Stress Management Flashcards
2 systems control physiological response:
Nervous: Brain, spinal cord, nerves
Somatic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
Endocrine: Glands, tissues, cells hormones
Triggered by the sympathetic nervous system
Somatic nervous system
Conscious
Autonomic nervous system
unconscious
Parasympathetic: restore energy
Sympathetic: flight or fight, intense exertice
Personality
Type A: Competitive, controlling, impatient, aggressive, hostile
Type B: Relaxed, contemplative, tolerant
Type C: Anger suppression, difficulty expressing emotions, hopelessness, despair
Type D: Distressed, feel (but don’t express) negative emotions, avoid social contact
Hardiness
: Potential stressors are challenges & opportunities for growth & learning (vs. burdens)
Resilience
Associated with social & academic success in at-risk populations
Non-reactive resilience
Homeostatic resilience
Positive growth resilience
Difficult to change basic personality traits
Canadian stats
> 75% of Canadians report feeling very stressed at least once/month
43% of Canadians report feeling very stressed a few times/week
Serious effects on health
Medical costs = $billions
Watch dr mike video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6402QJp52M
Stress vs. Health/Disease: 3 Theories
- General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
- Allostatic Load
- Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
- General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
Universal & predictable response to all stressors
3 stages:
Alarm: Fight-or-flight, lower resistance to injury/dx
Resistance: Body develops new level of homeostasis
Exhaustion: Energy expended in 1st 2 stages
- Allostatic Load
Long-term wear-&-tear of the stress response
Over-exposure to stress hormones (e.g. cortisol) = Health problems, rather than “exhaustion”
Dependent on genetics, life experiences, emotional & behavioural responses
If load > ability to cope, more likely to get sick
High load Heart disease, hypertension, obesity, reduced brain & immune function
- Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)
Interaction: Nervous vs. Endocrine vs. Immune system
Stress, via actions of Nervous + Endocrine system, impairs Immune system Health
Immune system is flexible… But chronic stress when predisposed/experiencing Dx Consequences
Prolonged cortisol secretion Accelerated course of inflammatory Dx (e.g. Heart dx, Type 2 diabetes, MS)
Sources of Stress
Major life changes: -ve & +ve
Daily hassles
University: Academic stress, interpersonal stress, time pressures, financial concerns, worries about future
Job-related – A worldwide epidemic (WHO)
Social – prejudice, discrimination, language
Environmental
Internal
Managing Stress
Social Support
Communication
Exercise
Nutrition
Sleep: Most adults 7-9 hrs
Writing
Time Management Strategies
Set priorities: Essential vs. Important vs. Trivial
Schedule according to your peak efficiency time
Set goals, write them down – SMART
Budget enough time, including buffer
Break things up into manageable chunks
Visualize goal achievement
Keep track of procrastination
Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix
Notes
Time Management Strategies
Get unpleasant things out of the way first
Consolidate tasks
Delegate, delegate, delegate!
Just say “No”
Take breaks – not a waste of time
Avoid personal time sinks
“Just do it”
Cognitive Techniques
How to change unhealthy thought patterns, into thoughts that will help cope with stress?
Think & act constructively
Take control
Problem Solve
Modify expectations
Stay positive
Sense of humour
Focus on the important
Relaxation Techniques
Progressive relaxation
Visualization (Imagery) = No-guilt daydreaming
Meditation: Stop the mental chatter
Deep breathing
Yoga, Tai Chi
Listening to music
Counterproductive Coping Strategies?
Tobacco use
Use of Alcohol & other drugs
Unhealthy eating habits
75% of Canadians use TV, alcohol, cigarettes & comfort food to cope with stress & anxiety
Three things on reducing stress in drmike vid
commitment - family, friends, faith, hobbies
Control - you cannot control everything, its how to adapt to change
change - adapting to change,
10% out of our control things happening
90% how we respond to the 10%
