Objectives

• Define stress and fatigue and be able to explain

both using systems theory.
• Explore the social, economic, cultural,
environmental concerns that cause stress for
individuals and families.
• Describe the physiological and behavioral impact
of stress.
• Propose strategies to manage stress.
• Assess the consequences of unmanaged stress.
What Is Stress?
– Eustress (example?)
– Distress (example?)
– External
• Acute major stress
• Ongoing or role related stress
• Life trauma stress
– Internal stress
– Normative
– Non-normative
– Psychological hardiness
– Theory of Adaptive Range:
 Activity
• Groups of 4 or 5
• One die per group
• One pencil per group
• Each person needs a piece of paper
• One person starts by rolling die, if he/she rolls anything
but a six, pass die to next person. If he/she rolls a six -
take the pencil and start writing numbers starting with 1.
Write numbers as quickly as possible trying to
write to 100. While he/she is writing numbers next
person rolls die trying to roll a six and get control of the
pencil. Roll fast. Whoever rolls six gets control of die.
Goal is to see who can write 100 numbers first.
• How does it make you feel? • How does your body
(Affective) respond?
(Physiological)
 Critical Questions
• What are the things which cause stress
and in you life?
• How does this stress affect you, your
family, your school/work performance?
• Can you identify the stress as short term
or long term?
• Do you have a support system of
friends/family that will help you make
positive changes?
• What are you willing to change or give
up for a less stressful life?
Short Term
Performance Effects
• Impaired judgment
• Irrational decision making
• Impaired motor skills
• Negativism
• Reduced enjoyment in
everyday tasks
• Difficulty coping with
distractions
Behavioral Symptoms
• Talking too fast
• Yawning
• Fiddling, fiddling, grinding teeth,
drumming fingers, pacing
• Bad moods
• Defensiveness
• Overly critical
• Aggression
• Irrationality
• Over reacting
• Increased absenteeism
• Neglect of personal appearance
• Reduced personal effectiveness
• Alcohol/drug use
 Long Term Physical
Symptoms Can
Include:
• Elevated blood • Digestive problems
pressure • Skin rashes and
• Increased heart rate eruptions
• Heart rhythm • Sexual disorders
disturbances
• Muscle pain
• Change in appetite
• Long term fatigue
• Frequent colds
• Chronic back pain

http://www.managingstress.com/articles/physiology.htm
The Body Reacts
• Adrenaline flows
↑ Blood pressure
↑ Cholesterol
↑ Heart rate
↑ Heart rhythm disturbances
↑ Clotting time
↓ Insulin → Blood sugar ↑

■ Stage 1: Hormonal & CNS reaction = “fight or flight syndrome”

■ Stage 2: Resistance: the body adapts to demands
■ Stage 3: Exhaustion

It is estimated that half of all illnesses are stress

related.
 Stressors
• Situations or events that cause stress
• ____________ the cumulative effect of
many stresses.

• What are the stressors for college

students?
• Do the stressors change over the 4+
years
Whitman, N. (1987): research on stress reduction in college students
of college?
Topps, D. (1999) : college students & stress
Robotham, D, (2006): level of stress increasing among university
students and their families
 Activity
• Work in groups of three or four to
discuss and list causes of stress for
families and individuals in these
categories. Be prepared to
discuss/explain your list with the class.
1. Social stressors
2. Economic stressors
3. Cultural stressors
4. Environmental stressors
 Managing Stress
Two Categories of Coping Strategies (Lazarus, 1991)

1) Problem focused

2) Emotional focused
Create a list of specific
strategies you can use to
avoid, adapt,or alter stress.
Strategies: Research suggests the following can reduce stress

Humor
Holding hands with a loved one
Physical exercise
Meditation
Yoga
Deep breathing exercises
Progressive muscle relaxation exercises
Limit alcohol and caffeine intake
Soothing music
Pets
Professional counseling
• Personality types may be linked to stress
and stress management:
– Type A: striving behavior, impatience,
competitiveness, desire for control & power,
aggressiveness, hostility, distrustful, suspicious,
cynicism, interpersonal negativity, unwilling to
delegate, secretive.

– Type B: more relaxed, easy-going, reflective, more

cooperative, confident style, does not need to be “in
control”, willing to delegate, open, can relax without
guilt, will take a break when fatigued.

– How would categorize your personality?

Explain why is it helpful to recognize our own
personality type?
• Job stress - is the harmful physical and emotional
responses that occur when the requirements of the job
do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of
the worker.

• Burnout -
– worn out from doing to too much
– emotional or physical exhaustion brought about by
unrelieved stress
– everyday & long-term exhaustion
– can happen in relationships; the positive side of burnout
is that it can be a signal for change.

• Children experience both stress and burnout. Homes

and schools are more stressful today than anytime in
history.
What are the “new stressors” in families?
What are the “new stressors” in schools?

http://www.psychwww.com/mtsite/smpage.html
 FATIGUE
• The feeling of having insufficient energy to carry on;
a strong desire to stop, rest, or sleep.

• Symptoms: dizziness, headaches, nausea, feeling

tired; physiological response; progresses through
stages; sign of energy imbalance.

• Professional women experience more fatigue and

role overload than professional men (Goldsmith,
1989).

– Using systems theory explain the connectedness of sleep,

energy, fatigue, diet, and exercise.
• Average American sleeps 7 hrs/
night
• Before electric lights Americans
slept 10 hrs/night
• At least 50 per cent of the adult population
is chronically sleep-deprived (Mass, 1998)

Describe what you are like - emotionally and

physically when you get less sleep than you need.
How does this effect your “system”.
• Sleep and rest are resources - can be managed or
mismanaged.

• Stress and anxiety can affect length and quality of

sleep.

• Food, exercise and emotional excitement influence

energy.

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: low grade fever, sore

throat, tender lymph nodes, muscle pain, joint pain,
neurological problems, confusion, memory loss, sleep
disorders, sudden onset of symptoms, rest is not
restorative.

http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/cfssymptomsHCP.htm