Stressors, Stress and Health
How stress, attitudes and
lifestyles can dramatically
influence our health and longevity
Sympathetic nervous system activates
systems that will enhance energy levels
Sympathetic nervous system activates
systems that increase energy levels for flight
or fight
1. Heart and breathing rates increase to
increase levels of oxygen in bloodstream
2. Adrenal glands release hormones to
energize the body: adrenaline and cortisol
3. Liver releases glucose and fat deposits
Chronic, prolonged stress negatively
influences our physical and mental
 Leads to heart attacks and strokes
 Repress immune system so less able to kill
harmful bacteria, viruses and harmful body
cells
 Digestive system is also repressed, leading
to digestive disorders & an inflamed bowel.
Stress in Today’s World
 Most of present-day stresses not in form of serious
threat to our life and limb
 Instead, present-day stress is caused by our
appraisal and reactions to problems in our
relationships, our job and our daily hassles
 Often we can decide how serious a stressor is as
well as how well we can cope with it
Various Sources of Stress: Which is
most powerful?
 Our own learned behavior patterns
 Our own learned thought patterns
 The conditional variables of our home-life,
work, school and friendships
Stressful Learned Behaviors
 Procrastination
 Perpetual disorganization
 Always running late
 Type A behavior—compelled to do things
very quickly
Stressful Thinking Patterns
 Constantly worrying about past and future
 Easily angered by others: a hostile & abrasive
personality is very harmful to our heart
 Feeling pessimistic and/or depressed about your
life and your future
Examples of Daily Hassles
 Driving during rush hour
 Being judged and critiqued at work or home or in
relationships on a daily basis
 Time pressure: have more to do than time allows
 Over-scheduled: too much on your plate
Ease stress by change way view or
deal with source of stress
 Emotion-focused coping: Change way perceive
situation so not take so seriously
 Problem-focused coping: Change situation to
make less stressful
 Traffic jam: play favorite music or books on tape &
simply relax (emotion-based)
 Or drive at different time of day or take different
route (problem-based)
Activities that reduce Stress and
Enhance Health
 Aerobic exercise is great for the body and mind
 Not sit for extended periods of time (use air desk!)
 Practice the relaxation, meditative response twice
a day
 Stretching exercises are preventative measures
for injuries to muscles and joints
Healthy behavior patterns reduce
stress
Important to feel Appreciated and
Accomplishing things of import
 Nun Study: living to 100 very common among
women in Notre Dame order
 Important to participate in social networks
 Terrific if able to do volunteer work
 Keep learning new skills & expanding knowledge
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
 Become a less aggressive driver, talker
 Turn your Melodrama into a Mellow-Drama
 Don’t sweat the demanding boss or difficult interactions
 Keep your “thought attacks” in check
 Don’t be a backseat driver in cars and in life!
 Go ahead and vent once but then move on!
Cognitive Therapy: people can learn
to think differently
 Learn to stop worrying, stop getting angry
and stop feeling sad thoughts
Our thoughts create our moods: We
control our thinking patterns