danger, and it helps prepare the body for action by increasing heart rate, narrowing blood vessels, and mobilizing energy resources.
It is sometimes also known as noradrenaline.
sympathetic division
a division of the autonomic nervous system that reacts to danger or other challenges by almost instantly accelerating body processes.
your body’s “gas pedal.” It gets your body ready for action in response to stress or danger, increasing heart rate, dilating pupils, and preparing you for a fight or flight response.
Parasympathetic Division:
A division of the autonomic nervous system that moderates the excitatory effect of the sympathetic division, slowing metabolism and restoring energy supplies
The parasympathetic nervous system is like your body’s “rest and digest” system. It helps calm you down after a stressful situation by slowing your heart rate, promoting digestion, and conserving energy.
Explain what stress is
Stress is the body’s response to challenges.
how do we respond to stress physically, emotionally and behaviorally?
People react physically with increased heart rate and hormones, emotionally with anxiety or frustration, and behaviorally through various coping mechanisms.
The sympathetic system is turned on when… and the parasympathetic system takes over when…
sympathetic system is turned on when we reach arousal from stress – we then realize that something is not worth stressing over. i.e., we are not in any danger – this is when parasympathetic system takes over.
what is the sympathetic system often called?
“fight or flight” system
what does sympathetic system prepare body for?
quick action and heightened alertness.
what is parasympathetic system known as?
“rest and digest” system
when is parasympathetic system activate?
during periods of relaxation and recovery
what does parasympathetic system help the body with?
Helps the body relax and restore after stress, maintaining overall balance.
Actions of the Endocrine system:
It uses hormones, chemical messengers produced by glands, to regulate various functions like growth, metabolism, and mood, helping different parts of the body communicate and work together to maintain balance and health.
what is the endocrine system like?
The endocrine system is like the body’s messaging system.
what does the endocrine system release?
Releases hormones into the blood stream
what are hormones?
Hormones are signaling molecules produced by various glands in the body, and they can have different chemical structures.
what are hormones made up of?
Some hormones are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, and these are referred to as protein or peptide hormones.
examples of protein hormones:
include insulin and growth hormone
what does the endocrine system do when we experience stress?
releases certain hormones into the bloodstream to help the body deal with the stressful situation.
what is a key hormone released when stressed?
adrenaline (epinephrine), which is produced by the adrenal glands.
what does adrenaline prepare body for?
a “fight or flight” response by increasing heart rate, boosting energy, and sharpening focus, among other effects.
This hormonal response helps us react quickly and effectively in highly stressful situations.
Hormones:
released by the endocrine glands travel through the bloodstream, allowing them to reach and affect virtually all cells throughout the body
what does the distribution of hormones enable?
communicate important instructions and coordinate various bodily functions, even when those functions involve distant organs or tissues.
what kind of tissue is incapable of releasing hormones?
nonendocrine tissue
nonendocrine tissue refers to any type of tissue in the body that is not involved in production and secretion of hormones
the adrenal medulla is considered a nonendocrine tissue, it releases ____ such as _____ and ____ in response to ______
the adrenal medulla is considered a nonendocrine tissue, it releases hormones such as adrenaline (epinephrine) and norepinephrine in response to the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system during the “fight or flight” response to stress.
where do hormones travel?
in blood to specific target organs
what are receptors? and how many does each cell have?
are specific to hormones such that only the correct hormone will “fit” the correct receptor—each cell has 2,000 to 10,000 specific receptors.
The hormone concentration in the bloodstream determines….
the magnitude of the effect at the tissue level.
what does playing sports or watching a scary movie dictate?
your perception which releases the specific hormone
what dictates the mode of hormonal action?
concentration in the blood stream
what does the endocrine system influence?
metabolism and other body processes
what does the endocrine system prepare the body for?
to respond to a wide range of internal and external stimuli to maintain overall homeostasis, which is the body’s ability to maintain stable internal conditions despite changes in the external environment.
what do the two systems (parasympathetic and sympathetic) release?
Release of chemical messengers
refers to the process by which hormones are secreted by endocrine glands or cells into the bloodstream or extracellular fluid.
what triggers the release of chemical messengers?
o Heart and respiration rates accelerate.
o Hearing and vision become more acute.
o Liver releases extra glucose into the bloodstream
o Perspiration increases to cool skin.
o Brain releases endorphins
what can be catabolic?
the production of too much cortisol
what is cortisol?
a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which are located on top of the kidneys.
how is cortisol catabolic?
in the sense that it promotes processes that break down complex molecules into simpler ones, releasing energy.
what does cortisol contrast with?
anabolic hormones, which promote the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones, requiring energy.
Epinephrin:
stimulating hormone which triggers body to do something.
Homeostasis:
Parasympathetic system takes over and halts the stress response.
Personality and stress:
Personality is the sum of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional tendencies – scientists know that this clearly affects how people perceive and react to stressors.
type A
ultra competitive, controlling, impatient, aggressive, hostile
Easily upset react explosively to stressors.
Highly correlated to immune system
Will wear you down overtime.
Type B
relaxed, contemplative, tolerant of others
React more calmly to stressors.
type c
C: difficulty expressing emotions, anger suppression, feeling of hopelessness and despair
Exaggerated stress response
type d
distressed personality
tendency to feel negative emotions (but not express) and avoid social contact with other; gloomy, socially inept, anxious.
which personalities have negative effects?
A,D
what is resilience?
the capacity to withstand and navigate difficult experiences, maintaining psychological and emotional well-being despite encountering hardships.
Non-reactive resilience:
person doesn’t react to stress.
Homeostatic resilience:
person may react strongly but returns to baseline functioning quickly.
Positive Growth:
person learns and grows from the stress experience
Hardiness and Resilience:
Hardiness is a form of optimism that enables people to deal more successfully with stress.
Resilience refers to personality traits associated with social and academic success in at-risk populations
Reactions to stress can be influences by:
Cultural background and family background
Gender role
Past experiences
what is general adaptation syndrome? (GAS)
a pattern of stress responses consisting of three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. Stress can be either eustress or distress.
what is the body trying to maintain
homeostasis
what is allostatic load?
refers to the long-term negative impact of the stress response on the body.
what is Psychoneuroimmunology?
Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of the interactions among the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.
stages of GAS
Alarm: body is more susceptible to disease or injury, may experience headaches, indigestion anxiety, disrupted eating or sleep patterns
Resistance: homeostasis develops, body becomes more resistant to disease and injury
Exhaustion: a life-threatening physiological state
who are at risk of a wide range of health problems?
People who have unresolved chronic stress in their lives or who handle stressors poorly
Coping mechanisms:
Exercise
Proper Nutrition – high protein diet
Adequate Sleep – essential for recovery
Social Support – positive environment and energy to help with your own mental health and daily production
Time Management – being organized to prevent stress in the long run
Mindfulness/meditation
