Understanding & Managing

Stress
Stress Management Workshop

Understanding & Managing

Stress
The time necessary to learn all the
rules for effective living now
exceeds your life expectancy!!

Outline of workshop
Stress Facts
Exercise in awareness
Stress analysis day/week: looking at muscle
tension, digestion, breathing, alertness, sleeping
What thoughts exercise
Personal resources
Other commomly used resources
Resourcing exercise

Understanding & Managing

Stress
SOME FACTS
75-90% of adult visits to primary care
physicians are for stress related
problems.
The commonest problems world-wide are
a mixture of anxiety and depression.

Definition
Definition: Stress is defined as a persons total
response to environmental demands or pressures.
Eustress, or good stress, is stress that benefits our
health, like physical exercise or getting a promotion.
Distress on the other hand, is stress that harms our
health and often results from imbalances between
demands made upon us and our resources for dealing
with these demands. However, if handled well stress
can increase motivation and stimulate us. (TCD, 2003)
If we have the resources to meet the demands of our
environment, we can use stress in an effective way

Understanding & Managing

Stress
SOME FACTS
MAXIMUM absenteeism on an average
workday is because of stress related
problems
More heart attacks on Monday, 9:00
A.M. than at any other time of the week.

Understanding & Managing

Stress
MORE FACTS
Life after death is all okay but what
about life after birth?
The only time there is a total
absence of stress is in death
Stress is essentially the rate of all
the wear and tear caused by life

Understanding & Managing

Stress

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Driving your car in rush hour
Getting a last minute work assignment
Misplacing something in the house.

Understanding & Managing

Stress

Having something break while using it

Dealing with incompetence at work
Planning your budget
Being blamed for something
Waiting in a long line at the store or bank

Understanding & Managing

Stress

WHAT

IS

STRESS?

Understanding & Managing

Stress

Stimulus ------------- Reaction

Understanding & Managing

Stress
EUSTRESS
vs.

DISTRESS

Understanding & Managing

Stress
The BAD News :
Stress is an inescapable part of modern life
The GOOD News :
Stress isn't altogether
bad news

Understanding & Managing

Stress
ADAPTATION

Body has only a finite, non-renewable reserve of

adaptation energy

Eventually, it is consumed and death results

Stress is how people react to demands placed on them

Important is our perception and subjective
interpretation of the stressor.

Understanding & Managing

Stress
WHAT ARE STRESSORS?
Stressors are events that threaten or challenge
people

Understanding & Managing

Stress
SOURCES OF STRESS
DAILY HASSLES
MAJOR LIFE EVENTS
CATASTROPHES

Understanding & Managing

Stress
TOP FEW DAILY HASSLES

INTERPERSONAL CONFLICTS
CONCERNS ABOUT WEIGHT
HEALTH OF A FAMILY MEMBER
RISING PRICES OF COMMON GOODS
HOME MAINTENANCE
TOO MANY THINGS TO DO

Understanding & Managing

Stress
SOCIAL
MANIFESTATIONS .

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Experience of
sense of isolation
Suffer from
loneliness
Frequently nag
others
Lack of intimacy
Often distrustful
Seldom go out
with family

Harbour
resentments
Lash out at others
Reduced contact
with friends
Disturbed family
relationships
Tend to use people
for personal gain

Understanding & Managing

Stress
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Depressed
Bored
Urge to cry
Urge to hide
Suspiciousness
Negative attitude/thoughts
Loneliness

Understanding & Managing

Stress
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Anxious
Nervous
Worry
Nightmares
Helplessness
Confusion

Understanding & Managing

Stress
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Irritable
Feelings of unreality
Urge to run
Unable to concentrate
Lethargy
Decision making- both major & minorbecomes difficult

Understanding & Managing

Stress
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Excessive daydreaming about
getting away from it all
Use of sleeping pills
Thoughts trail while speaking or
writing
Sudden outbursts of temper or
hostility

Understanding & Managing

Stress
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Forgetfulness regarding
appointments,dates, deadlines
Frequent spells of brooding
and a feeling of inadequacy
Reversals in usual behaviour

Understanding & Managing

Stress
BEHAVIOURAL EFFECTS

Cigarette smoking
Impulsive behavior
Inappropriate crying
Aggressive
Overeating
Lack of initiative

Understanding & Managing

Stress
BEHAVIOURAL EFFECTS

Using people
Drug/Alcohol abuse
Cynical
Fault finding
Antisocial
Under eating
Lowered sex drive

