MODULE 2: The three S's- stress, sleep and self-regulation Flashcards
Stress
State of emotional strain or unease, and is a normal response to demanding situations experienced in day-to-day life
Where does stress come from?
Underlying biological mechanisms and hormones that activate the “fight-flight-fright response”
What physical changes are caused by stress?
Changes in HR, breathing, sweating and muscle tension; uptight, on edge, easily irritated
Adaptive stress
Small doses of stress are imp for being successful in day-to-day activities and building resilience so you can better cope with challenging situations
Examples of when stress may be beneficial
- exam stress
- financial stress
- social stress
Inverted U theory
Relation btwn pressure and performance
Inverted U theory- low pressure/stress
Boredom and weak performance; as pressure increases there is increased attention and interest
Inverted U theory- optimal performance
More pressure or stress can improve performance up to a certain point by preparing us to cope effectively w a challenge
Inverted U theory- high pressure
Stress too high, performance decreases; can lead to complete meltdown if no coping
Factors that can influence your responding to stress
- Thinking
- Action
Stress and thinking
-Focusing on negatives, overthinking problems, and worrying increases stress
-Keeping things in perspective and active problem solving can reduce stress
Action and stress
Being pro-active and tackling problems head-on is more helpful than avoiding them
Flow theory and absorption
Most people have times when they are totally immersed and absorbed in what they are doing where they perform optimally and feel relaxed and positive
- Ie. Dancing, physical activity, reading, music
Maladaptive stress
Stress that has shifted from helpful to harmful; can result in distress
Sleep
State of the mind and body characterized by altered or reduced consciousness
Good quality sleep
Falling asleep in 30min or less, sleeping through the night waking up no more than once and easily falling back asleep within 20 min of a disturbance
Importance of sleep
- role in physical and mental health
- repairing cells in body such as in heart and blood vessels
- brain functions such as emotional regulation and cognitive functioning
What does sleep have a bidirectional relationship with?
Mental health
Self regulation
Control over behaviour, thoughts, and emotions which interact w eachother
Self-regulation- behavioural level
Setting a healthy rhythm to your day, keeping a balanced routine that incorporates activities such as school/work and exercise etc. and good sleep hygiene
Self-regulation- cognitive level
Managing difficult, negative, or intrusive thoughts and worries and using cognitive strategies to manage stress
Cognitive strategies to manage stress
- spotting the intrusive thoughts that impact your mood, checking to see if they are realistic
- shifting from worry to problem solving
- looking for positive interpretations and mentally reframing
Self-regulation- emotional level
Slowing yourself down, calming and relaxing yourself, pausing and thinking before acting
Things in our control
- the schedule you set for yourself and the stress you subject yourself to
- how you cope and what emotional reactions you have
- benefits of a routine on sleep
Interconnectedness of the three S’s
Sleep, stress and self-regulation are interconnected determinants of your mental health that influence each other and increase resilience
Mechanisms underlying stress
- A simplified biology of the body’s stress response system
- Psychological contributors to stress
- Social contributors to stress
Fight or flight response
Acute stress response to fight off threat or flee a harmful situation OR in response to mental and emotional stress
Brain structures associated w stress
- Adrenal gland
- Hypothalamus
- Pituitary gland
Adrenal gland
Produces cortisol; a major hormonal mediator of the stress response
Hypothalamus
Controls release of hormones from the pituitary gland and links endocrine system to the nervous system
Pituitary gland
Major role in growth and development and controls the functioning of the other endocrine glands
The HPA axis step 1
Sudden onset of a stressor triggers the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from the hypothalamus
The HPA axis step 2
CRH stimulates the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary
The HPA axis step 3
Cortisol is secreted from the adrenal gland as the end product
What does the HPA axis response do during acute stress?
Helps you deal with the problem
ie. You momentarily freeze, your heart rate may increase, feel a rush of energy and your muscles may tense
The HPA axis step 4
Cortisol inhibits the loop through negative feedback; cortisol stops more CRH from being released causing no more ACTH to be released which means no more cortisol will be released.
