STRESS MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION:
We all face different challenges and obstacles, and sometimes the pressure is
hard to handle. When we feel overwhelmed, under the gun, or unsure how to
meet the demands placed on us, we experience stress. In small doses, stress can
be a good thing. It can give you the push you need, motivating you to do your
best and to stay focused and alert. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during
a presentation at work or drives you to study for your midterm when you'd
rather be watching TV. But when the going gets too tough and life's demands
exceed your ability to cope, stress becomes a threat to both your physical and
emotional well-being. We have to see,

 What is stress?

 Signs and symptoms of stress

 Causes of stress

 Risk factors for stress

 Effects of chronic stress

 Severe stress and trauma

 Related links for stress

What is stress?

 How to manage, reduce, and cope with stress

 Relaxation techniques for stress relief

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  How to recognize and prevent burnout

Stressis a psychological and physiological response to events that upset our

balance in some way. When faced with a threat, whether to our physical safety
or emotional equilibrium, the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid,
automatic process known as the "fight-or-flight" response. We all know what
this stress response feels like: heart pounding in the chest, muscles tensing up,
breathes coming faster, every sense on red alert.

DEFINITION OF STRESS

What is the definition of stress? Stress is defined as a person's response to his

environment. Stress is measured in terms of arousal or stimulation. As such,
stress must be present for a person to function. Each person has his own normal
(homeostatic) level of arousal at which he functions best. If something unusual
in the environment occurs, this level of arousal is affected.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

To get a handle on stress, you first need to learn how to recognize it in yourself.
Stress affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways— all directly tied to
the physiological changes of the fight-or-flight response. The specific signs and
symptoms of stress vary widely from person to person. Some people primarily
experience physical symptoms, such as low back pain, stomach problems, and
skin outbreaks. In others, the stress pattern centers on emotional symptoms,
such as crying jags or hypersensitivity. For still others, changes in the way they
think or behave predominate.

The following table lists some of the common warning signs and symptoms of
stress. Use it to identify the symptoms you typically experience when you‘re

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 under stress. If you know your red flags, you can take early steps to deal with
the stressful situation before it or your emotions spiral out of control.

Stress Warning Signs and Symptoms

Cognitive Symptoms Emotional Symptoms
 Memory problems  Moodiness
 Indecisiveness  Agitation
 Inability to concentrate  Restlessness
 Trouble thinking clearly  Short temper
 Poor judgment  Irritability, impatience
 Seeing only the negative  Inability to relax
 Anxious or racing thoughts  Feeling tense and ―on edge‖
 Constant worrying  Feeling overwhelmed
 Loss of objectivity  Sense of loneliness and isolation
 Fearful anticipation  Depression or general
unhappiness

Physical Symptoms Behavioral Symptoms

 Headaches or backaches
 Muscle tension and stiffness
 Diarrhea or constipation
 Nausea, dizziness
 Insomnia
 Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
 Weight gain or loss
 Skin breakouts (hives, eczema)
 Loss of sex drive
 Frequent colds
 Eating more or less
 Sleeping too much or too little
 Isolating yourself from others
 Procrastination, neglecting
responsibilities
 Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to
relax
 Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
 Teeth grinding or jaw clenching
 Overdoing activities (e.g. exercising,
shopping)
 Overreacting to unexpected problems
 Picking fights with others

Keep in mind that the signs and symptoms of stress can also be caused by other
psychological and medical problems. If you‘re experiencing any of the warning
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signs of stress, it‘s important to see a doctor for a full evaluation. Your doctor
can help you determine whether or not your symptoms are stress-related.

Reducing Stress:

What are sources of stress?

 Individual personality characteristics that can induce stress

 Interpersonal issues that can induce stress

 System issues that can induce stress

 Is all stress bad?

 What is the definition of stress?

 What is the stress/relaxation physical response cycle?

 Personal life events analysis

 What is personal progressive relaxation?

 Relaxation training technique

 A full breathing exercise

 What are sources of stress?

