Stress and Relaxation

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Stress and Relaxation

• Chapter 12 (Continued)

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Is the removal of all stress helpful?
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Stress can be motivation
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Two Kinds of Stress

• Distress
• Eustress

BY DR. HANS SELYE
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Distress
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What are some examples of distress?
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Rate the Stress

• Low
• Medium
• High

• Tests
• Money and bills
• Children
• Work
• Traffic
• Telephone

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What is stress for one person is not necessarily
stress for another
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Where is the stress?
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Could it be in your head? It is how we look at
the situation.
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If you think your life is disconnected, Your
thinking may be misdirected For living, you
see, Is as it should be Its just not what you
expected.
BY OLIVER, A RATIONAL PSYCHIATRIST
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The Physiology of Stress
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What are the symptoms of stress?
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Stress Symptoms

• Insomnia
• Muscle tension
• Digestive problems
• Raised blood pressure
• Cold hands
• Health problems

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The Story of the Cave Man and the Saber-toothed
Tiger
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Picture this scene a million years ago. You come
out of of your cave. The sun is up and the birds
are chirping. Your heart rate is normal.
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All of a sudden you hear a twig snap. Off to
your right you see a large saber-toothed tiger.
You have two options. What are they?
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Fight
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Or flight
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To fight that tiger or run away fast, the body
prepares by releasing stress hormones

• Cortisol increases blood sugar and speeds
  metabolism
• Epinephrine supplies extra glucose
• Norepinephrine speeds up your heart rate and
  raises your blood pressure

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Why is stress a problem?
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There is no longer a tiger to kill or run away
from!
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And we are left with all the stress hormones
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Fight or flight is not an appropriate response to
todays problems
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Stress interferes with learning and study
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3 Ways to Deal with Stress

• Exercise uses up the stress hormones
• Stress reducing thoughts
• Physical relaxation

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Exercise
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Remember what the cave man did when threatened?
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He or she MOVED!
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Moving burns the stress hormones
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Make exercise such as a brisk walk for 30
minutes, a part of your daily routine.
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Find some activity that you like.
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Stress Reducing Thoughts
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Remember, the stress is in your head!
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ABCS of Emotions

• Fact or event
• Self statement
• Emotion or feeling

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Here is an example from the textTraffic
What are the ABCS?
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Stress Reducing Thoughts

• Keep cool
• Its not the end of the world
• Relax
• I dont have to be perfect
• Lifes like that
• Lifes too short to be miserable

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Exercise
Write at least 3 stress reducing thoughts on the
3 x 5 card.
1. 2. 3.
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Group ActivityStress-Reducing Thoughts
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Physical Relaxation
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Elements of Physical Relaxation

• Breathing
• Tensing and Relaxing Muscles
• Visual Imagery
• Positive Suggestions
• Music

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Breathing

• Take a few deep breaths
• Focus on your breathing

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Tensing and Relaxing Muscles

• Lets try it

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Use Visual Imagery

• Imagine your favorite place
• Beach
• Mountains
• Lake
• Desert

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IMAGINE YOURSELF AT THE BEACH
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OR IN THE MOUNTAINS
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OR YOUR FAVORITE PLACE
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Use Positive Suggestions
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Music

• Use a beat slower than your heart rate

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Relaxation Exercise
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Lets Review.Do these things at home on your own

• Music
• Breathing
• Tensing and relaxing muscles
• Imagery
• Positive suggestion

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Make it a Habit

• Exercise
• Stress reducing thoughts
• Physical relaxation

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Stress Management Checklist

• Manage your time and organize your things
• Dont spread yourself too thin
• Learn to say no
• Cultivate friends
• Participate in an extracurricular activity
• Do something fun every day

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Stress Management Checklist

• Exercise regularly
• Eat sensibly
• Get enough sleep
• Learn to relax

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Write 3 intention statements about relaxation
I Intend to . . . . 1. 2. 3. Complete What is
Your Stress Index?