Notes for Participants

1. Stress Management

2. Objectives
• 1. Explore the subject of Stress
What will we learn about Stress today?
• 2. Relate Stress to our daily lives
How can you relate it with your personal life?
• 3. Apply some techniques on Stress Management
What practical things you can change when you are face
with STRESS?

3. Question: I'm Overwhelmed By Stress. How Can
I Even Begin To Better Manage It?
• I experience excessive levels of stress at work and at
home, and I have very little time to myself. I feel like I'm
stressed all the time. I know I'm not taking care of myself,
and I think the stress may be affecting my health. Still, I
don't know how to even begin getting it to a manageable
level. How do I lead a healthier life?

4. Understanding Stress
PART 1

5. Two Types of Stress
EustressDistress

7. Eustress,or positivestress
• Eustress, or positive stress, has the following characteristics:
• Motivates, focuses energy
• Is short-term
• Is perceived as within our coping abilities
• Feels exciting
• Improves performance

8. Examplesofnegativepersonalstressorsinclude:
• The death of a spouse
• Filing for divorce
• Losing contact with loved ones
• The death of a family member
• Hospitalization (oneself or a family member)
• Injury or illness (oneself or a family member)
• Being abused or neglected
• Separation from a spouse or committed relationship partner
• Conflict in interpersonal relationships
• Bankruptcy/Money Problems
• Unemployment
• Sleep problems
• Children's problems at school
• Legal problems

9. Distress,or negativestress
• Distress, or negative stress, has the following characteristics:
• Causes anxiety or concern
• Can be short- or long-term
• Is perceived as outside of our coping abilities
• Feels unpleasant
• Decreases performance
• Can lead to mental and physical problems

10. Examplesofpositivepersonalstressors include:
• Receiving a promotion or raise at work
• Starting a new job
• Marriage
• Buying a home
• Having a child
• Moving
• Taking a vacation
• Holiday seasons
• Retiring
• Taking educational classes or learning a new hobby

11. Internal and External Stressors
Internal
Stressors
External
stressors
External
stressors
External
stressors
External
stressors

12. Internal Stressors
• Stressors are not always limited to situations where some external
situation is creating a problem. Internal events such as feelings and
thoughts and habitual behaviors can also cause negative stress.
Common internally caused sources of distress include:
• Fears: (e.g., fears of flying, heights, public speaking, chatting with
strangers at a party)
• Repetitive Thought Patterns:
• Worrying about future events (e.g., waiting for medical test results
or job restructuring)
• Unrealistic, perfectionist expectations
• Habitual behavior patterns that can lead to stress include:
• Overscheduling
• Failing to be assertive
• Procrastination and/or failing to plan

13. Levels of Stress
Chronic stress
Episodic acute
stress
Acute stress
Adapted from The Stress Solution by Lyle H. Miller, PhD, and Alma
Dell Smith, PhD

14. Acute stress
• Does not cause extensive damage associated with long-term stress.
The most common symptoms are:
• Emotional distress — some combination of anger or irritability, anxiety and
depression, the three stress emotions.
• Muscular problems including tension headache, back pain, jaw pain and the
muscular tensions that lead to pulled muscles and tendon and ligament
problems.
• Stomach, gut and bowel problems such as heartburn, acid stomach,
flatulence, diarrhea, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
• Transient over arousal leads to elevation in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat,
sweaty palms, heart palpitations, dizziness, migraine headaches, cold
hands or feet, shortness of breath and chest pain.
• Acute stress can crop up in anyone's life, and it is highly treatable and
manageable.

15. Episodic acute stress
Those suffer acute stress frequently, whose lives are so disordered
that they are studies in chaos and crisis.
• The symptoms of episodic acute stress are the symptoms of
extended over arousal: persistent tension headaches,
migraines, hypertension, chest pain and heart disease.
Treating episodic acute stress requires intervention on a number
of levels, generally requiring professional help, which may take
many months.
• Often, lifestyle and personality issues are so ingrained and
habitual with these individuals that they see nothing wrong
with the way they conduct their lives. They blame their woes
on other people and external events. Frequently, they see their
lifestyle, their patterns of interacting with others, and their ways of
perceiving the world as part and parcel of who and what they are.
• Sufferers can be fiercely resistant to change. Only the promise
of relief from pain and discomfort of their symptoms can keep
them in treatment and on track in their recovery program.

