stress management

Are you Stressed?

Stress…
• Stress is the body’s
automatic response to any
physical or mental demand
placed on it.
• Adrenaline is a chemical
naturally produced in our
body as a response to stress
.

Stress and its Effects
Do you personally suffer from excessive stress?
What are the signs of excessive stress?
What can you do to help alleviate your stress?

Signs of stress

Common Physical symptoms of stress
can include:
• Rapid heartbeat.
• Headache.
• Stiff neck and/or tight shoulders.
• Backache.
• Rapid breathing.
• Sweating and sweaty palms.
• Upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea.
• Sleep trouble.
• Weakening of the immune system

Common Mental symptoms of stress
include:
• Irritability
• Intolerance
• Short Temper
• Exhaustion
• Lack of concentration
• Frustration over minor challenges

Determine YOUR Personal Level of Stress
Using the handout for reference, rate how often on a
scale of 1 to 10 (1 being never, 10 being more than 5-6 times
a week) you experience the below mentioned symptoms:
Headaches
Back/neck pain
Chest pain or discomfort
Problems with digestion/nausea
Dizziness, numbness or tingling in your fingers or toes
Irritability
Frustration
Emotional Fatigue
Concentration/Memory Problems

Where Do You Fall With Your Results?
If you’ve rated 6 or more of the
symptoms on the handout with a 5
or higher, you should consider
reviewing your stress level and
possibly taking some action to
reduce it. If you have rated 6 or
more of the above with a 4 or less,
it shows you manage your stressful
situations well.
It can’t hurt to get some ideas on
different ways of coping with
stress regardless of your personal
score. So, let’s take a look.

If you determine that you are
experiencing excessive stress, what
can you do?
– Find out what is causing stress in your
life and determine ways to reduce or
eliminate the cause.
– Change your response to the stress by
using old and new coping techniques
– Learn healthy ways to prevent stress
and reduce its harmful effects.
Options to Alleviate Your Stress

Advanced Learning Workshop –
Status (14 June 2013)
Some of these may include:
• Being fired
• Being Promoted or Demoted
• Moving/Relocation
• Marriage/Divorce
• Pregnancy
• Death of family or friends
These are just examples of major life changes that
can have a serious impact on our lives and cause our
bodies to react with stress. Often times, the most
common and stressful things happen on a daily basis.
Major Causes of Stress

Advanced Learning Workshop –
Status (14 June 2013)
Using the handout, take a few minutes
to honestly consider what causes your
daily stresses
Family?
School?
Friends?
Work?
Etc…
Where does YOUR stress start?

Advanced Learning Workshop –
Status (14 June 2013)
1)Time Management can
be a huge cause for
stress in many peoples’
lives. Consider taking a
class or course or
reading information
available online or in
magazines or books on
how to better manage
your time and tasks.
How Can You Cope With Stress?

2) schedule - You may get more done with
less stress if you make a schedule.
Think about which things are most
important, and put those at the top of
your schedule/list to do those things
first.
3) Take good care of yourself. Exercise,
get plenty of rest, try to eat well, don't
smoke and limit how much alcohol you
drink.

Advanced Learning Workshop –
Status (14 June 2013)
4) Stop negative thoughts. Easier said then
done right? Well, it’s a skill that would be
beneficial to develop. Try writing down your
worries and work on letting go of things you
cannot change. Don’t worry about things that
have past. Focus on the positives and the
future that you can still impact.
5) Speak up. Assertive communication can help
you express how you feel in a thoughtful,
tactful way.

6) Ask for help. People who have a strong
network of family and friends manage stress
better.
7) Do something you enjoy. A hobby, a bath,
meditation, walking, or volunteering are good,
helpful ways to help you feel better and relieve
stress. Listen to relaxing music.
8) Keep a journal. Try including dates, time
of day, time of year, current events in your life,
even your food intake and exercise routine (if
any).

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9) Focus on the present. Try meditation, imagery exercises, or
self-hypnosis. Don’t keep thinking back to your mistakes and
reliving the negative things that happened. There is nothing you
can do about it. Let it go and look ahead, not behind.
10) Laugh it up! Try to look for the humor in life. Don’t take
yourself so seriously. Everything will pass eventually and keeping
a sense of humor will help lighten the load. Laughter really can be
the best medicine!

More Ideas…
• Laugh Often
• Try a New Thing
• Cry
• Get Enough Sleep
• Exercise & Fresh Air
• Build a Support System –
Friends, Family and Co-
Workers
• SAY “NO” OCCASSIONALY

Eating practices modification
• Cut down on sugar,
caffeine, processed
foods
• Eat nutritiously: all food
groups, especially fresh
fruits and veggies
• Eat a little every couple
of hours or so
• Eat slowly

Advanced Learning Workshop –
Status (14 June 2013)
In Conclusion, make a commitment to yourself
to change the situation(s) causing you stress,
seek new and different ways to cope with the
daily stresses and attempt to become more
efficient so that you may foresee what
stresses may arise and possibly, avoid or
alleviate them.
Conclusion

Questions?

Thank you