stress and its management by various techniques

1. STRESS AND IT’S
MANAGEMENT
By:
Dr. Shubham Sadh

2. WHAT IS STRESS?
1/9/2017 2

3. Stress is often termed as a
twentieth century syndrome, born
out of man's race towards modern
progress and its ensuing
complexities.
- BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
3

4. Stress: What is it?
• Although we all talk about stress, it often isn’t clear what
stress is really about.
• Many people consider stress to be something that
happens to them, as a negative event such as an injury or
a job loss. Others think that stress is what happens to our
body, mind, and behavior in response to an event (E.g.
heart thumping, anxiety, or nail biting).

5. “Response to any situation we find
challenging, frightening, or difficult”
‘The way the body responds to the demands
of one’s life style’ i.e., the effects of wear
and tear on your body.

6. DEFINITION
S = P > RStress occurs when the pressure is greater than the resource

7. Stress & Stressor
• Stress : A person’s response to events that
are threatening or challenging.
• Stressor : A stimulus that causes stress

8. Stress & Stressor
“Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction
to it.”
Hans Selye

9. THE INDIVIDUAL
Everyone is different, with unique
perceptions of, and reactions to, events.
There is no single level of stress that is
optimal for all people. Some are more
sensitive owing to experiences in
childhood, the influence of teachers,
parents and religion etc.

10. Categorizing Stressors
• There are three general types of stressors:
• Cataclysmic events: Strong stressors that occur
suddenly and typically affect many people at once (e.g.,
natural disasters).
• Personal stressors: Major life events, such as the death
of a family member, that have immediate negative
consequences that generally fade with time.
• Background stressors: Everyday annoyances, such as
being stuck in traffic, that cause minor irritations and
may have long-term ill effects if they continue or are
compounded by other stressful events.

11. EUSTRESS vs. DISTRESS

12. • When stress is good and leads to something
desirable such as studying for a big exam and
then receiving a good grade on the exam, it is
called Eustress.
•When the stress has negative effects such as
confusion, an inability to make decisions, and illness,
it is called Distress.

13. Eustress: Good Stress
• Getting into college.
• Getting engaged.
• Winning the lottery.

14. Distress: Stress From Bad Sources
• Difficult work environment.
• Threat of personal injury.
• Diseases.

15. The General Adaptation Syndrome
A theory developed by Hans Selye that suggests
that a person’s response to a stressor consists of
three stages: alarm and mobilization, adaptation,
and exhaustion.
• Alarm response
• Adaptation
• Exhaustion

16. ALARM RESPONSE
This is the “ Fight or Flight” response that
prepares the body for immediate action.

17. Sequence of Steps in the Fight or Flight Behaviors
1. The brain appraises a situation as threatening and dangerous.
2. The lower brain structure secretes a stress hormone.
3. The stress hormone signals the adrenal glands to secrete
adrenaline.
4. This causes the muscles to tense, the heart to beat faster, and the
liver to send out sugar to be used in the muscles.
Fight or Flight

18. ADAPTATION PHASE
If the source persists, the body prepares for
long-term protection, secreting hormones to
increase blood sugar levels.
This phase is common and not necessarily
harmful, but must include periods of
relaxation and rest to counterbalance the
stress response.
Fatigue, concentration lapses, irritability and
lethargy result as the stress turns negative.

19. EXHAUSTION
In chronic stress situations, sufferers enter the
exhaustion phase: emotional, physical and
mental resources suffer heavily, the body
experiences ‘adrenal exhaustion’ leading to
decreased stress tolerance, progressive
mental and physical exhaustion, illness and
collapse.

20. SYMPTOMS OF STRESS
• Physical symptoms
• Mental symptoms
• Behavioural symptoms
• Emotional symptoms

21. PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
• Sleep pattern changes
• Fatigue
• Digestion changes
• Loss of sexual drive
• Headaches
• Aches and pains
• Infections
• Indigestion
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Sweating & trembling
• Tingling hands & feet
• Breathlessness
• Palpitations
• Missed heartbeats

22. MENTAL SYMPTOMS
• Lack of concentration
• Memory lapses
• Difficulty in making decisions
• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Panic attacks

23. BEHAVIOURAL SYMPTOMS
• Appetite changes - too much or too little
• Eating disorders - anorexia, bulimia
• Increased intake of alcohol & other drugs
• Increased smoking
• Restlessness
• Fidgeting
• Nail biting
• Hypochondria

24. EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS
• Bouts of depression
• Impatience
• Fits of rage
• Tearfulness
• Deterioration of personal hygiene and
appearance

25. STRESS CONTROL
A B C STRATEGY

26. ABC STRATEGY
A = AWARENESS
What causes you stress?
How do you react?

27. ABC STRATEGY
B = BALANCE
There is a fine line between positive / negative
stress
How much can you cope with before it becomes
negative ?

