Stress Management

1
Stress Management

• During your senior years

2
What is ?
STRESS

• Stress is a state of physical and mental tension
  caused by internal and external forces which are
  perceived to exceed a persons ability to cope.
• For example
• 2 exams in 1 day
• Going on a blind date
• Having too many things to do in a short period of
  time etc

3

• A STRESSOR is an event that causes stress!
• Everyone is different! What causes stress for
  some does not for others! E.g. Public speaking.
• Everyone reacts differently to stress! E.g.
  headaches, irritability

4
Warning Signs

• A racing heart
• Feeling nervous or worried
• Butterflies
• Fear of going places
• Feeling like your going mad
• Cant think straight
• Feeling like your out of control

• Irritable
• Trouble concentrating and getting things done
• Tiring easily
• Trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep
• Cant relax and your muscles are tense
• Feeling sweaty

5
Positive Negative Stress

• Remember, not all stress is unhealthy!
• Sometimes stress can be positive, e.g. obtaining
  good marks in your exams or the excitement of a
  first date.
• What is positive stress for some may be negative
  for others, e.g. Bungee jumping!

6
How much Stress?

• Believe it or not some stress is healthy!
• Too little stress gets boring and
• Too much stress can make us unwell!
• THEREFORE
• Find a balance!

7
Choking under pressure

• Sometimes our performance may drop as the
  pressure / stress increases, e.g.
• A football team approaching finals
• The closer we get to the end of semester and
  exams.

8
The 3 stages of Stress

• ALARM REACTION
• RESISTANCE
• EXHAUSTION

9
Taking control of your Stress..

• Change what you do
• Change how you treat yourself
• Change the way you think!

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10 steps to Stress Management!

• RELAXATION
• EXERCISE
• ACTIVE LEISURE
• NUTRITION
• QUIT SMOKING
• MINIMISE STIMULANTS ( e.g caffeine)
• SENSIBLE WORK HABITS
• ASSERT YOUR NEEDS FEELINGS
• TIME WITH FRIENDS FAMILY
• BE RATIONAL (respond to stress with logical
  problem solving)

11
Remember!!

• To feel stressed is normal especially if
  theres lots going on
• Stress will always be around to a greater or
  lesser degree
• You can take control of your own stress
• Change those negative thoughts
• Even if you stuff-up, remember to
• tell yourself youre still an OK person!
• If its all getting too much, SEEK HELP!
• (source Grivas, Down, Carter, (1999), Psychology
  VCE Units 34, 2nd edition, MacMillan, Australia)
• (source Child Youth Mental Health
  Services,Royal Childrens Hospital Melbourne2000)
• (source District Health Service 1999, Queensland
  Health )