Stress Management Flashcards
What is stress?
Stress is defined by a disturbance in your physical and/or emotional state due to a real or perceived threat, aggravation, or excitement that disturbs the body’s “normal” physiological state and to which the body must try to adapt. (Hopson 312)
Have you ever given a speech and felt your heart pounding, your breath quickening, your palms sweating, your muscles tightening and a feeling of “butterflies” in your stomach? That was the stress response; your body’s way of preparing you to deal with a demanding situation. While everyone’s physical response to stress is somewhat similar, people’s emotional and behavioral responses vary greatly. These variations are brought about by differences in temperament, health, life experiences, personality, beliefs, and coping skills.
Stress prepares the body for action which is both necessary and life-saving. Our brain is like a threat detector, alerting us to the dangers around us so we can survive in emergency situations. However, if your brain (your thoughts) interprets threats repeatedly throughout the day even when it’s not an emergency, you exhaust your body’s ability to adapt and you become overstressed.
What is a stressor?
A stressor is any event that disrupts your body’s normal state. The Canadian Mental Health Association maintains that “when something happens to us, we automatically evaluate the situation mentally. We decide if it is threatening to us, how we need to deal with the situation, and what skills we can use. If we decide that the demands of the situation outweigh the skills we have, then we label the situation as “stressful” and react with the classic “stress response”. If we decide that our coping skills outweigh the demands of the situation, then we don’t see it as “stressful”. In other words, situations can be stressful because we do not feel fully prepared to deal with them.” Although we face stress provoking situations each day, it is our thoughts and attitudes towards these situations that determine whether they are a problem to us.
Not all stressful experiences are harmful. It’s just your body’s response to a given situation. Positive stress, or eustress, can be produced by exciting experiences such as riding a roller coaster, passing a driving test or developing a new relationship. These challenges can invigorate us, motivate us to work harder, achieve more and are opportunities for personal growth and enhanced well-being. Negative stress, or distress, produced by situations that cause worry, sorrow, pain or anger (pressures, problems) can reduce wellness causing mental, physical and emotional dysfunction.
How does my body respond to stress?
In responding to a stressor, the body reacts in three stages:
1) Alarm
2) Resistance
3) Exhaustion
What is the alarm stage?
The alarm stage is activated by anything that causes you to worry, get excited or get scared. Your initial response to any common stressor (getting a bad grade, fighting with a friend, almost getting into an accident) can activate this alarm response. In a fraction of a second, your body becomes alert and energized with a rush of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones immediately trigger a series of physiological reactions to prepare your body for action (fight / flight).
What is the resistance stage?
The resistance stage is when your body systems start to resist or fight the stressor. Your physiology and behavior adjusts, and builds resistance to the stressor. This stage happens when the stress lasts for several minutes or turns into chronic stress (conflict that remains unresolved for weeks). Over time, we adapt as best we can to this kind of physical and emotional stress. In most cases, your resistance is enough to overcome the stressor, and you return to your normal state of being.
What us the exhaustion stage?
The exhaustion stage happens when your body is no longer able to resist or adapt to the stressor. No matter how hard you try to carry on, the tension becomes too much and you give in to mental and physical exhaustion. Your body continues to secrete stress hormones, but they become less effective and may even build up in your blood causing health concerns. In addition, to escape the anxiety or depression caused by the chronic stress, you may be tempted to drink or smoke too much, overeat or isolate yourself from others. If the stressor is too great and you cannot overcome it, you may need to seek treatment.
What are the impacts of stress on my health?
In the short term, you might get a cold, a stiff neck, aching back, or a stomach ache. As well, your acne or allergies can flare up, you can have trouble sleeping, or feel anxious and irritable.
The long term effect of uncontrolled stress, however, can be much more severe, and can lead to psychosomatic diseases such as: a depressed immune system, hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, ulcers, migraine and tension headaches, cancer, allergies, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and backache. Too much stress can also lead to the following dysfunctional behaviors: worry, anxiety, neurosis, depression, domestic violence and suicide.
What steps can I take to manage my stress?
Step 1: Identify your stressors and eliminate as many as you can!
Step 2: Change your perception/response to the stressor
Step 3: Apply coping strategies.
Step 4: Get help.
Explain step 1: Identify your stressors and eliminate as many as you can!
What factors are making you stressed out? It can be a person (roommate, parent, boss), a place (metro, clinic, work) or a certain event (exam time, interviews, traffic). Once you have identified your stressors, evaluate each one and determine if you can eliminate any from your life. Why stress yourself out if it can be avoided! Examples:
If a certain friend is always negative and judging you, maybe it’s time to let go of that friendship and open yourself up to more positive and encouraging people.
If working 20 hours/week is causing you stress with your studies, maybe cut down your hours or stop working to focus on school. (reprioritize your time and money)
If committing to 3 school clubs has become overwhelming, explain your situation to the club, and scale back keeping only the one that you are most passionate about.
If commuting during traffic hours stresses you out, stay later at school to study and leave after traffic.
Explain step 2: Change your perception/response to the stressor?