Change of any kind can induce stress because of:

 Fear of the new, the unknown

 Feelings of personal insecurity

 Feelings of vulnerability

 Fear of rejection
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  Need for approval

 Lack of tolerance for ambiguity

 Fear of conflict

 Fear of taking a risk

 Fear of developing trust

 Fear of inability to cope with changed circumstances

Individual personality characteristics that can induce stress Individual

personality characteristics that can induce stress include:

 Low self-esteem

 Feelings of over-responsibility

 Fear of loss of control

 Fear of failure, error, mistakes

 Fear of being judged

 Lack of belief in ``being good enough''

 Chronic striving to be ``perfect''

 Chronic guilt

 Unresolved grief over a loss or a series of losses

 Chronic anger, hostility, or depression

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Interpersonal issues that can induce stress Interpersonal issues that can

induce stress include:

 A lack of adequate support within the relationship

 A lack of healthy communication within the relationship

 A sense of competitiveness between the parties involved

 Threats of rejection or disapproval between people

 An inability to be appropriately assertive

 Struggle for power and control in the relationship

 Poor intimacy or sexuality within the relationship

 Chronic conflict and disagreement with no healthy resolution

 Over-dependency of one party on another

 A troubled person who refuses to recognize the need for help

System issues that can induce stress

System (family, job, school, club, organization) issues that can induce stress
include:

 Lack of leadership

 Lack of sense of direction

 Uncooperative atmosphere

 Competitive atmosphere

 Autocratic leadership

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  Unclear expectations

 A chronic sense of impending doom

 A lack of teamwork

 Confused communications

 Developmental disability or chronic ill health of one or more Members.

MANIFESTATION OF STRESS:

How stress manifests itself is distinct to every individual, and can vary

according to circumstance. The manifestations identified below are just some of

the most commonly acknowledged or diagnosed indicators of stress. We often

experience the symptoms below without making a connection to stress, but in

attempting to identify and manage stress, it is helpful to have greater awareness

about the way our bodies and minds tell us what is going on!

Suggested uses for personal Life Events analysis:

1. Become familiar with the different events and the amounts of stress they

promote.

2. Put the list of events where your family can easily refer to it several times

a day.

3. Practice recognizing the stress level when one of these events happens.

4. Think about the meaning of the event for you and identify your feelings.

5. Think about the different ways you can adjust to the event.
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 6. Take your time in arriving at decisions.

7. Anticipate life changes and plan for them well in advance whenever

possible.

8. Pace yourself. It can be done even if you are in a hurry.

9. Look at the accomplishment of a task as a part of ongoing daily living;

avoid looking at such an achievement as a stopping point. Congratulate

yourself and push ahead.

10.Recognize that your internal mechanism of coping with stress is directly

tied to how your health and well-being will be influenced by it.

What is personal progressive relaxation? Learning to relax:

You may have grown to accept a certain high level of stress and anxiety as

``normal.'' You may be unfamiliar with what it feels like to be relaxed, calm,

and unstressed. With progressive relaxation you learn what it feels like to be

relaxed, you learn to increase relaxation to a new level. By doing this you not

only improve your physical well-being by reducing hypertension, headaches,

and other physical complaints, but you improve your mental state by reducing

stress, anxiety, irritability, and depression.

MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS FORMS OF FEAR:

1. Take time it out

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 It’s impossible to think clearly when you’re flooded with fear or anxiety.
The first thing to do is take time out so you can physically calm down.
 Distract yourself from the worry for 15 minutes by walking around the
block, making a cup of tea or having a bath.

2. Breathe through panic

 If you start to get a faster heartbeat or sweating palms, the best thing is
not to fight it.

 Stay where you are and simply feel the panic without trying to distract
yourself. Place the palm of your hand on your stomach and breathe
slowly and deeply.

 The goal is to help the mind get used to coping with panic, which takes
the fear of fear away.

3. Face your Fear

 Avoiding fears only makes them scarier. Whatever your fear, if you face
it, it should start to fade. If you panic one day getting into a lift, for
example, it’s best to get back into a lift the next day.

4. Imagine the worst

 Try imagining the worst thing that can happen – perhaps it’s panicking
and having a heart attack. Then try to think yourself into having a heart
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 attack. It’s just not possible. The fear will run away the more you chase
it.