28. ABC STRATEGY
C = CONTROL
What can you do to help yourself combat the
negative effects of stress ?

30. Stress Management Techniques
• Change your thinking
• Change your behaviour
• Change your lifestyle

31. Change your Thinking
• Re-framing
• Positive thinking

32. Re-framing
Re-framing is a technique to change the way
you look at things in order to feel better about
them.
There are many ways to interpret the same
situation so pick the one you like.
Re-framing does not change the external
reality, but helps you view things in a different
light and less stressfully.

33. Positive Thinking
Forget powerlessness, dejection, despair,
failure
Stress leaves us vulnerable to negative
suggestion so focus on positives;
• Focus on your strengths
• Learn from the stress you are under
• Look for opportunities
• Seek out the positive - make a change.

34. Change your Behaviour
• Be assertive
• Get organised
• Ventilation
• Humour
• Diversion and distraction

35. Be Assertive
• Assertiveness is a skill regularly referred to in
social and communication skills training.
• Being assertive means being able to stand up for
your own or other people’s rights in a calm and
positive way, without being either aggressive, or
passively accepting ‘wrong’.
• Lack of assertiveness often shows low self -
esteem and low self - confidence. The key to
assertiveness is verbal and non - verbal
communication.
• Extending our range of communication skills will
improve our assertiveness.

36. Equality and Basic Rights
1) The right to express my feelings
2) The right to express opinions / beliefs
3) The right to say ‘Yes/No’ for yourself
4) Right to change your mind
5) Right to say ‘I don’t understand’
6) Right to be yourself, not acting for the benefit
of others

37. 7) The right to decline responsibility for other
people’s problems
8) The right to make reasonable requests of
others
9) The right to set my own priorities
10) The right to be listened to, and taken
seriously

38. Being Assertive
Being assertive involves standing up for your
personal rights and expressing your thoughts,
feelings and beliefs directly, honestly and
spontaneously in ways that don’t infringe the
rights of others.

39. Assertive People
• Respect themselves and others
• Take responsibility for actions and choices
• Ask openly for what they want
• Disappointed if ‘want’ denied
• Self - confidence remains intact
• Not reliant on the approval of others

40. Assertive Skills
• Establish good eye contact / don’t stare
• Stand or sit comfortably - don’t fidget
• Talk in a firm, steady voice
• Use body language
• ‘What do you think?’ ‘How do you feel ?’
• Concise and to the point

41. Benefits
• Higher self-esteem
• Less self-conscious
• Less anxious
• Manage stress more successfully
• Appreciate yourself and others more easily
• Feeling of self-control

42. Get Organised
Poor organisation is one of the most common
causes of stress.
Prioritising objectives, duties and activities
makes them manageable and achievable.
Don’t overload your mind. Organisation will
help avoid personal and professional chaos.

43. Time Management
• Make a list
What MUST be done
What SHOULD be done
What would you LIKE to do
• Cut out time wasting
• Learn to drop unimportant activities

44. • Plan your day
• Set achievable goals
• Don’t waste time making excuses for not
doing something

45. Ventilation
‘A problem shared is a problem halved’
Develop a support network through friends or
colleagues to talk with. It’s not always events
that are stressful but how we perceive them.
Writing a diary or notes may help release
feelings but do not re-read what has been
written.

46. Humour
• Good stress - reducer
• Applies at home and work
• Relieves muscular tension
• Improves breathing
• Pumps endorphins into the bloodstream - the
body’s natural painkillers

47. Diversion and Distraction
• Take time out
• Get away from things that bother you
• Doesn’t solve the problem
• Reduce stress level
• Calm down
• Think logically

48. Change Your Lifestyle
• Diet
• Smoking & Alcohol
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Leisure
• Relaxation

49. Do nothing. That's right,
do nothing at all. Close the
door, open the window,
have a seat, and take a
little break from life. If
your mind is racing, learn
to meditate and just let that
stress go.

50. Be aware of your choices;
you always have a choice

51. Learn to say no; you cannot do
everything you are asked.

52. CONCLUSION