Managing Stress University of Houston



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tarix22.04.2017
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Managing Stress


Stress

  • Definition:

    • State of tension that arises when you experience demands from your environment or from inside yourself
  • Can be a real OR perceived threat



Stress Happens!!

    • Childhood
    • Adolescence
    • Young adult
    • Marriage
    • Parenthood
    • middle age
    • aging


Our Body’s Design

  • Our bodies are uniquely designed to handle stress.

  • When presented with a threatening situation it is our most basic survival instinct to either:

    • Engage in a fight
    • Or run for our lives
  • This is what is known

  • as the “fight or flight”

  • response



During Fight or Flight

  • Adrenaline is secreted from the kidneys

  • Cortisol (a hormone) is released providing bursts of energy

  • The heart suddenly beats faster

  • Breathe rate and blood pressure increase

  • Blood sugar is released into the bloodstream

  • Hearing and sight are enhanced

  • Digestive system and urine production slow to divert blood to more critical areas, such as the brain and muscles



It makes us able to fight or run, BUT…

  • It is rarely necessary AND…

  • Has some side effects that deteriorate our health

    • increased blood pressure
    • Decreased immune function
    • Several important functions of the body are interrupted


Over time this can result in:

  • Headaches

  • Asthma

  • Hypertension

  • Ulcers

  • Low back pain

  • Heart disease

  • Stroke

  • Upper respiratory infections



What can we do to prevent this?

  • Fix the fixable

  • Accept the inevitable

  • Protect yourself from the physical affects



Some stressors can be avoided?



Many stressors can be avoided.

  • When you think about stress as something that can effect your health, it may encourage you to take drastic measures

  • Many are questioning whether “having it all” is worth the effort

    • Changing jobs
    • Spending the holidays with only the immediate family
    • BUT…every decision has consequences which in turn may cause more stress
  • Could you simplify your life?



You can’t avoid life

  • Life is filled with unpredictable ups and downs that will inevitably promote stress

    • One suggestion is to change your interpretation of the situation for example.
    • Consider the following scenario:
    • You are driving on a busy highway and Someone cuts right in front of you then slows down
    • How do you interpret this
    • situation??


Response??

  • If you said:

    • “I would probably Yell, ‘IDIOT!’ at the top of my lungs.”
    • OR
    • “I would be irritated and likely have negative thoughts about the driver.”
  • Than you have just initiated the “Flight or Flight” response.

    • Your heart is beating faster, sugar is filling your veins and in the next several hours your immune system will function a little less efficiently


Positive Interpretation??

  • If you said:

    • “That person must not have been paying attention, we all make mistakes.”
    • Or
    • “I’ll be glad when I can pass, but it is no big deal.”
    • Or
    • “I am glad that I am not in a hurry.”
  • Than you are stopping the stress response before it even starts



To stay positive it may help to:

  • Consider that we are all human and flawed

    • Try to think of adults as children who happened to be grown up. We are less likely to judge and feel angry when a child makes a mistake..Why?
    • Consider that it is possible that you do not have all the information to make a decision about the person or situation.
    • For example…


More information

  • What if you found out that the person who cut you off in traffic was rushing to the hospital to visit his mother. And he just received a beep on his pager with the message “911.” It is possible that his mother had just passed away. He was slowing down because he was distracted by the news.

  • How does this change your interpretation?



Also

  • Tell yourself that it may not be a bad thing that this bad thing is happening right now.

    • At the very least you can learn something from the experience that can help you or others
    • This situation may have prevented you or someone else from having to deal with one that was even worse
    • Example: You will never know how many people who have cut you off may have saved you from being in a life-threatening collision.


Another way to “accept the inevitable”

  • Stress inoculation or preparing yourself for potentially stressful events ahead of time.

  • Example:

    • If you know you have to face the boss with information that may cause a conflict, you may practice sharing this information with a spouse, with friends, or even in front of a video camera.
  • This can reduce or even eliminate the stress response from the actual event.



Protect Yourself

  • Whether it is a stressor that you can change or one you cannot it is imperative that you practice techniques that prevent the stress response from taking over your body.

  • Several techniques can be used to decrease your bodies response to stress



Exercise

  • Exercise boosts endorphins which in turn can

    • Put us in a better mood
    • Give us more energy
    • Reduces anger
    • Improves mental alertness


Deep Breathing

  • Breath in deeply and slowly.

  • Focus on the air moving in your nose, down your neck into your chest and feel your belly push out. Hold your breath for a few seconds.

  • Now exhale slowly. First feel your belly contract in towards your spine, then feel the air move through the chest, up the neck, and through your mouth.

  • Visualize stress leaving your body



Meditation

  • Close your eyes and mental follow the air in and out of your body. As you exhale mentally repeat a soothing word like “Peace”

  • Or

  • Visualize a peaceful scene

  • Do this for 5 to 30 minutes



Progressive Muscle Relaxation

  • While sitting or lying down, tense the muscles of your feet (curling your toes) as hard as you can.

  • Then relax them.

  • Do this once or twice for each part of the body

  • Continue this process for each muscle group all the way up your body until you reach your head.

  • When finished remain relaxed for a few minutes



Stretching

  • Several stretches can be done at your desk

  • Tilt head to the left and hold

  • Tilt head to right and hold

  • Reach arms over the head

  • and interlace fingers

  • For information of stretches that can be done at your desk or for the head and neck click on the stretching girl



Get a Massage from yourself or from a professional

  • Self-Massage

  • Sit with your shoulders relaxed

  • Use your right hand to massage you left shoulder and neck, working your way up to the scalp

  • Repeat with left hand for right shoulder



Laugh!!

  • Find ways to add laughter in your life

    • Buy tapes of comedians you like and listen to them during your commute or whenever you need a boost.
    • Read joke books or funny books
    • Watch your favorite comedy on television
    • Buy movies that are sure to make you laugh
    • Don’t take yourself too seriously


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