is . . .

 is the way human beings react both

physically and mentally to changes, events,
and situations in their lives.
 People experience stress in different ways
and for different reasons.
 The reaction is based on your perception of
an event or situation.
 If you view a situation negatively, you will
likely feel distressed—overwhelmed,
oppressed, or out of control.
 DISTRESS is negative stress.
 results from a “positive”
view of an event or situation, which is why it
is also called “good stress.”
 Eustress helps you rise to a challenge and
can be an antidote to boredom because it
engages focused energy.
 It’s often a question of perception: A
positive stressor for one person can be a
negative stressor for another.
 A stressor is a stimulus with the
potential for triggering the fight or
flight response. The stressors for
which our bodies were
evolutionarily trained were
threats to our safety
(Greenberg, 2010).
o
Greenberg (2010)

 environmental
• toxins, heat, cold
 psychological
• threats to self-esteem, depression
 sociological
• unemployment, death of a loved one
 philosophical
• use of time, purpose in life
 The environment can bombard people
with intense and competing demands
to adjust.
 Examples of environmental stressors
include weather, noise, crowding,
pollution, traffic, unsafe and
substandard housing, and crime.
The Klinic Community Health Centre (2010)
 People can experience multiple stressors
arising from the demands of the different
social roles they occupy, such as parent,
spouse, caregiver, and employee.
 Some examples of social stressors include
deadlines, financial problems, job
interviews, presentations, disagreements,
demands for your time and attention, and
loss of a loved one.
 Situations and circumstances affecting the
body can be experienced as physiological
stressors.
 Examples of physiological stressors include
rapid growth of adolescence, menopause,
illness, aging, giving birth, accidents, poor
nutrition, and sleep disturbances.
 The brain interprets and perceives
situations as stressful, difficult, painful,
or pleasant.
 Some situations in life are stress
provoking, but it is our thoughts that
determine whether they are a problem
for us.
 Everyone has developed a response
to stress.
 The key is to learn to monitor signs
and become aware of them when they
are indicating that the stress level is
unmanageable.
 What happens in the body during the fight or flight
response?
 He found that any problem, real or imagined, could
cause the cerebral cortex (the thinking part of the
brain) to send an alarm to the hypothalamus (the
main switch for the stress response, located in the
midbrain).
 The hypothalamus then stimulates the sympathetic
nervous system to make a series of changes in the
body.
 The heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension,
metabolism, and blood pressure all increase.
 The hands and feet get cold as blood is
directed away from the extremities and
digestive system into the larger muscles that
can help fight or run.
 The person experiences butterflies in the
stomach; diaphragm locks; pupils dilate to
sharpen vision; and hearing becomes more
acute.
 This is the Stress Response.
 While all of this is going on, something else
happens that can have long-term negative
effects if left unchecked.
 The adrenal glands start to secrete
corticoids (adrenaline, epinephrine, and
norepinephrine), which inhibit digestion,
reproduction, growth, and tissue repair and
the responses of the immune and
inflammatory systems.
 Some very important functions that keep the
body healthy begin to shut down.
 The stress response is useful and can be
necessary in times of emergency, but the
frequent or unrelenting triggering of the
stress response without a balancing
relaxation response can contribute to a
number of illnesses and symptoms.
 PHYSICAL
 Aches and pains, muscle tension
 Diarrhea or constipation
 Nausea, dizziness, or butterflies in the
stomach
 Chest pain or rapid heartbeat
 Shallow breathing and sweating
 Frequent colds
 COGNITIVE
 Memory problems
 Inability or difficulty concentrating
 Poor judgment
 Seeing only the negative
 Anxious, racing, or ruminating thoughts
 Constant worrying
 EMOTIONAL
 Moodiness
 Irritability or short-tempered
 Agitation, inability to relax
 Feeling overwhelmed
 Sense of loneliness or isolation
 Depression or general unhappiness
 BEHAVIORAL
 Eating more or less
 Sleeping too much or too little
 Isolating yourself from others
 Procrastinating or neglecting
responsibilities
 Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
 Nervous habits (nail biting, pacing)
 TAKE A DEEP BREATH
 Take a deep breath.
 Hold it for three seconds.
 Then let it out slowly.
 While exhaling, let the jaw and shoulders
relax and think “calm” as the tension flow
through the body and out the finger tips and
toes.
 Sit comfortably with eyes closed.
 Bring your attention to your breathing.
 Imagine that you have a balloon in your stomach.
 Every time you breathe in, the balloon inflates.
 Each time you breathe out, the balloon deflates.
 Breathing from your abdomen, inhale through your
nose slowly to a count of four.
 Pause and hold your breath to a count of four and then
slowly exhale through your mouth to a count of four.
 Repeat for 3 to 5 minutes, placing a hand on your
stomach to feel it rising and falling as you breathe.
 Alternate tensing and relaxing muscle groups for
5-10 seconds each while seated.
 Raise your eyebrows and wrinkle your forehead.
 Hold for a few seconds and release.