Psychological factors that influence stress
- Thoughts
- Bodily sensations
- Feelings
- Behaviour
Social factors that increase stress
- history of trauma/neglect
- feeling excluded
- discrimination
- feeling trapped
- poverty
- limited social support
Social factors that reduce stress
- supportive social network
- strong social identity
- feeling a sense of belonging
- feeling heard and listened to
- access to opportunities
Inter-individual
Differences btwn diff people
ie. diff hair colours
Intra-individual
Differences within a person at diff times
ie. each persons hair is not exactly the same every day and changes in texture and length depending on diff exposures like type of product, diet, hormones etc.
Risk factors of stress
- Perfectionism and self-criticism
- Self-doubt and imposter syndrome
Perfectionism and self-criticism
Tendency to set unrealistically high expectations for yourself and others
Self-doubt and imposter syndrome
Comparing yourself to other people and think you aren’t good enough or don’t belong
Six strategies for tackling perfectionism, self-criticism and self-doubt
- Focus on strengths
- Avoid comparisons
- Mindfulness and self-compassion
- Good enough
- Challenge your beliefs
- Growth mindset
Equilibrium or allostasis
The process of responding to a challenge or stressor by triggering various biological and chemical processes to maintain balance
Wear-and-tear or allostatic load
Results from chronic or overwhelming stress
Ex. Chronic overactivity or sensitivity of the HPA axis- always firing and difficulty finding equilibrium
Signs and symptoms of chronic or overwhelming stress
- Cognitive changes
- Emotional changes
- Physical changes
- Behavioural changes
Cognitive changes of chronic or overwhelming stress
Difficulty w concentration, sustained attention, memory problems, difficulty w problem-solving, constant worrying
Emotional changes of of chronic or overwhelming stress
Moodiness, mood swings, irritability, sad, hopelessness, helpless, agitated, anxious, cant relax or enjoy things
Physical changes of chronic or overwhelming stress
Muscle tension, stomach/GI problems, change in appetite, rapid HR, high BP, headaches, fatigue, loss of sex drive, sleep problems
Behavioural changes of chronic or overwhelming stress
Changes in sleep, eating/hunger, social withdrawal, changes in productivity/performance, nervous habits, reliance on substances (drugs, alcohol, caffeine)
Arousal
Physiological and psychological state of being awoken or of sense organs stimulated to a point of perception; hypothalamus involved
What state is hypothalamus in during sleep?
Low arousal
How is high arousal triggered and why is it important?
Sudden onset of a stressor triggers release of CRH from hypothalamus; imp if you need to quickly respond to a stressful or threatening situation
Types and stages of sleep
Non-REM sleep: stage 1
Non-REM sleep: stage 2
Non-REM sleep: stage 3
REM sleep: stage 4
Non-REM sleep: stage 1
- Change from being awake to being asleep
-Brief and lasts only several min
-Characterized by light sleep that may involve a slowing of heartbeat, breathing and eye movements, relaxation of muscles and slowing brainwaves
Non-REM sleep: stage 2
-Period of light sleep before you enter deeper sleep
-Further slowing down of heartbeat and breathing
-Eye movements stop
-Deeper muscle relaxation
-Body temp drops
-Brainwaves slow even more but show brief bursts of activity
Non-REM sleep: stage 3
-Type of sleep you need to feel awake and refreshed the next day
-Longer periods during the first half of the night
-Further slowing of heartbeat and breathing (SLOWEST)
-Deeper muscle relaxation
-Brainwaves slow even more
-Difficult to wake you up
REM sleep: stage 4
-First stage involving REM (rapid eye movement)
- 90 min after you fall asleep
- Breathing, HR and blood pressure increase to be close to waking levels
-Brain waves have mixed frequency and start to resemble brain waves when you are awake
What stage of sleep does most dreaming occur?