Stressors that cannot be eliminated can be perceived or interpreted as less distressing. When a “stressful” life situation arises, monitor your thoughts and attitude towards the situation. Stay calm and focus on the good, rather than going straight to panic mode. Close your eyes for 1 minute and take some deep breaths. Review the situation mentally and redirect your thoughts to more positive ones without denying the bad. Examples:
You’re bus never shows up and now you’re late for class! Relax and think of a positive solution. Mio your teacher to make them aware and then take the extra time to study.
You got a bad grade on a test! Take a deep breath and review what happened. Did I do my best? Do I need extra help? Do I lack motivation? Focus on the positive actions you will take to get back on track (ask the teacher for help, better time management)
You get into a car accident! Instead of focusing on the damage and cost of repairs, think about how lucky it is that no one got hurt and appreciate how precious life really is.
Life is full of challenges and you shouldn’t try to lie to yourself that everything is great when it’s not. However, dwelling on the negative will only make matters worse. Worrying and overreacting does not improve your situation, it only serves to keep you in stress-mode.
If you can stay calm, keep a positive outlook, and have confidence in your ability to deal with stressors as they arise, you can avoid all the negative effects of stress.
Explain step 3: Apply coping strategies.
If you cannot avoid a stressor (step 1) and you do not succeed in keeping your thoughts positive (step 2), you need to have a good variety of coping techniques to help you overcome your stress. Self-care is really what’s needed here! If you are in good health, and practicing good lifestyle habits, you will have the energy and patience required to deal with life’s stressors!
Physical coping strategies: keeping your body strong and healthy helps you cope with stress.
Do physical activity. Any physical activity will reduce your level of nervous tension, because it releases the energy built up during a stressful situation.
Slow your breathing. Sit or lie down quietly. Take long slow breaths. Breathe in through your nose for 4-6 seconds and exhale for 4-6 seconds. Repeat several times
Sleep 7-9 hours every night. Good quality sleep allows your body to recover from the previous day’s stress. Lack of sleep is itself a stressor.
Eat a nutritious and well-balanced diet. Good nutrition gives you the energy to handle stress better. Avoid caffeine and sugar; they can cause you to feel restless and irritable.
Rest in a quiet place. Relax indoors or outdoors. Read a book or listen to peaceful music.
Include relaxing activities. Yoga and Tai Chi are effective methods to relax the body and mind. Join a class or find a YouTube session you like.
Relax your muscles. Contract-relax method of muscle relaxation. Lie down on your back, then starting with your feet, tense each part of your body for 5-10 seconds and then release it completely. You should end with your head and face. Take a deep breath between each muscle contraction. Finish with 5 minutes of deep breathing and positive mantras.
Pay attention to your body. Notice the first signs of stress on your body and use stress coping techniques right away to help your body resist the stress and restore balance. (Le Masurier 402-403)
Intellectual coping strategies: Different ways of thinking, if practiced regularly, can help break unhealthy patterns and contribute to well-being.
Use problem solving. Instead of worrying about a problem, try and solve it. Make decisions and carry them out.
Establish your priorities and tackle one at a time. If several problems pile up, determine which are most important and which can wait.
Manage your time effectively. Prioritize your activities by developing a list of must do, should do, and want to do. Break large tasks into smaller ones. Learn to say no to new responsibilities if you don’t have time for them.
Reduce your mental activity. Clear your mind with positive visualization (go to your “happy place”) or with meditation. Guided meditation apps can be useful when learning how to meditate.
Write down your worries. Take 10 minutes to write down everything that is worrying you and then write the steps you can take to deal with the worry. This practice helps acknowledge your worries and address them. (Le Masurier 403)
Emotional coping strategies: these strategies help you in becoming less emotionally reactive to the stressors you face, or alter the way you experience these “stressful” situations so they impact you differently. You want to be able to respond, not react to a situation!
Have fun. Laugh and be with the people you enjoy. Positive humor can be therapeutic.
Be flexible. In stressful situations, be willing to bend a little, or adjust to changes. Go with the flow. Accept what you can’t change.
Live in the present. Don’t waste time worrying about past troubles or possible future problems. Take positive action in the present!
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Many events in life are simply not worth stressing over.
Think positively. Make an effort to perceive a stressor as a challenge rather than a problem. Change your self-perception from victim, to strong and empowered.
Monitor your self-talk. If you made a mistake, give yourself a break. Focus on what you will change next time and forgive yourself for your shortcomings! Minimize hostile, critical, and self-deprecating thoughts.
Explain step 4 get help.
If you have tried different coping techniques, but you are still suffering from prolonged stress, it’s time to ask for help. Seek out others you trust and communicate honestly with them about what’s bothering you. Having strong support groups can make it easier for you to deal with your stress.
Seek help from friends and family. When you feel down, don’t keep it to yourself. Just talking to friends or family that you trust can often help to reduce stress.
Seek spiritual guidance. Talking to a trusted spiritual advisor can help guide you on your path. When all your actions line up with your core values and goals, you have a clear purpose in life ad feel fulfilled. This can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Seek professional help. Sometimes it’s necessary to seek professional help when you are not coping well. A medical doctor or a psychologist can help you out of a rut, and give you tools to help you better manage your stress. We have excellent school counselors at Marianopolis. You can make an appointment with one of them at student’s services.
