STRESS PART 1A
BEGINNING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT STRESS
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CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
• Cultural differences have also shown to have some major effects on stress
coping problems. Eastern Asian employees may deal with certain work
situations differently than a Western North American employee would.
• In order to manage stress in the workplace, employers can provide stress
managing programs such as therapy, communication programs, and a
more flexible work schedule.
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GENDER, CULTURE AND STRESS
RESPONSE
• Differences in gender and culture are found to have significant
influences in how humans respond to stressors and stressful situations.
These differences require a deeper understanding in order for a person to
learn how he responds to stress, and whether his stress response is still
healthy or not.
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GENDER
STRESS AFFECTS PHYSICALLY &
PSYCHOLOGICALLY
• Gender and Stress
• The ways in which stress is physically and psychologically experienced
may vary because of sex difference, according to psychologists who
focused their study on the relationship between gender and stress
response. In 1972, Johansson & Post conducted a study which involved
equal number of male and female participants. They were subjected to
a particular non-stressful situation, and were then transferred to a stressful
circumstance.
•
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MALE VS. FEMALE STRESS
RESPONSE
• The results of the study showed that both male and female participants
showed an increased in adrenaline levels, yet the adrenaline levels of
men was much higher as compare to women. Because of this, the
physiological stress response of women was lower compare to men.
• Johansson & Post concluded that the results might be because of three
reasons.
•
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3 REASONS FOR GENDER
DIFFERIENCES
• Men and women differ biologically in terms of hormones.
• Men are typically more aggressive in physical terms than women. This
was supported by Hastrup, et.al. in 1980, proving that hormonal levels
truly affect stress response in women throughout their menstrual cycle.
•
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• Men and women differ in traditional gender roles, such as women are
typically more gentle and caring than men. However, this assumption
might have been changed over the years because women are now
assuming traditionally male roles.
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• Men and women differ biologically in terms of hormones.
• Men are typically more aggressive in physical terms than women. This
was supported by Hastrup, et.al. in 1980, proving that hormonal levels
truly affect stress response in women throughout their menstrual cycle.
•
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• Together with his research team, Cooper found out that there was an
unintentional genetic selection during the transfer of black Americans to
the New World via slave ships. The ancestors of the black Americans
today most probably survived the diarrhea outbreak during that time,
which means they had a better ability to retain water which contributed
to the development of CHD.
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STRESS & FATIGUE
• Fatigue and Overwork - This kind of stress builds up over a long time and can take a hard
toll on your body. It can be caused by working too much or too hard at your job(s),
school, or home. It can also be caused by not knowing how to manage your time well or
how to take time out for rest and relaxation. This can be one of the hardest kinds of stress
to avoid because many people feel this is out of their control. Later in this course we will
show you that you DO have options and offer some useful tips for dealing with fatigue.
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GOOD STRESS VERSUS BAD STRESS
• Good Stress Versus Bad Stress
• So if stress can be so bad for you, how can there be "good" or "positive" stress?
• If you are suffering from extreme stress or long-term stress, your body will
eventually wear itself down. But sometimes, small amounts of stress can actually
be good.
• Understanding your stress level is important. If nothing in your life causes you any
stress or excitement, you may become bored or may not be living up to your
potential. If everything in your life, or large portions of your life, cause you stress,
you may experience health or mental problems that will make your behavior
worse.
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GOOD STRESS VERUS BAD STRESS
• Recognizing when you are stressed and managing your stress can greatly
improve your life. Some short-term stress -- for example what you feel
before an important job presentation, test, interview, or sporting event -may give you the extra energy you need to perform at your best. But
long-term stress -- for example constant worry over your job, school, or
family -- may actually drain your energy and your ability to perform well.
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COMMON FACTS ABOUT STRESS
• You Are Not Alone: Common Facts About Stress
• Millions of Americans suffer from stress each year.
• In fact, 3 out of 4 people say they experience stress at least twice a month.
• Over half of those people say they suffer from 'high' levels of stress at least twice a month.
• Stress can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, and strokes, and make you more likely to
catch less serious illnesses like colds. It can also contribute to alcoholism, obesity, drug addiction,
cigarette use, depression, and other harmful behaviors.
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TECHNIQUES TO REDUCING
STRESS
• Humor
• Many stress-management experts recommend keeping a sense of humor during
difficult situations. Laughing releases muscle tension and helps a person maintain
perspective.
• Activities as simple as watching a funny movie, listening to a tape of a comedian's
routine, or sharing time with a humorous friend can provide a psychological lift and
relieve stress.
• HOBBIES
• REGULAR LEISURE ACTIVITIES ARE IMPORANT IN REDUCING STRESS. RICHARD, MY
HUSBAND, ENJOYS BUILDING DOLL HOUSES AND RIDING HIS BICYCLE. YOU MAY
ENJOY SKATING.
•
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OTHER ACTIVES TO REDUCE STRESS
•Spending time in nature
•Stress balls
•Natural medicine
•Clinically validated alternative treatments
•Time management
•Planning and decision making
•Listening to certain types of relaxing music
•Spending quality time with pets
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Read more: http://ehealthmd.com/content/other-ways-manage-stress#ixzz2sqCqeeVp
MEDITATION & BIOFEEDBACK
• There are a variety of meditation techniques that share a common goal: to achieve relaxation
by clearing the mind of stressful outside interferences. Meditation involves achieving a state of
consciousness in which the individual focuses on a single thing, such as a key word, sound, or
image.
Biofeedback
• Biofeedback provides a way for people to learn to control activities over which they normally
have no awareness, such as heart rate and muscle tension. It is considered by many health
professionals to be a valuable therapeutic tool for reducing stress. Biofeedback involves no
discomfort and no risk.
• Massage is the gentle practice of manipulating the body's tissues in order to soothe and heal.
It is one of the most ancient of the healing arts, and more people today are relying on it for
natural, drug-free relief from the effects of busy, overstressed lives. Massage can relax the
entire body and provide new energy that lingers long after the massage is over.
•
•
•
MASSAGE
• A NUMBER OF RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT MASSAGE REDUCES
STRESS. Massage is the gentle practice of manipulating the body's tissues in
order to soothe and heal. It is one of the most ancient of the healing arts,
and more people today are relying on it for natural, drug-free relief from the
effects of busy, overstressed lives. Massage can relax the entire body and
provide new energy that lingers long after the massage is over.
•
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CITATIONS
•Selye, H (1950). "Stress and the general adaptation syndrome" Br. Med. J. 1 (4667): 1383–92
Lazarus, R.S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal and Coping. New York: Springer.
Somaz, Wenk Heidi & Tulgan, Bruce (2003). Performance Under Pressure: Managing Stress
in the Workplace.Canada. HRD Press Inc.p 7-8. ISBN 0-87425-741-7
Mills, R.C. (1995). Realizing Mental Health: Toward a new Psychology of Resiliency.
Sulberger & Graham Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-945819-78-1
Sedgeman, J.A. (2005). Health Realization/Innate Health: Can a quiet mind and a positive feeling state
be accessible over the lifespan without stress-relief techniques? Med. Sci. Monitor 11(12) HY47-52. [1]
Lehrer, Paul M.; David H. (FRW) Barlow, Robert L. Woolfolk, Wesley E. Sime (2007).
Principles and Practice of Stress Management, Third Edition. pp. 46–47. ISBN 1-59385-000-X
Dubbed “Destressitizers” by The Journal of the Canadian Medical Association
Spence, JD; Barnett, PA; Linden, W; Ramsden, V; Taenzer, P (1999).
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