16. Chronic stress
• Chronic stress comes when a person never sees a way
out of a miserable situation. It's the stress of unrelenting
demands and pressures for seemingly interminable
periods of time. With no hope, the individual gives up
searching for solutions
• Chronic stress kills through suicide, violence, heart
attack, stroke and, perhaps, even cancer. People wear
down to a final, fatal breakdown. Because physical and
mental resources are depleted through long-term
attrition, the symptoms of chronic stress are difficult to
treat and may require extended medical as well as
behavioral treatment and stress management.

17. Chronic stress
• Chronic stress can:
• Lower Immunity: Prolonged stress can make you more
susceptible to cold and flu bugs by affecting your
immune system.
• Impact Relationships: When stressed and irritable, we
are often less available to those we love, and stress can
impact libido as well.
• Affect Sleep: Stressed people often have trouble falling
and staying asleep, or find it difficult to make the time.
• Lead To Unhealthy Coping: Smoking, excessive
drinking and other unhealthy behaviors are sometimes
used as a form of coping.

18. Chronic stress
• Researchers in the field of
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) suggests that
chronic stress can lead to or exacerbate mood
disorders such as
• depression and anxiety,
• bipolar disorder,
• cognitive (thinking) problems,
• personality changes, and problem
behaviors.

19. Depressions and Anxiety

20. Depressions and Anxiety
• Symptoms of Major Depression may include: sleep problems;
fatigue; appetite changes; feelings of worthlessness, self-hate,
and guilt; an inability to concentrate or make decisions;
agitation, restlessness, and irritability; withdrawal from typical
pleasurable activities; and feelings of hopelessness and
helplessness. Depression is also associated with an increase in
suicidal thinking and suicidal actions, and may make a person
more vulnerable to developing other mental disorders.

21. Bipolar Disorder
• Involves dramatic shifts in mood, energy level, and behavior from
the highs of mania (one pole) to the lows of major depression (the
opposite pole).
• Mania is characterized by a euphoric (joyful, energetic) mood,
hyper-activity, a positive, expansive outlook on life, an inflated sense
of self-esteem, and a sense that most anything is possible. When in
a manic state, individuals with bipolar disorder tend to experience a
decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, rapid speech (wherein
the words won't come out fast enough to keep up with their racing
thoughts) and heightened distractibility. Manic individuals typically
show poor judgment and impulsivity, and are prone to engaging in
risky or dangerous behaviors and activities.
• Individuals with Bipolar Disorder shift from ("cycle" is the term used
by mental health professionals) Mania to the symptoms of Major
Depression, which we described above

22. Stress and Cognitive Functioning
• Stress hormones may decrease the functioning of neurons
(brain cells) in a region of the brain known as the
hippocampus (a part of the brain that is important for laying
down new long-term memories) and in the frontal lobes (the
part of the brain that is necessary for paying attention,
filtering out irrelevant information, and using judgment to
solve problems). As a result, people who are chronically
stressed may experience confusion, difficulty concentrating,
trouble learning new information, and/or problems with
decision-making.

23. Personality Changes& Problematic
behaviors
• Irritability
• Hostility
• Frustration
• Anger
• Aggressive feelings and behavior
• Decreased interest in appearance
• Decreased concern with punctuality
• Obsessive/compulsive behavior (trying to cope with unwanted repeated
thoughts or obsessions, by engaging in compulsive behavior rituals such
as counting, checking, washing, etc.)
• Reduced work efficiency or productivity
• Lying or making excuses to cover up poor work
• Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness
• Problems in communication
• Social withdrawal and isolation
• Impulsivity (expressed as impulse buying, gambling, sexual behavior, or
similar)

24. Responding to Stress
PART 2

25. FactorsInfluencingtheStressResponse
HarryMills,Ph.D.,NatalieReiss,Ph.D.andMarkDombeck,Ph.D.
Arousalvs.Anxiety

27. IntegratedPerformanceModel
Watkins (2014)

28. Managing stress
• Different factors determine whether a particular demand will
cause eustress or distress in a given individual. How we think
about a stressor (our appraisal and our self-talk), how we
think about our own capabilities (our self-concept) and how
we think about the specific characteristics of the stressor itself
(e.g., how intensely it creates demands on us, how long it
lasts, etc.) will all collectively determine whether we will
experience stress over handling any given situation.

