Stress Management in

Educational Institution during

COVID-19 Pandemic and
Beyond

August 13, 2021

Rhal Shane U. Navarro, RPm, CHRA

Guidance Associate
Perpetual Help College of Pangasinan
What is Stress?
Stress is a normal human reaction that
happens to everyone. In fact, the human
body is designed to experience stress and
react to it. When you experience changes
or challenges (stressors), your body
produces physical and mental responses.
 Types of Stressors
Eustress ( Positive Stress) Distress (Negative Stress)

It is often a short-term feeling that It can be short-term or long term

VS.
improves performance . It unpleasant feeling that decreases
something that we can handle with performance. It is something that is
ease. seen as difficult to handle and may
cause anxiety.
Signs of Stress
1. Emotional changes
• Anger
• Fear
• Sadness
• Frustration
Signs of Stress
2. Behavioral Changes
• Appetite Changes
• Increased alcohol intake
• Increased smoking
• Restlessness and Fidgeting
• Hypochondria
Signs of Stress
3. Physical Changes
• Sleep pattern
• Fatigue
• Digestion
• Loss of Sexual Drive
• Aches and Pains
• Sweating and trembling
• Breathlessness and Palpitations
Signs of Stress
3. Mental Symptoms
• Lack of Concentration
• Memory Lapses
• Difficulty in making decisions
• Confusion
Recognize the Problem
• The most important point to recognize the source of the negative
source of the negative stress.

• This is not an admission of weakness or inability to cope! It is a way

to identify the problem and plan measures to overcome it.
The ABC Technique
Overcoming Pessimistic Thinking
by Psychologist , Dr. Albert Ellis

• A – Adversity
• B – Beliefs
• C- Consequences
There are three dimensions to your
explanatory style:
1. Permanence
Pessimistic people
unconsciously assume that
the causes of bad events
are permanent, while
optimists believe that bad
events are temporary.
2.Pervasiveness
Pessimists make
universal statements
about their lives when
something goes badly,
while optimists make
specific statements.
3. Personalization
When we experience a
negative event, we have two
ways to think about it. We can
blame ourselves for the event
(internalizing it). Or, we can
blame something outside
ourselves (externalizing it).
How can you reset your ABC pattern?
Step 1: Track Your Inner Dialog
Begin by keeping a diary for several days. Your goal is
to listen to your inner dialog, especially when you
encounter a stressful or difficult situation.
For each situation, write down the adversity you
experienced, the beliefs you formed after encountering
the adversity, and the consequences of those beliefs.
Consequences can be anything, from happy or unhappy
thoughts and feelings, to specific actions that you took. 
Step 2: Analyze Results
Once you've written down several ABC situations, take a look at what
you have found.
Here, you need to look for patterns in your thinking, specifically, how
any broad beliefs have led to specific consequences.
To be optimistic, you need to change your beliefs following adversity.
This, in turn, leads to more positive consequences.
Step 3: Use Distraction and
Disputation
As you can see, the beliefs you develop after
encountering adversity play a major role in
your life, and determine whether you're an
optimistic or pessimistic thinker. This makes it
important to manage negative ABC patterns.
There are two ways to override these: distraction
and disputation.
Distraction
If you want to interrupt your negative thoughts, you need to distract yourself. Simply telling
yourself "not to think negatively" isn't going to work: you need to interrupt the cycle.

To do this, try distracting yourself when you start creating negative beliefs.
For example, you could wear a rubber band around your wrist. After you've gone through a
stressful situation, and when you begin to formulate negative thoughts and beliefs as a result,
snap the rubber band against your skin. This physical sting will remind you to step out of the
cycle of negative thinking.

Once you've interrupted your negative thoughts, you need to shift your attention somewhere
else. Concentrate intently on something else for a minute.
Disputation

Although distraction is useful for interrupting negative thinking, a more

permanent solution is to dispute them. Think of Disputation as a "D"
after ABC.
To dispute your negative thoughts and beliefs, you argue with yourself
rationally. In particular, you look for the mistaken assumptions about
your explanatory style that we talked about earlier.
Stress Management Techniques:
• Change your thinking
• Change your behavior
• Change your lifestyle
Change your Thinking
• Change the way you look at things in order
to feel better
• Focus on your strength (Don’t overload your
mind)
• Look for opportunities
• Positive Thinking
Change your Behavior
• Get Organized
• Ventilation (Talk Things Out)
• Diversion and Distraction
• Seek Help/Socialize
• Do not procrastinate. Plan Ahead.
Change your Lifestyle

• Exercise (Get Active)

• Diet
• Sleep
• Leisure
• Relaxation/Meditate
 The A to Z of Stress Management
ABC’s of Stress Management
By Dr. Daryl Pugeda

• Always take time for yourself at least 30 minutes a day

• Be aware of your own stress meter; know when to step back and cool down
• Concentrate on your own situation without controlling everybody else
• Daily exercise will burn off the stress chemicals
• Eat lots of fresh fruit, veggies, bread and water; give your body the best for
it to perform at its best
• Forgive others, do not hold grudges and be tolerant; not everyone is
capable as you.
 The A to Z of Stress Management

• Gain perspective on things, how important is the issue

• Have fun and don’t be afraid to share your feelings with others
• Identify stressors and plan to deal with them better next time
• Judge your own performance realistically, don’t set goals out of your own
reach.
• Keep positive attitude
• Limit alcohol, drugs and other stimulants, they affect your perception and
behavior
• Manage your time well
 The A to Z of Stress Management
ABC’s of Stress Management
• No is a word you need to learn to use without feeling guilty
• Outdoor activities with your family and friends is a great activity to relax
• Play your favorite music
• Quit smoking; it is stressing your body and it is killing you too
• Relationships; nurture and enjoy them, learn to listen more and talk less
• Sleep well, simple but most abused
• Treat yourself
 The A to Z of Stress Management
ABC’s of Stress Management
• Understand things form other persons point of view
• Verify information from the source before exploding
• Worry less, it doesn’t get things completed better and quicker
• Yearly goal setting plan based on your career
• Zest for life, each day is a gift, smile and be thankful that you’re part of the
bigger picture
Final Thoughts:

To be optimistic, you must change what you believe about

yourself, and the situation, when you encounter adversity.
Positive beliefs will, in turn, lead to more positive
consequences, and a more positive outlook.