Understanding & Managing

Stress
BEHAVIOURAL EFFECTS

Accident prone
Blaming
Nervous laughing
Reclusive
Inflexible
Nagging

Understanding & Managing

Stress
PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Hypertension
Coronary heart disease
Migraine, tension headache
Ulcers
Asthmatic conditions
Chronic backaches
Arthritis

Understanding & Managing

Stress
PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Allergies
Skin disorders
Hyperthyroidism
Vertigo
More frequent infections
Sexual dysfunctions

Understanding & Managing

Stress
PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Heart pounding
Bowel alterations
Stomach distress
Dizziness
Lingering cold
Dry mouth
Fatigue

Understanding & Managing

Stress
PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Weakness
Fidgeting
Sweating
Anorexia
Insomnia
Muscle tension
Generalized aches and pains

Understanding & Managing

Stress
MENTAL STRESS
Mental attitudes generally negative
Mental lethargy
Rarely develop new ideas

Understanding & Managing

Stress
MENTAL STRESS
Difficulty in concentration
Confusion
Rarely express your feelings through
music, art, dance or writing
No intellectual relaxation
Make negative self-statements

Understanding & Managing

Stress
MENTAL STRESS

Fail to keep abreast of current events

Mind is often in a whirl
Rarely introduce innovations into work
Frequently suffer from forgetfulness

Understanding & Managing

Stress
BURN OUT EFFECTS
Complaints of fatigue, being overworked,
exhaustion
Shows loss of enthusiasm, energy, drive, pep
team spirit
Shows loss of imagination, creativity, refusal to
take risks

Understanding & Managing

Stress
BURN OUT
Becomes defensive easily, has poor
relationships with key people
Is disorganized, has poor recall, memory
loss

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Basic Guidelines For Coping
Recognise and admit that you are feeling
stressed and anxious

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Basic Guidelines For Coping
Give yourself permission to feel anxious about whatever it
is that is bothering you. But ask How much anxiety is too
much"
Try to pinpoint what it is you are anxious about. If you can't
pinpoint it, don't worry too much about it and move on
Become aware of your body's symptoms. Don't let them
scare you, let them talk to you

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Basic Guidelines For Coping

If you do know what it is that is bothering

you, what can you do to eliminate or
minimise the situation?

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Basic Guidelines For Coping

Most importantly, how can you react differently so

you won't be so affected by this situation?
Listen to the dialogue within yourself. Are you filling
yourself with negative thoughts about a certain
situation?
Listen to the dialogue of those around you. Is
someone around you being negative and dragging you
down with them?

Understanding & Managing

Stress

Basic Guidelines For Coping

Are you overwhelming yourself with "shoulds" and

high expectations? If so, which ones would you
eliminate?
Give yourself positive reinforcement for even the
smallest accomplishments.
Are you blaming someone else for your anxieties,
unhappiness, poor health, lack of success or whatever?
Take responsibility for yourself and make some
positive changes?

Understanding & Managing

Stress
The Ten Commandments
Thou shalt regularly do those things that are most
enjoyable to thee without harming others or self
Thou shalt take time to physically relax or
meditate daily
Thou shalt exercise aerobically 3-5 times each
week
Thou shalt sleep 7-8 hours each night

Understanding & Managing

Stress
The Ten Commandments
Thou shalt not take thyself so seriously
Thou shalt grant yourself the right to make
mistakes
Thou shalt share your feelings each day
Thou shalt eat a healthy, balanced diet
Thou shalt do the important things first
Thou shalt respect and express your own
opinions

Understanding & Managing

Stress
EXPECTATIONS Vs FULFILMENT
Realistic Vs Unrealistic Expectations
Flexibility Vs Rigidity
Must recognise own ability and potential

3As
Alter:
Remove the source of stress by changing something. Use problem
solving, direct communication, organization, planning, time
management
Avoid:
Remove oneself from the stressful situation or figuring out how
not to get there in the first place. Let go, say no, delegate.
Accept:
Accept that the situation is stressful and resource yourself well so
that you can deal with it. Also working to change your perception.
See it as a challenge rather than as a threat

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Remember that .
In the short run, anyone, can be a
victim, even you
In the long run,there are no
victims--- only willing participants

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Remember that .
The key to winning back your time
is to be more effective at being
rather than doing

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Remember that .
Albert Einstein didnt remember his
telephone number. He didnt want to
clutter his mind with information that
could be accessed anytime.

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Remember that .
You are more resourceful than you often
acknowledge and
You always have more options than you
know

Understanding & Managing

Stress
Remember that .
You dont have to catch the ball
every time someone throws it at you
Learn how to say NO!!