Provided Courtesy of Nutrition411.com
Stress Management
Contributed by Shawna Gornick-Ilagan, MS, RD, CWPC
Updated by Nutrition411.com staff
Review Date 7/14
G-1104
Overview
• Why managing stress is
important
• Consequences of not managing
stress
• Benefits of reducing stress
• Barriers that prevent people
from reducing stress
• Strategies for managing stress
What Is Stress?
• Stress: The inability to cope
with a threat to your wellbeing (real or imagined),
which results in a series of
responses and adaptations
by your body
• Stress can lead to poor
health and even injury
Types of Stress
Stress Defined
• Good stress:
– Getting married
– Moving to a new home
– Starting a new job
– Getting ready to perform in a sporting
event/race
Stress Defined (cont’d)
• Bad stress:
– Deadlines
– Death of a loved one
– Chronic illness
– Family problems
– Unresolved conflicts
– Downsizing
Stressors
• Financial
• Daily hassles
• Environmental
• Family related
• Health related
• Work related
Signs and Symptoms
Mental
Physical
Behavioral
Nervousness
Impatience
Low self-image
Depression
Crying easily
Frustration
Headache
GI distress
Tight muscles
High BP
Sleeping issues
Fatigue
Overeating
Substance
abuse
Lack of interest
Irritability
Blaming others
BP=blood pressure, GI=gastrointestinal
Why Worry About
This?
• Chronic stress is
possibly the ultimate
risk factor, causing:
– 50% of all disease
– Cancer
– Heart disease
• Stress has a dramatic
effect on your immune
system
Why Worry About
This? (cont’d)
• Stress also is linked to a number of other
conditions, including:
– Accidents
– Headaches
– Digestive problems
– Anxiety disorder
– Depression
– Sleeping problems
– Heart problems
– Lower resistance
to infection
Good News
• You can make your life less stressful
• Managing and reducing stress can protect
you against the negative health
consequences of stress
• This also may improve your quality of life
• Everyone can do something to decrease
their stress
Stress Management
Coping Skills
Healthy Coping
Skills
• Exercise
• Downtime for
self-care
• Balance between
work and play
• Time management—
initiate a schedule
Unhealthy Coping
Skills
• Alcohol or drug use
• Avoidance of event
• Procrastination
• Overeating
Benefits of Stress
Management
• Keeps you calm when things
go wrong
• Helps you stay focused and
positive
• Improves the quality of sleep
• Improves the immune
function
• Increases your energy level
• Improves digestion
• Prevents illnesses
Barriers to Managing
Stress
• “I just ‘deal’ with my stress. It’s not a big
issue.”
• “It’s just stress. I don’t need counseling.”
• “Stress is just a part of my job.”
• “I don’t have time to deal with my stress.”
• “I thrive on stress.”
• “People who are stressed just can’t cope with
reality.”
Barriers to Managing
Stress (cont’d)
• “If I just make it through these next few
weeks, I’ll be OK.”
• “I’m so stressed, I don’t even know where to
start.”
• “Dealing with my stress would just be too
expensive.”
• “I’m always stressed. It hasn’t made a
difference so far.”
Making Stress
Management a Priority
• First, it is important to understand the
process of how people change
• When changing behaviors, such as those
associated with reducing stress, most
people go through a cycle known as the
“Stages of Change ”
Stages of Change
Stage 1: “Nope, I’m not interested right now.”
Stage 2: “Hmm, I am seriously considering
stress management.”
Stage 3: “Yep, I am getting ready to start
dealing with stress.”
Stage 4: “Let’s do it. I’m starting to find ways
to manage my stress.”
Stage 5: “It’s old news. I’ve coped with
my stress for a long time.”
What Stage Are
You In?
•Determining what stage you are in is an
important first step in learning to manage
stress
•Once you know whether or not you are
ready to change, you are better equipped
to cope with whatever life throws at you
18
Key Point: Change
Is A Process
•Learning to manage stress is a process
•Chances are you will find yourself in each
stage at some point in the process
19
How to Manage
Stress: WELLNESS
Way of thinking
Exercise
Laughter
Let it go!
iNvolvement
Eat a balanced diet
Set priorities
Sleep
W=Way of Thinking
• Attitude
• Perception
E=Exercise
• Get moving
• Why move
L=Laughter
• Did you know?
• Power of humor
L=Let It Go! All of It!
• Desk stretches
• Deep breathing
• Guided relaxation
N=iNvolvement
With Others
• Social support system
• Friendships
• Interaction
E=Eat a Balanced Diet
• Know that food is fuel
• Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov
• Make healthy eating a way of life
S=Set Priorities
• What is really important?
• Personal reflection
S=Sleep
• How much is enough?
• Tips for better sleep
“OK, someone hand me my cigarettes, a cup of
black coffee, and my Prozac®, and I will be fine…”
How to Reduce Stress?
Stress Reduction Kit
Directions:
1. Place kit on firm
surface.
2. Follow directions in
circle.
3. Repeat step 2 as
necessary or until
unconscious.
4. If unconscious,
cease stress
reduction activity.
Stress Management
Strategies
• Stress management is a decision-making
process
• When under stress, we can deal with it
using three main methods
• The ABCs of stress:
– A=alter it, avoid it, and accept it
– B=build your resistance
– C=change your perception
Stress Management
Techniques
• Relaxation techniques
– Progressive muscle relaxation
– Deep breathing
– Guided imagery
Any Questions?