Managing Stress:

Coping with Life’s Challenges

Does anyone know
what being stressed
is?
 Introduction to Stress

•  How many times have you said “I am stressed in

the last week?”
•  Are you really stressed?
•  What words come to mind when you define
stress?
•  Is there really one definition when we talk about
stress?
Stress: What Words Come to Mind?
 What is Stress?
•  Stress: Mental and physical responses of our bodies to the changes
and challenges of our lives.
–  We should loosen up, calm down, worry less, gain greater
control over our minds and bodies, etc.

•  Stressor: A physical, social, or psychological event or condition that

causes the body to adjust to a specific situation.
–  Several factors influence stressors such as characteristics of the
stressor (can you control it, it is predictable, etc), biological
factors (age, gender, etc), and past experiences (how you dealt
with the past, etc).
–  Examples of stressors: getting into a car accident, mixed
emotions of meeting your significant other’s parents, etc.
–  Can you name a few?
 What is Stress?
•  Adjustment: The attempt to cope with a given situation.

•  Strain: The wear and tear that body and mind sustain in adjusting to
or resisting a stressor.
–  Stress and strain are associated with most daily activities.

•  Eustress: Positive stress that presents opportunities for personal

growth.
–  getting married, starting school, starting a new job, etc

•  Distress: Negative stress that can have a detrimental effect on

health
–  Death, financial problems, academic difficulties, etc.
 The Fight-or-Flight Response
•  Fight-or-Flight Response: Physiological reaction in which the body
prepares to combat or escape a real or perceived threat.

•  Example:
–  Experience a stressor
–  Our emotional reaction triggers the adrenal glands to secrete a
hormone called adrenaline
–  As a result, heart speeds up, breathing increases, blood
pressure increases, and flow of blood to muscles increase with
rapid release of blood sugars into the bloodstream.

•  Our body will either prepare to fight or just escape from a situation.
The Fight-or-Flight Response
 General Adaptation Syndrome
•  Homeostasis: A balanced physical state in which all the
body’s systems function smoothly.

•  Adaptive response: Form of adjustment in which the

body attempts to restore homeostasis. Body likes to be
at ease.

•  General Adaptation Syndrome: The pattern followed in

the physiological response to stress, consisting of the
alarm, resistance, and exhaustion phases.
 General Adaptation Syndrome – Alarm Phase

•  When body exposed to a stressor, stress hormones kick

in to do battle.
•  Subconscious perceptions and appraisal of the stressor
stimulate the areas in the brain responsible for specific
emotions.
•  The emotional stimulation then triggers the physical
reaction we associate with stress.
•  The entire process takes a few seconds.
 General Adaptation Syndrome – Alarm Phase
•  When the mind perceives a real or imaginary stressor,
the cerebral cortex, the region or the brain that interprets
the nature of the event, is called upon.

•  If the cerebral cortex perceives a threat, it triggers an

autonomic nervous system response (ANS).

•  ANS: the portion of the central nervous system that

regulates bodily functions that a person does not
normally consciously control.
Stressed Out Wedding Brain
Cerebral Cortex: Interpreting
Nature of Event
Cerebral Cortex: Perceives Threats
 General Adaptation Syndrome – Alarm Phase

•  The ANS has two branches: sympathetic and parasympathetic.

•  Sympathetic nervous system: branch of the autonomic nervous

system responsible for stress arousal. It signals the body with
hormones to determine whether it will fight or give up on a situation.

•  Parasympathetic nervous system: part of the autonomic nervous

system responsible for slowing systems stimulated by the stress
response. This counteracts the sympathetic effects.

•  The two branches work together to create a healthy balance in the

body. This goes back to that idea of homeostasis.
 General Adaptation Syndrome – Alarm Phase

•  Hypothalamus: A section of the brain that controls the sympathetic

nervous system and directs the stress response.
–  This region of the brain can signal adrenal glands if the body
needs extra energy to deal with stress.

•  Epinephrine: Also called adrenaline, a hormone that stimulates

body systems in response to stress.
–  Causes more blood to be pumped with each heart beat, dilates
the bronchioles (air sacs in the lungs) so that oxygen intake is
increases, increases breathing, and signals the liver to release
more glucose which is broken down for muscular energy.
–  Body is ready to act immediately on the stressor.
Hypothalamus: Controls Sympathetic Nervous
System and Signals Adrenal Glands
 General Adaptation Syndrome – Resistance Phase

•  Resistance phase is similar to alarm phase in that the

same organs and systems are mobilized but at a less
intense level.
•  Body still continues to return to homeostasis but
because some stressor can still exist, complete rest is
never achieved.
•  If rest is not achieved, the body stays activated and has
a higher metabolic rate in organ tissue.
•  This causes the system to work overtime and eventually
the body system will not function effectively.
 General Adaptation Syndrome – Exhaustion Phase

•  Physical and emotional energy used to fight a stressor

are used up.
•  At this time it is possible to have total depletion of body
energy and one becomes susceptible to illness.
•  As the body adjusts to chronic unresolved stress, the
adrenal glands continue to release hormones, which
remain in the blood stream.
•  Over time, immunocompetence is reduced. This means
that the ability of the immune system to respond to
assaults is compromised. Here blood pressure can
remain very high, we may catch colds easily, etc.
 Stress and CVD