5. Look at the evidence

 It sometimes helps to challenge fearful thoughts. For example, if you’re

scared of getting trapped in a lift and suffocating, ask yourself if you
have ever heard of this happening to someone. Ask yourself what you
would say to a friend who had a similar fear.

6. Don’t try to be perfect

 Life is full of stresses, yet many of us feel that our lives must be perfect.
Bad days and setbacks will always happen, and it’s important to
remember that life is messy.

7. Visualise a happy place

 Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a place of safety and
calm. It could be a picture of you walking on a beautiful beach, or
snuggled up in bed with the cat next to you, or a happy memory from
childhood. Let the positive feelings soothe you until you feel more
relaxed.

Physical Activity and Exercise:

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 Considerable evidence has accumulated indicating that regular physical
exercise is associated with numerous physical and psychological health benefits.
For example, regular engagement in moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk,
strengthens the immune system and decreases rates of illness.

Exercise also strengthens body muscles, including the heart, preserves muscle
mass, and helps with weight management. Individuals who exercise regularly
are also at a reduced risk for some chronic diseases, such as diabetes and
hypertension. Although exercise is, technically, a stressor itself, requiring the
body to adapt to the demands of the activity, research suggests that regular
physical exercise can help to reduce the body’s reactivity to other stressors.

In fact, several studies have demonstrated that individuals who exercise

demonstrate lower physiological (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate) markers of
stress and report less anxiety in response to a stressful situation than those who
do not exercise.

This finding is particularly important given that stressful events precede

approximately 80 percent of major depressive episodes, and stress is a central
risk factor for the development of panic attacks, generalized anxiety,
posttraumatic stress, social anxiety, and phobias.

Thus, involvement in regular exercise may help protect against or prevent the
onset of anxiety and mood disturbances. In addition, accumulating research
suggests that regular physical activity is effective in treating many of these
conditions once they develop.

In fact, some studies suggest that exercise is as effective as psychotherapy or

medication in treating some anxiety and mood disorders. For example, in one

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study, individuals who experienced recurrent panic attacks responded to 12
weeks of aerobic exercise in a comparable manner to those taking psychiatric
medication.

Other research has suggested that aerobic exercise reduces symptom severity
among individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder, and a recent review of
11 studies comparing the effects of regular exercise with psychotherapy for
depression revealed that two to four sessions of exercise per week was just as
effective in treating depression as psychotherapy.

Furthermore, although most professionals recommend regular involvement in

an exercise regimen to maximize benefits, research suggests that even a single
bout of aerobic exercise or weightlifting can reduce perceived stress levels and
improve mood. It appears that exercise is medicine.

Stress at Work

How to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress

In this difficult economy, you may find it harder than ever to cope with
challenges on the job. Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and
the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise – and employers, managers,
and workers all feel the added pressure. While some stress is a normal part of
life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical
and emotional health, so it‘s important to find ways to keep it under control.
Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.

 Coping with work stress

 Warning signs
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  Taking care of yourself

 Prioritizing and organizing

 Improving emotional intelligence

 Breaking bad habits

 What managers or employers can do

 Related links

Coping with work stress in today’s uncertain climate

For workers everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like an emotional
roller coaster. "Layoffs" and "budget cuts" have become bywords in the
workplace, and the result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of
stress. Since job and workplace stress grow in times of economic crisis, it‘s
important to learn new and better ways of coping with the pressure. The ability
to manage stress in the workplace can make the difference between success or
failure on the job. Your emotions are contagious, and stress has an impact on
the quality of your interactions with others. The better you are at managing your
stress, the more you'll positively affect those around you and the less other
people's stress will negatively affect you.

You can learn how to manage job stress

There are a variety of steps you can take to reduce both your overall stress

levels and the stress you find on the job and in the workplace. These include:

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  Taking responsibility forimprovingyour physical and emotional well-

being.

 Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee-jerk habits and negative attitudes

that add to the stress you experience at work.

 Learning better communication skills to ease and improve your

relationships with management and coworkers.

Warning signs of excessive stress at work

When people feel overwhelmed, they lose confidence and become irritable or

withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less

rewarding. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended, they can lead to

bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction,

chronic or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health

problems.

