Stress What Is Stress Stress the bodys response

Stress

What Is Stress? • Stress – the body’s response to the demands of daily living • Stressor – a source or cause of stress – Can be mental, physical, social or environmental • • Physical – exercising until exhausted Mental – working to get a challenging assignment done Social – having an argument with a friend Environmental – being in a room filled with cigarette smoke

-How do you react to stress? worksheet

Eustress v Distress • Eustress – healthful response to a stressor that produces positive results – Training for a race and winning that race • Distress – harmful response to a stressor that produces negative results – Procrastinate getting a project done, then never completing that project

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) • GAS – A series of body changes that result from stress • 3 stages – Alarm Stage – Resistance Stage – Exhaustion Stage

GAS Stage 1 – Alarm Stage • • • Body gets ready for quick action Adrenaline is released into the bloodstream Heart rate and blood pressure increase Digestion slows down Muscles contract Respiration and sweating increase Mental activity increases Pupils dilate – can see sharply Hearing sharpens Burst of quick energy Flight or Fight response – take action or run away

GAS Stage 2 – Resistance Stage • • Body attempts to regain internal balance Body is no longer in an emergency state Adrenaline no longer secreted Heart rate and blood pressure decrease Digestions begins again Muscles relax Respiration returns to normal Sweating stops

GAS Stages 1 and 2 • • These stages are normal Alarm stage helps a person respond Resistance stage body regains internal balance Some people do not handle stress well, they stay in the alarm stage longer – Causes exhaustion

GAS Stage 3 – Exhaustion Stage • Wear and tear on the body increases the risk of: – Injury – Illness – Premature death

How Does Stress Affect Your Health • Mental and Emotional – Becomes difficult to think clearly and concentrate – May feel edgy, express emotions inappropriately – Headaches, stomachaches, ulcers, asthma and chronic fatigue may occur • Family and Social – Number of white blood cells that fight disease may decrease – Increases the likelihood that a person will become ill

How Does Stress Affect Your Health • Personal Health/Physical Activity – Exercise to the point of exhaustion • Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs – Some use drugs and alcohol to deal with stress – Alcohol and drugs depress the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and judgment • Communicable and Chronic Diseases – Stress may suppress the body’s immune system – May be more susceptible to catching the flu or a cold – Heart rate and blood pressure are high

How Does Stress Affect Your Health • Consumer and Community Health – Boredom is a stressor – People who are bored may turn to harmful behavior • Environmental Health – Loud noise (music in cars), heavy traffic can lead to mistakes and cause accidents • Injury Prevention and Safety – People who have high stress have difficulty concentrating on task at hand, may have more accidents

How Does Stress Affect Your Health • Growth and Development – Stress during puberty might cause growth impairment – Teens who are uncomfortable with their body changes are more likely to develop eating disorders • Nutrition – Respond to stress by eating – typically sweets and other junk food

Stress Coping Skills Worksheet

Stress Management Skills • • • Use responsible decision-making skills Get enough sleep and rest Participate in physical activities Use a time management plan Write in a journal Have close friends Talk with parents and other trusted adults Help others Express affection in appropriate ways Care for pets Change your outlook Keep a sense of humor

Decision Making Styles • Inactive Decision Making – Habit of failing to make choices – Procrastinate • Postpone something until a future time • Reactive Decision Making – A habit of allowing others to make decisions for one – Easily influenced by what others think, do or suggest – Lack self-confidence and need to be liked by others

Decision Making Styles • Proactive Decision Making – Person describes the situation that requires a decision, identifies and evaluates possible decisions, makes a decision, takes responsibility for the consequences – Not easily influenced by peers – Has principles (integrity, fairness, honesty and human dignity)

Decision Making Skills • Decisions need to: – Promote health – Protect safety – Follow laws – Show respect for self and others – Follow guidelines set by parents and other responsible adults – Demonstrate good character

Decision Making Skills • Responsible Decision Making Model – Describe the situation that requires a decision – List possible decisions you might take – Share the list of possible decisions with a parent, guardian or other responsible adult – Use the 6 questions to evaluate the possible consequence of each decision – Decide which decision is most responsible and appropriate – Act on your decision and evaluate the result

Decision Making Skills • Using the responsible decision making model: – Decisions can be made rationally rather than impulsively – Will not be tempted to choose what might seem best for the moment

Personality Type and Stress • Type A Personality – Ambitious, aggressive, business-like, controlling, highly competitive, impatient, preoccupied with his/her status, time-conscious, tightly-wound – high-achieving “workaholics” who multi-task, push themselves with deadlines, and hate both delays and ambivalence.

Personality Types and Stress • Type B Personality – Generally patient, relaxed, easy-going, and at times lacking an overriding sense of urgency

Effective Communication • Passive – Avoids problems, allows manipulation by others, gives up one’s rights, lacks self-confidence – Stress producing behavior • Aggressive – Attacks the other person, takes advantage of people, disregards the rights of others, often hostile – Behavior that is most stress producing • Assertive – Faces problems, gains respect from others by sharing opinion, claims rights, has self confidence – Behavior that is least stress producing

Personality Types and Stress • Homework: – Find 2 different personality tests on the internet, take them, print out the results – Compare and contrast the two tests. Are they similar? Different? – Do you agree with the tests results? Does it speak to your stress level, or lack there of?

Communication and Stress – Group Activity

Time Management • Definition - the analysis of how working hours are spent and the prioritization of tasks in order to maximize personal efficiency in the workplace • When you have many tasks to complete, how do you manage your time effectively?

Goal Setting • Goals should be SMART: – Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Realistic – Time-targeted

Goal Setting • Specific - goal is clear and obvious • Answers the questions: • What: What do I want to accomplish? • Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. • Who: Who is involved? • Where: Identify a location. • Which: Identify requirements and constraints.

Goal Setting • Measureable - concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of the goal • A measurable goal will usually answer questions such as: – How much? – How many? – How will I know when it is accomplished?

Goal Setting • Achievable - stresses the importance of goals that are realistic and attainable • The goals are neither out of reach nor below standard performance • An attainable goal will usually answer the question: – How: How can the goal be accomplished?

Goal Setting • Realistic - must represent an objective that the goal-setter is willing and able to work towards • The goal is realistic if the goal-setter believes that it can be accomplished • A relevant goal will usually answer the question: – Does this seem worthwhile?

Goal Setting • Time-targeted - stresses the importance of grounding goals within a time frame • A timely goal will usually answer the question: – – When? What can I do 6 months from now? What can I do 6 weeks from now? What can I do today?

Stress and Sleep • Lack of sleep can lead to: – Increased risk of unintentional injuries and death • Traffic accidents – Low grades and poor school performance – Negative moods • Anger, sadness and fear, difficulty controlling emotions and behavior problems – Increased use of stimulants • More likely to use caffeine and nicotine to counteract the effects of inadequate sleep

Relaxing and Resting • Important in counteracting physical and mental fatigue and coping with stress • Participate in activities you enjoy – Sports – Reading – Hiking