29. Coping styles

30. Coping Skills
Step1: Cognitive appraisal

31. Coping Skills
Step1: Cognitive appraisal
There are two aspects to cognitive appraisal: primary appraisal
and secondary appraisal.
• In primary appraisal, we evaluate whether we have anything
at stake in an encounter (e.g., by asking ourselves "Does this
matter for me?"). A stressor that is perceived as important is
more likely to cause a stress reaction than a stressor that is
viewed as relatively trivial.
• In secondary appraisal, we evaluate our existing coping
resources (e.g., how healthy we are, how much energy we
have, whether family and friends can help, our ability to rise
to the challenge, and how much money or equipment we
have), our available options, and the possibilities we have for
controlling our situation. If we believe that we lack the coping
resources necessary to deal with the situation, we will
perceive it as negative stress.

32. Step2: Know your coping skills

33. Step2: Know your coping skills
• A coping skill is a behavior or technique that helps a person to
solve a problem or meet a demand. Coping skills are problem-
solving techniques or tools; they make it possible to solve
problems or meet demands more easily and efficiently than
might otherwise be possible.
• People with good coping skills are less likely to experience
negative stress reactions than are people with more poorly
developed coping skills. In addition, people with well-
developed coping skills typically develop a higher sense of
self-efficacy than do their peers who have poorer coping skills,
and thus are less likely to suffer the negative impact of stress
reactions.

34. Step 3: Enhance your self-efficacy
• In the context of stress, self-efficacy describes your beliefs about your ability
to handle stressful situations.
• Coping skills, self-efficacy, and appraisal are all characteristics that people
bring to a stressful circumstance. They are internal to the person, meaning
that they "reside in" the person who needs to respond to an activating
event, rather than being a characteristic of the event itself.

36. Change yourThinking
• Think about Thinking, & Change your thinking

37. Changing your Physiology

38. Changing your Physiology
• Breathing right (Rhythm: Ratio between inhale
and exhale is fixed & Smoothness (like infinity) is
more important and Large/Depth: Volume of air)
• Eating & Drink right
• Sleep right
• Speak right
• Think right
• Detox your body (Fast, alter your diet etc)

39. Change your Environment

40. Change your Environment
• Organize your life (time, task and problems to solve)
• Improve your relationships with difficult people
• Surround with people who loves & cares for you
• Avoid negative talk, meaningless/hard metal music,
heartbreaking & sad songs
• Watch comedy & romance instead of horror, thriller, murder
and war movies
• Go for nature bath

41. Change your Behavior

42. How to Evaluateand Understandyour
PersonalStress
•"A" stands for an "Activating Event.“
• "B" in the equation stands for
"Beliefs.“
•"C" in the A+B=C equation stands for
"Consequences."

43. Therapy

44. Therapy

45. Therapy

46. Therapy

47. Therapy

48. Therapy

49. Therapy

50. Therapy

51. Personal reflection
• What have you learn about Stress today?
• How can you relate it with your personal life?
• What practical things you can change?
• What are your strategies when you are face with STRESS?

52. Conclusions
Avoid These: Worst Ways To Relieve Stress
• Forcing Stress Relievers that doesn’t work on you
• Engaging in Negative thoughts and talks
• Ignoring the Stress
TAKE HOME IDEAS
• Breathing exercises
• Get personalized with stress relievers
• Draw on Social Support
• Aware of your existing levels of stress

53. Thank you
Dr. Kenny S.L Cheah
Senior Lecturer,
Institute of Educational Leadership, IEL
18-5, Level 18,
Wisma R&D, University of Malaya (UM)
59990 Jalan Pantai Baru
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Direct Line: +603-2246 3413