STRESS: THE CONSTANT
CHALLENGE
CHAPTER 2
WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress- The collective psychobiological condition that occurs in
reaction to a disruptive, unexpected, or stimulating stimulus.

Situations (physical or psychological) that trigger physical and
emotional reactions are referred to as stressors.

Distress (negative) & Eustress (positive) stress.

The specific psychobiological changes that occur as the body
attempts to cope with the stressor and return to homeostasis, or
balance.

1.
Physical responses to stressors are controlled by the nervous
system and the endocrine system.
The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous
system not under conscious supervision, controls the stress
response.
ANS
Parasympathetic Division Sympathetic Division
(Relaxed state)
(stimulated state)
THE FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT REACTION
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
Responses to stress vary from person to person

Cognitive appraisal of a potential stressor influences
how it is viewed


Highly individual; related to emotions
Two factors that can reduce the magnitude of the
stress response:

Successful prediction

Perception of control
EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL
RESPONSES TO STRESSORS
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55
STRESS LEVEL, PERFORMANCE,
AND WELL-BEING
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6

Behavioral responses to stress

Controlled by the somatic nervous system

Effective responses: talking, laughing, exercise,
and improved time management

Ineffective responses: overeating, hostility,
procrastination, frustration
EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL
RESPONSES TO STRESSORS
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7
Type A Personality
Type B Personality
 Impatient
 Patient
 Chronically
irritated
 Low
tolerance for
mistakes
 Hostile
 Low
 High
self-esteem
risk of
stress-related
physical disorders
 Tolerant
 Friendly
 Realistic
self-esteem,
geared toward humility
 Low
risk of
stress-related
physical disorders
THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY TYPES
Type D Personality*

Responds to stressful
situations with resignation or
withdrawal
Type C Personality*

Stoical

Internalizes stress

Increased risk for immune
disorders including cancer
THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY TYPES
*Still under research and review.

Behavioral responses to stress

Controlled by the somatic nervous system

Effective responses: talking, laughing, exercise,
and improved time management

Ineffective responses: overeating, hostility,
procrastination, frustration
EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL
RESPONSES TO STRESSORS
10
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GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME (GAS)
An adaptive response consisting of three stages through which the body
strives to maintain or restore homeostasis.The three stages of GAS can
be triggered by a pleasant stressor (eustress), or an unpleasant stressor
(distress).
1.
The alarm stage is the fight-or flight reaction. This stage makes the
body vulnerable by mobilizing it to cope with a crisis. Levels of stress
hormones and heart rate are increased.
2.
The resistance stage occurs when a person develops a new level of
homeostasis to cope with the added stress. An individual becomes
more resistant to the stressor.
3. The exhaustion stage as described by Selye resulted in the depletion
of resources that left the body vulnerable to disease. It is believed
that the stress response itself is the cause of disease over time.
Allostatic
overload: The feeling of
being mentally and physically
stressed out.
PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY (PNI)
 PNI
studies the interaction among the nervous,
endocrine, and immune systems. Hormones and
other chemical messengers released during the
stress response may inhibit or strengthen the
immune system.
Examples:
1. Increased levels of cortisol are linked to
decreased number of immune system cells.
2. Epinephrine and norepinephrine appear to
promote the release of lymphocytes, but at the
same time reduce their efficiency.

Cardiovascular disease

Chronic high blood pressure


Atherosclerosis

Heart attacks, strokes

Elevated cholesterol, inflammation
Psychological problems

Stressors can be anxiety-producing or depressing

Panic attacks

Eating disorders

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
LINKS BETWEEN STRESS AND
SPECIFIC CONDITIONS
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14

Altered functioning of the immune system

Headaches

Tension headaches

Migraine headaches

Cluster headaches

Digestive problems

Insomnia

Injuries

Menstrual irregularities, impotence, pregnancy
complications
OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS
15
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15
COMMON SOURCES OF STRESS


Financial
Major Life Changes



Marriage, injury,
break-up, starting
college, graduating.
Daily hassles
Academic Pressure
Interpersonal
 Time-related
 Financial
 Future

Real social networks
 Virtual social networks


Job-related Stressors

burnout
Environmental



Social




Natural disasters
Acts of violence
Industrial accidents
Intrusive noise or smells
Internal stressors

Ways to control stress:

Shore up your support
system

Volunteer

Improve communication
skills

Develop healthy exercise,
eating, and sleeping habits

Learn to identify and
moderate individual
stressors
MANAGING STRESS
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17
GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP
 Sleep

deprivation can add stress to your life.
Stress also affects sleep quality.
 One-third
of Americans sleep less than the
recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
 Sleep
deprivation can affect physical, emotional,
social, and mental health.
 Sleep

debt is caused by sleeping less than needed.
It cannot be made up, but can be avoided by getting enough
quality sleep each night.
TIPS TO GET A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP
 Go
to bed a bit earlier.
 Keep regular bedtime
hours.
 If you can’t fall asleep
within 20 minutes, get up
and stay busy until sleepy.
 Make your bedroom dark,
quiet, and a little cool.
 Avoid caffeinated drinks
after lunchtime; avoid
alcohol and cigarettes
before bed.
 Exercise earlier in the day.
 Put aside stressful things
to deal with in the morning.
 Avoid all-nighters and don’t
work in bed.
 Give yourself time to wind
down before bed.
 Try not to nap or to sleep
in on weekends.
Time Management
Efficient time management may help to lower stress levels. Some
suggestions to avoid procrastinating and to manage time better
include:

Plan by setting priorities. Focus on essential and important tasks.

Stay prepared

Scheduling tasks for times of peak efficiency.

Setting realistic goals and committing to achieving them by writing
them down.

Leave time for surprises by budgeting enough time to achieve
goals. Make a reasonable estimate and then adding on another
10-25% as a buffer.

Breaking down big jobs/long-term goals.

Do the least favorite tasks first- get it out of the way.


Striving for spiritual wellness:

Spiritual wellness is associated with greater coping
skills/higher levels of overall wellness

Promotes:

Social support

Healthy habits

Positive attitude

Moments of relaxation
Confiding in yourself through writing:

Keep a diary
OTHER WAYS TO DEAL WITH
STRESS
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
Think and act constructively

Take control

Problem-solve

Modify your expectations

Stay positive

Practice affirmations

Cultivate your sense of humor

Focus on what’s important
COGNITIVE TECHNIQUES
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22

Use techniques to trigger the relaxation response
(opposite of fight-or-flight reaction)








Progressive relaxation
Visualization
Meditation
Mindfulness
Yoga
Tai chi
Qigong
Biofeedback
RELAXATION TECHNIQUES
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23
RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

Many relaxation techniques trigger the relaxation response- a
physiological state that is the opposite of the fight-or-flight
response. It may be helpful to choose one and practice it
until it becomes comfortable. Some work better than others
for different people, so it may take experimentation to
decide which is best for any person.
Progressive Relaxation (Deep muscle relaxation)

Involves tensing and completely relaxing each part of the
body. Generally, each muscle group should be tensed while
inhaling and relaxed while slowly exhaling. The procedure
should be repeated at least once for each group.
CREATING A PERSONAL PLAN FOR
MANAGING STRESS



Identifying stressors

Journal for two weeks

Spot patterns
Designing your plan

Techniques for coping

Contract
Getting help
SAMPLE STRESS MANAGEMENT CONTRACT




















A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water
and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.<BR>
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.“
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly
heavy,we won't be able to carry on. "
As with the glass of water,you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it
again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.“
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.
Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
let them down for a moment if you can."
So, why not take a while to just simply RELAX.
Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.
Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Life is short. Enjoy it!