Stress and Stress Management

1
Stress and Stress Management

• Chapter 4, Section 1

2
Stressors and Stress

• Definitions
• Chronic Stress
• Unrelieved stress that continues to tax a
  persons resources to the point of exhaustion
• Stress
• The effect of physical and psychological demands
  of a stressor
• Stressor
• A demand on the body to adapt

3
Stressors and Stress

• Definitions
• Acute Stress
• A temporary bout of stress that calls forth
  alertness or alarm to prompt the person to deal
  with an event
• Adapt
• To change or adjust in order to accommodate new
  conditions
• Perception
• A meaning given to an event or occurrence based
  on a persons previous experience or understanding

4
Perception of Stressor

• Everyones perception of stressor can be
  different
• Example
• snakes are poisonous (fear)
• snakes are beautiful (joy)
• snakes are my topic of study (interest)

5
Stress and Stress Management

• Chapter 4, Section 2

6
Stress and the Body System

• All body systems are effected by stress
• Especially
• Nervous System
• Hormonal System
• Immune System

7
Nervous System

• Definition of Nervous System
• The body system of nervous tissue
• Organized into the brain, spinal cord, and nerves
• That send and receive messages and integrate the
  bodys activities
• The nervous system responds to challenges by
  producing reactions that restore normal body
  conditions

8
Hormonal System

• Definition of Hormonal System
• The system of glands
• Organs that send and receive blood-bone chemical
  messages
• The hormones that respond to stress are called
  stress hormones
• Release stress hormones brings on stress response
  and brings the body back to homeostasis

9
Immune System

• Definition of Immune System
• The cells, tissues, and organs that protect the
  body from disease.
• Unrevealed stress can weaken your bodies immune
  system and lead to a lifestyle disease

10
Stress and Stress Management

• Chapter 4, Section 3

11
Stages of the Stress Response

• Stress Response
• The response to a demand or stressor
• Three Phases
• Alarm
• Resistance
• Recovery or Exhaustion

12
Phases

• Alarm
• Person faces a challenge
• The body releases the stress hormones, which
  activates the nerves and all systems
• Resistance
• Which the body mobilizes in resources to
  withstand the effects of the stress

13
Phases

• Recovery
• Body returns to normal
• When stress ceases to affect the body
• OR
• Exhaustion
• When stress exceeds the bodys ability to recover
• If your body stays in overdrive for too long it
  will break down

14
Fight or Flight Reaction

• A response to stress
• When a threat is presented two possible options
• Fight (argue)
• Run away

15
Responses to Alarm

• Heart rate speeds up
• Pupils of the eyes widen (enhancing vision)
• Muscles tense (ready to jump, run, or struggle)
• Blood flow is reduced

• Immune system temporarily shut down
• Blood flow to muscle and brain increases

16
Key point

• The stress response is an ancient, physical
  response to fear the fight or flight reaction.
  The response occurs even if the stressor is a
  psychological one that does not demand physical
  action.

17
Stress and Stress Management

• Chapter 4, Section 4

18
Dealing with Stress

• Every Individual has different ways of dealing
  with stress
• Having a strong sense of self esteem enhances a
  persons ability to deal with stress
• Learning with deal with challenges as positive
  rather than negative

19
Exercise

• Keeping the body strong strengthens the immune
  system between times of stress
• If your muscles are tense and can not relax
• Your blood builds up fuels that can damage your
  heart
• During times of stress, physical activity can
  work of tension

20
Coping Devices and Defense Mechanisms

• Definitions
• Coping Devices
• Non-harmful ways of dealing with stress
• Examples
• Displacement- channeling the energy of suffering
  into something else
• Ventilation- the act of verbally venting ones
  feelings letting off steam by talking, crying, or
  laughing

21
Coping Devices and Defense Mechanisms

• Defensive Mechanisms
• Self destructive ways of dealing with stress
• Automatic, subconscious reactions to emotional
  injury, such as denial, fantasy, projection,
  rationalization, regression, selective
  forgetting, withdrawal

22
Defense Mechanisms

• Denial
• The refusal to admit that something unpleasant or
  painful has occurred
• Fantasy
• Imagining, in the face of painful situation, that
  something positive has happened instead

23
Defense Mechanisms

• Regression
• Using inappropriate, childish ways of dealing
  with painful realities
• Selective forgetting
• Memory lapse concerning an experience or piece of
  news too painful to bear

24
Defense Mechanisms

• Withdrawal
• Drawing away from people and activities to avoid
  pain
• Refusing to talk with anyone about the situation
• Sleeping excessively

25
Changed Perceptions

• Some situations may be out of your control, but
  your attitude is ALWAYS within your control. When
  daily hassles occur reduce their power to cause
  stress by reassessing them more positively.