REM
-Your limbs become temporarily paralyzed so you do not act out your dreams
Importance of REM sleep
Resetting your mental state and dispelling highly emotionally charged memories
Duration of REM episodes throughout the night
Get longer in duration and the most REM happens in last third of the night
Cognitive benefits of good quality sleep
Improved memory, attention and problem solving
Emotional benefits of good quality sleep
Increased positive emotions and decreased negative emotions
Physical benefits of good quality sleep
Keeping heart healthy, lowering blood pressure, aiding your immune system, regulating hormones associated w food cravings, coping w pain
Behavioural benefits of good quality sleep
Improved productivity
Circadian rhythms
Naturally occurring process which forms your biological clock; based on a 24 hour day and involve diff cycles that rely on biological mechanisms and the secretion of diff hormones
What happens if you disrupt your circadian rhythm?
Causes problems with the way the brain works and how they feel
Ex. Jet lag- decreased energy levels, reduced cognitive performance and increased emotional sensitivity
Cognitive changes of disrupted biological rhythms
Feeling fatigued, problems w attention, increased impulsivity and slower thinking
Physical changes of disrupted biological rhythms
Lower mood and increased feelings of stress, emotional reactivity, and irritability
Physical changes of disrupted biological rhythms
Reduced energy, changes in metabolism, difficulty maintaining healthy weight, reduced immune functioning and increased risk of illness and disease
Behavioural changes of disrupted circadian rhythms
Decreased productivity, difficulty falling asleep/waking up, difficulty maintaining a balanced routine
Impact of the fight-flight-fright response
Prepares you adaptively for coping- you can assess, think and move quickly and be alert
What does a highly reactive/sensitive system lead to?
Wear-and-tear on the nervous system
–>lower well-being
–>mental health problems
–> poor behavioural and emotional regulation
8 strategies for managing and minimizing stress
- Self-care
- Practice mindfulness
- Self-compassion
- Talk to someone
- Limit avoidance
- Concrete problem solving
- Take a break
- Recognize when you need further help
How can you practice mindfulness?
Being present through awareness of your immediate environment both outside (temp, sounds, smells, light) and inside (awareness of your thoughts and feelings as they happen)
How to initiate a conversation about sharing your stress
1.The process talk
2.Identification of a problem
3.Suggestions for ways they can help
The process talk
Tell a person you want to talk about your problems and tell them how you want the convo to go
Identification of a specific problem
Provide real-life examples of your problems
Suggestions for ways they can help
Telling people what you are looking for from the convo
What is concrete problem solving?
Check if you are worrying about a real problem or a hypothetical problem
-If it is real, be active, specific and concrete
Healthy strategies for sleep
- Routine
- Environment
- Consumption
- Exercise
- Mindfulness
- Support (sleep aid)
- Reduce worry (journaling)
Healthy strategies for sleep- routine
Going to bed and waking up at same time everyday helps w your circadian rhythms and will make it easier to fall asleep and wake up
Healthy strategies for sleep- environment
Avoid bright lights and loud sounds, make bed comfy, keep room at comfy temp
Healthy strategies for sleep- consumption
Avoid intense exercise, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and recreational drugs before bed; disrupts natural rhythms and sleep-wake cycles
Healthy strategies for sleep- mindfulness
Create a mental space to facilitate sleep, clear your mind, meditate on what you are thankful for or a positive affirmation to settle your mind
Healthy strategies for sleep- seek additional support
Pharmacological interventions (meds) or non-pharmacological interventions (therapy)
Healthy strategies for behavioural self-regulation
- Create a consistent and balanced routine
- Avoid shifted sleep
- Avoid frequent changes or disruptions in your routine
Healthy strategies for behavioural self-regulation- avoid shifted sleep
Avoid reversing day and night, disrupts circadian rhythm
Healthy strategies for emotional self-regulation
- Practice mindfulness
- Cognitive skills
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
Healthy strategies for emotional self-regulation- cognitive skills
- Reframing to see a positive rather than a negative
-Be nice to yourself
-Be understanding
-Be versatile
-Be a good communicator