 Clench your jaw and close your eyes as tightly
as you can.
 Hold for a few seconds and release.
 Lift your shoulders up to your ears.
 Hold and release.
 With your eyes closed, take a moment to create,
in your mind’s eye, an ideal spot for relaxation.
 You can make it any place-real or imagined.
Perhaps it is your favorite room, a beautiful
meadow, an ocean beach, or a floating cloud.
 See yourself in comfortable clothes, completely
relaxed and take a few deep breaths.
 Once you have created this place in your mind,
you can go back there whenever you want an
escape from your busy day or a stressful
situation.
 Focus your awareness on the present moment
with all of your senses.
 Notice in detail what it looks like, feels like,
smells like, sounds like and tastes like (if
applicable).
 Give the activity at hand your full attention free
from distractions.
 Breathe slowly while experiencing the activity
and do not focus on any particular thought.
 Eating breakfast and eating regularly throughout
the day (every 3-5 hours) prepares your body to
better cope with stress.
 Skipping meals should be avoided because it
lowers your energy and your ability to focus.
 Choose more whole and unprocessed foods,
and eat a lot of colorful fruits and vegetables to
feel your best.
 A little bit of chocolate can go a long way when it
comes to your diet.
 Dark chocolate has been shown to be filled with
antioxidant flavonoids (which can minimize your
risk of heart disease and reduce blood pressure).
 Some scientists have gone so far as to claim that
the sweet stuff has more flavonoids than any
other food (including blueberries).
 According to research published in Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, those said
flavonoids help blood vessels relax, helping calm
overall stress.
 The main ingredient in garlic when digested is
organosulfur allicin, which triggers your body to
produce hydrogen sulfide.
 The combo creates an internal reaction that
relaxes blood vessels and encourages blood
flow.
 Garlic is good for your heart and your head and
helps manage stress.
 Physical activity increases your overall health
and sense of well-being.
 It also has stress-busting benefits like pumping
up your endorphins, improving your mood,
providing a break from your stressors and
increasing self-esteem.
 Try to walk or do something active for 20
minutes a day.
 To gain additional benefits from aerobic and
muscle strengthening activities, find a more
intense physical activity that you enjoy and do
that a few times a week too.
 Massage is a great way to reduce stress.
 It releases a hormone called oxytocin, which
turns off your stress response and promotes a
sense of relaxation.
 Try to make time for self-massage, exchange
massage with a friend, or treat yourself to a
massage center.
 Good sleep habits reduce stress and help your
body recover from stress.
 Everyone needs a different amount of sleep,
however it is recommended to get 7-8 hours of
sleep a night.
 Short naps can also re-energize you and
improve your mood.
 It is suggested that naps not exceed 30
minutes or you may feel groggy.
 Aromatherapy is a
scientifically proven
technique which uses your
sense of smell to trigger
areas in your brain that
affect mood.
 Laughing for one minute is the equivalent to
15 minutes on an exercise bike or 10 minutes
on a rowing machine.
 Laughter can reduce stress hormones, boost
your immune system and lower your blood
pressure.
 So pop in an old Seinfeld video, read your
favorite comic strip, turn on Comedy Central,
call a friend who makes you laugh or pull out
old photos albums.
 Go ahead: laugh out loud!
 Words have a powerful influence over our mind.
 Think positive thoughts and use positive words.
 Never utter the words “I can’t” again.
 Saying things like “I can’t do it anymore” is a defeatist
attitude that is a recipe for failure, and with failure
comes stress.
 So don’t say “I can’t.” Say “I’ll try.”
 “No!” It’s one of the first words that
babies learn - and they use it often.
 But as adults, the word seems to have
slipped from our vocabulary. Learn
how to say “no.”
 Know your limits and stick to them,
whether in your personal or
professional life.
 Beautify!
 Invest in a good haircut, adopt a
5-minute makeup routine or get
out of those sweat pants.
 Looking good makes you feel
better.
 Even if you just do a quick swipe
of blush, mascara and lipstick,
you’ll feel better.
 A funky necklace or a great pair
of earrings can quickly lift your
spirits – even if you’re not
leaving the house.
 Touching, kissing, and
hugging (or any other
affectionate activities) are
activities that stimulate the
brain’s release of the
hormone oxytocin.
 Research has shown that having plants
and flowers in your presence can elicit a
positive mood and reduce stress levels.
 Connecting with the Earth by sticking your
hands in the dirt and tending to the plants
yourself even further imbue you with an
energy of calm.
 Laughter is a proven way to ease stress.
 Even the mere anticipation of something
funny has the ability to calm us down
thanks to the release of stress hormones
like dopac, cortisol and epinephrine.
 Short funny film clips have been proven to
increase blood flow to the heart according
to scientists at the University of Maryland.
 Your “hoku” is that flap of skin on your
palm that connects your pointer finger to
your thumb.

 It’s also an acupressure spot related to

upper body tension that, when squeezed,
can minimize stress by up to 39 percent—
that’s according to scientists at Hong Kong
Polytechnic University.