Time management tips for reducing job stress

Create a balanced schedule. Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily

tasks. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout. Try to find a balance

between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily

responsibilities, and downtime.

Don’t over-commit yourself. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to

fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate how long things will
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take. If you've got too much on your plate, distinguish between the "shoulds"

and the "musts." Drop tasks that aren't truly necessary to the bottom of the list

or eliminate them.

Try to leave earlier in the morning. Even 10-15 minutes can make the difference

between frantically rushing to your desk and having time to ease into your day.

Don‘t add to your stress levels by running late.

Plan regular breaks. Make sure to take short breaks throughout the day to sit

back and clear your mind. Also, try to get away from your desk for lunch.

Stepping away from work to briefly relax and recharge will help you be more,

not less, productive.

Relaxation, Mindfulness, and Meditation:

Relaxation, or easing of physical or mental stress, is often thought to be the

antidote to stress. Relaxation and anxiety are thought to be opposing emotions,
in that one cannot be relaxed and anxious at the same time. Indeed, the
achievement of a state of relaxation during a period of stress is often a
challenging task.

However, a variety of techniques have been devised with the intention of

helping one to reach a state of relaxation, several of which have demonstrated
reliable efficacy in psychological research: Diaphragmatic breathing,
progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and meditation exercises.

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Diaphragmatic breathing, or deep abdominal breathing, is a technique designed
to slow one’s breathing and regulate oxygen intake. Diaphragmatic breathing
involves taking slow, deep breaths with the intention of expanding and
contracting the diaphragm, which is a muscle separating the chest and
abdominal cavities. Typically, diaphragmatic breathing exercises involve sitting
in a comfortable chair or lying down and taking slow, deep breaths with the
intention of breathing so that the air expands the abdomen more than the chest.

Research suggests that practicing diaphragmatic breathing can significantly

reduce perceived stress. In one study, a sample of medical school students
participated in a deep breathing program for 5 minutes per day prior to class
over a 10-month period. After six weeks, students engaging in the deep
breathing exercises reported significantly less test anxiety, self-doubt,
nervousness and increased concentration during exams.

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) refers to a series of techniques that

involves the repeated tensing and relaxing of various muscle groups in the body.
Often, deep breathing is integrated, whereby an individual undergoes a deep
breathing exercise while also tensing and relaxing muscle groups.

The goal of PMR is to affect the autonomic arousal component of stress and
anxiety via a reduction in skeletal muscle tension. It is believed that as skeletal
muscle tension diminishes, other aspects of autonomic arousal, such as blood
pressure and heart rate, also decrease.

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Although the original progressive muscle relaxation paradigm was extremely
time-intensive (i.e., involving nearly 30 muscle groups and as many as 100
individual practice sessions carried out over months or years), subsequent
research has suggested that comparable effects can be generated with far fewer
sessions.

Similar to diaphragmatic breathing, PMR sessions typically involve assuming a

comfortable position and taking deep breaths while tensing and relaxing 16
different muscle groups (e.g., starting with the head muscles and working down
the body before ending with the feet).

As part of the Personal Discovery Assessment (PDA) within this module, you
will have the opportunity to experience PMR for yourself. Guided imagery, or
visualization, refers to a type of relaxation training that involves the use of
language to create calming, sensory rich experiences in one’s imagination.
Although guided imagery techniques can vary widely, most involve guiding an
individual toward places or situations in which they feel calm and comfortable,
and individuals are encouraged to free their minds of any interfering thoughts or
daily concerns.

For example, a session might consist of having an individual imagine that they
are sitting on a quiet beach on a perfect weather day or in the woods next to a
gentle flowing stream. Research suggests that guided imagery techniques are
effective in reducing stress and enhancing positive mood states.

Guided imagery has also been shown to enhance feelings of well-being and
calmness among individuals with a variety of chronic diseases. Similar to

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diaphragmatic breathing, meditation exercises combine focusing on a specific
object or sensation (such as breathing) while disengaging from other distracters
and regulating internal experiences (i.e. emotions, thoughts) through non-
judgmental acceptance. Research suggests that meditation is negatively
correlated with perceived stress and decreases in serum Cortisol levels (a stress
hormone).

