Managing Stress Restoring MindBody Harmony Managing Stress Restoring

Managing Stress: Restoring Mind–Body Harmony

Managing Stress: Restoring Mind. Body Harmony • How Stress Occurs • How Stress Contributes to Illness • Managing Stress • College Student Stress • What You Can Do About Stress

The Components of Stress occurs as a result of the interplay of environmental situations and life events and the mental, emotional, and physical reactions.

Physiological Component of Stress • These are automatic physiological responses to real or imagined situations that are considered damaging or threatening. • Examples: – Fight-or-Flight Response – Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis

Physiological Component of Stress Fight-or-Flight Response Prepare for conflict or escape by triggering: – Hormonal – Cardiovascular – Metabolic and other changes.

Physiological Component of Stress Fight-or-flight responses: What happens? – Elevated heart rate – Elevated blood pressure – Constricted blood vessels – Dilated pupils – Alert, aroused state – Liberation of glucose and fatty acids for quick energy

Physiological Component of Stress Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis – Involves the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands. – Biochemical response to stress triggers the production of Cortisol. – Cortisol helps • Provide energy for responding to stress. • Extended cortisol release suppresses the immune system.

How Stress Contributes to Disease Does stress contribute to disease and poor health? 1. The mind becomes exhausted, worn down and damaged 2. Greater susceptibility to disease & weakened immunity 3. People cope using unhealthy behaviors How? – – General Adaptation Syndrome Stress Weakens Immunity Unhealthy Behaviors Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

The Stress-Illness Relationship • General Adaptation Syndrome – Activation of GAS can lead to profound changes in vital body organs. • General Adaptation Syndrome: Three phases: – Stage of alarm – Stage of resistance – Stage of exhaustion

How Stress Contributes to Disease: General Adaptation Syndrome • Stage of alarm: Ability to handle stress is lowered by the need to deal with the stress. • Stage of resistance: Body adapts to stress by producing more epinephrine, increasing alertness and blood pressure, and suppressing the immune system. • Stage of exhaustion: Ability to resist is depleted -- person becomes ill; can take months or years to occur.

General Adaptation Syndrome

How Stress Contributes to Disease: Weakens Immunity • Emotions from stress change physiology: – Impairment of heart and immune function • Trying to modify stressful emotions can foster unhealthy behaviors: – Smoking, drinking alcohol, other drug use • Not engaging in health-promoting activities: – Regular exercise, proper nutrition, sufficient sleep

How Stress Contributes to Disease: PTSD • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder – Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious, long-lasting psychological condition produced by stress. – PTSD results from stress caused by involvement in war, living through a natural disaster, rape, physical assault, lifethreatening illness, or any other traumatic experience.

How Stress Contributes to Disease Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: – – – Flashbacks to the traumatizing event Recurrent thoughts & dreams of the experience Avoidance of cues symbolizing traumatizing event Difficulty sleeping Outbursts of anger, being hyper alert and easily startled – Little interest in daily activities – Feeling cut off from others – A sense of having a limited future

Managing Stress Replace stressful ways of living with new: – Beliefs – Attitudes – Behaviors to promote peace, joy and mind-body harmony. • • Eat properly Stretch Exercise regularly Get sufficient sleep Limit alcohol Eliminate tobacco & drug use Take quiet time.

Managing Stress Problem-Focused Coping – Believing that a stressful situation is changeable and making and attempting a plan for making a change. Things you can do: – – – – Limit or eliminate interaction with the stressor Alter your perception of a stressful situation Change beliefs and goals Have confidence in your ability to lessen stress Seek social support Reduce physical tension Keep your sense of humor

Managing Stress Emotion-Focused Coping – Believing that a stressful situation is not immediately changeable and adopting an attitude that lessens anxiety and brings comfort. – Things you can do: • Ease your mind • Let go

Managing Stress • Denial / Distancing / Giving Up – Believing that a stressful situation is not amendable to change, and rather than accepting that reality, one chooses not to think about it, to undertake escapist activities, or to become fatalistic and helpless.

College Student Stress • Test Anxiety: Things to help – Realistically appraise the importance of the exam – Focusing on the grade will distract you from learning the material – As a part of test preparation, give yourself periods of quiet time in which to relax and visualize yourself taking the test.

College Student Stress • Test Anxiety – Things to help – Get your materials together ahead of time – Get a good nights sleep – Stop worrying – Realize that test taking is a skill and only partially shows your abilities

What You Can Do About Stress • What are some things you do to reduce stress? • Do you do these things regularly or only when you need them? • How can you prevent stress before it happens?