Is this an accurate view of Junior Year stress?
What is Eustress? (positive)
• stress that is deemed healthful or giving one the feeling of
fulfillment, related to desirable events in a person’s life.
What is Distress? (negative)
• the type of stress that has negative implications; pain,
anxiety, or sorrow; physical or mental suffering
The adrenal glands release a hormone called ADRENALINE,
in response to stress.
 The adrenal glands are responsible for the fight or flight response.
 The physiological response to a threatening situation.
 The reaction is to either to resist (fight) or to run away (flight).
When ADRENALINE is released the body responses by
 Increase your heart rate
 Increase your blood pressure
 Suppress your immune system
 Increase your blood’s clotting ability
 Muscles tighten
The physical responses to stress can impact the
way you think, feel and behave.
Why do people respond differently to stress?
.
Genetics
• Some people are born with a temperament that predisposes them to higher or
lower levels of tolerance to stress. influencing health and behavior.
Cognitive reaction
• The way people react to a situation plays a role in determining how stressful a
situation is to you. What you think about the situation.
Emotional response
• How someone evaluations the situation and their coping abilities, as well as their
temperament.
Personality• The combination of inheritance and experience form an individual's way of
behaving, feeling and thinking or their personality.
Using a modified personality questionnaire from the Jenkins Activity Survey (a survey used
help determine TYPE A personalities) answer the 20 online questions.
Go to http://www.psych.uncc.edu/pagoolka/TypeAB.html for the online test.
It will compute your score (range from 35-380)
Low scores are TYPE B (135 and below)
High Scores are TYPE A (136 and above)
Stress Reactions
The key to managing stress is to recognize common symptoms.
Too much negative stress can create overload, making your body physically and emotionally exhausted.
Physical Reactions Cognitive
Emotional Reactions
Behavioral Reactions
Reactions
Fatigue/exhaustion
Insomnia
Sleep disturbance
over/under activity
nightmares
change in appetite
digestive problems
physical problems
headaches
nausea
Lack of concentration
flashbacks
difficulty with decisions
memory disturbance
amnesia
confusion
poor problem solving
disturbed thinking
poor abstract thinking
change in alertness
fear
guilt
emotional numbing
over sensitivity
anxiety
depression
feeling helpless
anger
irritability
frustration
change in activity
change in communication
withdrawal
suspiciousness
hyper alertness
startle reflex
change in sexual behavior
emotional outbursts
scapegoating
pacing
Stress Management
A variety of techniques used to reduce stress
Stress management strategy #1:
Get moving
● Helps relieve stress and burn away anger, tension, and frustration.
● Exercise releases endorphins that boost your mood and make you feel good.
● A distraction to your daily worries.
Stress management strategy #2:
Engage socially
● Socializing is calming to your nervous system.
● Communicating with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood.
● Socializing releases hormones that reduce stress, even if you’re unable to alter the
stressful situation itself.
● Reach out to family and friends and connect regularly in person.
Stress management strategy #3: Avoid unnecessary stress
● Learn how to say “no”. Know your limits and stick to them.
● Avoid people who stress you out, limit the amount of time you
spend with that person, or end the relationship.
● Take control of your environment
Stress management strategy #4: Alter the situation
● Express your feelings instead of bottling them up.
● Be willing to compromise.
● Manage your time better. plan ahead and make sure you don’t
overextend yourself.
Stress management strategy #5: Adapt to the stressor
● Try to view stressful situations from a more positive
perspective.
● Take perspective of the stressful situation.
● Adjust your standards. Set reasonable standards for yourself
and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.” Stop
setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection.
Stress management strategy #6: Accept the things you
● Don’t try to control the uncontrollable.
● Look for the upside.
● Learn to forgive.
can’t change
Stress management strategy #7:
Adopt a healthy lifestyle
● Eat a healthy diet
○ Reduce caffeine and sugar.
● Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs
● Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling
tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to
think irrationally
Stress management strategy #8: Make time for fun & relaxation
● Set aside relaxation time.
● Do something you enjoy every day.
● Keep your sense of humor.