Further, meditation is positively associated with a variety of relaxation markers,

such as reduced skeletal muscle metabolism, higher skin resistance, decreased
heart rate, and increased alpha wave activity.

It is also associated with enhanced sociability, empathy, and positive thinking.

In sum, a variety of relaxation exercises have been shown to reduce stress and
improve emotional well-being. Whether it is diaphragmatic breathing, PMR,
guided imagery, meditation, or a host of others not discussed here, it only takes
a few minutes per day to improve stress levels.

Cognitive Restructuring:

Often, we presume that the events that we experience have a direct effect on our
emotions. For example, finding out that you made a poor grade on an exam or
that your partner wants to break up with you CAUSES you to feel sad.

However, it is not the event itself that leads to the emotion. Rather, it is the
meaning that you give to the event or your interpretation of the situation that
determines the event’s emotional impact.

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If you interpret the poor grade to mean that you are not very intelligent or that
you will never succeed in school no matter how hard you try, you will likely
experience a depressed mood. In contrast, if you interpret the grade as a fluke or
the wake-up call you have needed to enhance your motivation for school, your
mood will likely be much less negative.

As you can see, the way that we perceive or think about a situation or event can
dramatically affect the emotions we experience. Cognitive restructuring
involves learning to recognize the irrational or maladaptive thoughts we
experience that contribute to negative mood states and then altering them to
more accurately reflect the situation.

For example, if you are preparing for a presentation, and you repeatedly think,
“I know I’m going to say something stupid, and everyone will laugh at me” or
“Everyone is going to be able to see how anxious I am, and they will think I’m
an idiot”, you will likely be fairly anxious. However, are these rational
thoughts? Unless you are particularly adept at foretelling the future (in which
case, I would appreciate some help selecting my lottery numbers!), these
thoughts are likely examples of catastrophizing thoughts, which serve to
increase anxiety.

A more rational alternative to the first assumption might be, “If I prepare well
and know what I am going to say in advance, I will probably do a fine job of
delivering the presentation.” For the second statement, you might substitute,
“most people will be anxious when they present, and even if they do notice my
anxiety, they will probably be able to relate to it.” Research suggests that
cognitive restructuring or learning to recognize maladaptive thoughts and

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change them to reflect more adaptive, rational thought patterns can significantly
improve mood, reduce stress, and decrease negative emotions.

ABC analysis

A technique that has been used in business management for a long time is the
categorization of large data into groups. These groups are often marked A, B,
and C - hence the name. Activities are ranked upon these general criteria:

 A – Tasks that are perceived as being urgent and important.

 B – Tasks that are important but not urgent.

 C – Tasks that are neither urgent nor important.

A Prescription for Stress Management:

 Exercise Regularly: Engage in 3-5 sessions of moderate intensity

exercise each week to enhance your immune system and reduce your risk
of developing anxiety and mood disorders. However, even if you cannot
exercise regularly, remember that even a single episode of exercise can
be a great way to relieve stress and improve mood.
 Eat a Healthy Diet: Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and
fatty fish to maximize your physical health and your body’s ability to
manage stress.

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  Sleep: Get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night to improve your
mood and boost your immune functioning.
 Practice Relaxation: Engage in relaxation exercises on a regular basis
or during periods of moderate to high stress. Progressive muscle
relaxation (PMR), guided imagery, and meditation are great ways to
reduce your overall level of arousal. Or, combine exercise with
meditation or mindfulness by engaging in yoga two to three times per
week.

CONCLUSION: Stress is a major concern for individuals and organizations.

Exhaustion is the outcome of prolonged stress. Individuals and organizations
can take many approaches to lessening the negative health and work outcomes
associated with being overstressed. Emotions play a role in organizational life.
Understanding these emotions helps individuals to manage them. Emotional
labour can be taxing on individuals, while emotional intelligence may help
individuals cope with the emotional demands of their jobs.

WEB SITE:

www.google.com

www.nhsinform.scot

www.habitsforwellbeing.com

www.learn.saylor.org

www.researchgate.net

BOOKS & ARTICLES:

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 Stress Management publication.
 Principles and practice of stress management
 Stress Management –researchgate.

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