•  Many studies have documented a strong association

between stress and elevations in heart rates and blood
pressures.
•  Increase pressures can cause turbulence in blood flow
and damage inner lining of blood vessels.
•  When vessel damage occurs, fat tends to stick at the
damaged sites and the problem amounts to
atherosclerosis plaque buildup.
•  This can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
Stress and CVD
 Stress and Diabetes

•  Effect of stress on blood sugar levels makes its impact

on diabetes management crucial.
•  People under lots of stress often don’t get enough
sleep, don’t eat well, and may drink alcohol or take other
drugs to help them get through a stressful time.
•  These behaviors alter blood sugar levels.
•  High blood sugar levels due to stress may damage body
organs such as kidneys and blood vessels in the
extremities and eyes.
•  High stress can lead to eating of fatty foods which can
affect blood sugar levels.
 Stress and Mind
•  Stress may be one of the single greatest contributors to mental
disabilities and emotional dysfunction in the US.

•  People with high nervous tension have increased risk for mental
illness, suicide, and coronary artery disease.

•  The incidence of suicide among college students is assumed to be

indicative of societal stress in the lives of young people.

•  A recent national study of Americans aged 15 to 54 found that

almost half will suffer a mental and addictive disorder during their
lifetime due to stress.

•  College counseling centers report an 85% increase in the number of

students they see with severe psychological problems-problems
largely related to stress and adjustment difficulties.
 Stress and Changes

•  Anytime a good or bad change occurs in the normal

routine, you experience stress.

•  The more changes occur, the more adjustments that

need to occur, the greater the stress may be.

•  Some people are not comfortable with change and like to

have a routine life. Once they are put out of their
element, they can’t handle it and experience stress.
 Other Sources of Stress

•  Hassles – losing keys, slipping in front of people, simple

problems, etc.
•  Pressure – happens when we feel forced to speed up,
intensify, or shift direction of our behaviors to meet a
higher standard of performance.
•  Inconsistent goals and behaviors – set high goals but
have bad behaviors that prevent you from reaching goals
can cause stress.
•  Conflict – competing motives, behaviors, impulses, etc.
We try to avoid this.
•  Overload – too much responsibility, too many tasks, etc.
 Self-Imposed Stress
•  Self-esteem – feel good about yourself and you can probably cope
with stress better.

•  Self-efficacy – ability to cope with life challenges. If you do this well

you are less likely to be stressed.

•  Locus of control – people who believe they lack control in a situation

may become easily frustrated and give up.
–  Those who feel they have no personal control tend to have an
external locus of control and a low level of self-efficacy.
–  People who are confident their behavior will influence the
outcome tend to have an internal locus of control.
–  Those who say they have limited control over their lives usually
have high levels of stress.
 Managing Stress
•  Assess the stressors
•  Learn to cope with stress
–  Stress inoculation: Stress management technique in which a
person consciously tries to prepare ahead of time for potential
stressors.
•  Example: if you are scared to speak in front of a large crowd,
you might practice in front of a group of friends before you
actually do it in front of a large group. This might inoculate
some stress.
•  Downshifting: conscious attempt to simplify life in an effort to reduce
stresses and strains of modern living.
–  Example: moving from a large urban area to a smaller town,
leaving a high paying job high stress job for one that make you
happy, etc.
 Stress and Social Interaction

•  As you develop and cultivate friendships, look for individuals

who possess the following traits:
–  Have high values and interests that are similar to your own
–  Find people of good listeners, give and share freely, etc
–  Find people who are not usually critical, negative, selfish,
or bring you down.
–  Find people who are responsible, doing well in life, etc.
–  Find people from whom you can work on proper diet and
exercise habits.
–  Know how to laugh, cry, engage in meaningful
conversations, and feel comfortable with silence.
 Stress and Physical Action

•  Exercise reduced stress by raising levels of endorphins

which are mood elevating and pain killing hormones in
the blood.
•  Exercise increases energy, reduces hostility, and
improves mental alertness.
•  Exercise can be a source of social interaction, which
further reduces stressor effects.
•  25-30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 to 4 times a
week is healthy.
 Stress and Relaxation

•  Relax and feel peaceful

•  Give rest to the mind and the body

•  When body relaxes, the heart rate slows, blood pressure

and metabolic rates decrease, and other body calming
effects occur. These processes allow energy to be
saved and channeled.
 Manage Your Time
•  Take on one things at a time
•  Clean off your desk so you don’t get stressed with
clutter of work you have to do
•  Don’t be afraid to say no to work you cant handle
•  Prioritize the tasks
•  Avoid interruptions
•  Reward yourself by being efficient
•  Use time to your advantage and try to accomplish tasks
early
•  Break large tasks into small pieces
•  Remember that time is precious – value each day as it is
your last.
 Other Stress Management Techniques

•  Visualization: creation of mental images to promote

relaxation (picture this boat on the slide taking you to the
Bahamas).
•  Hypnosis: A process that allows people to become
unusually responsive to suggestions and manipulation.
•  Massage therapy
•  Meditation: A relaxation technique that involves focusing
on a word or symbol, controlling breathing, and getting in
touch with the inner self.
 Understand Yourself

•  Learn about your stressors and what stresses you out.

•  Learn to find coping techniques that are catered to your
needs and lifestyles.
•  Be aware that stress is harmful and it can have many
effects on the body and can lead to illnesses.
•  Get help if needed. There are many trained
professionals out there to assist you.