A FRESH LOOK AT
STRESS – (Session 1)
Understanding and managing
stress
A fresh look at stress – (Session 1)
 Understanding stress
 Eustress and distress
 Allostasis and allostatic load
 Models of stress
 The impact of stress
 Stress and burnout
 The role of perception
 Occupational stress
 ‘Fight or Flight’ and ‘tend and befriend’
Despite no agreed upon definition, stress is often
defined as “the response of the body to threats or
demands” (Schiraldi & Kerr, 2002:277).
General adaptation syndrome – Hans Selye
i) the alarm reaction – this is the person’s reaction when
suddenly exposed to stressful events (stressors) which are
perceived as threat
ii) Resistance – the person’s adaptation to the stressor and
the subsequent improvement or disappearance of symptoms
iii) Exhaustion – the ability to adapt to a stressful situation is
limited, exhaustion will result if the stressor is sufficiently
severe or prolonged
The Yerkes –Dodson Curve
Good
P
E
R
F
O
R
M
A
N
C
E
EUSTRESS
DISTRESS
Bad
Poor Performance
(Low underaroused
- boredom)
STRESS
Poor Performance
(High arousal – overwhelmed)
Homeostasis – The balance needed for an organism to
maintain optimum balance
(e.g. – Body temperature, the body’s
acid-base balance, body’s oxygen
content and the amount of oxygen
that reaches the brain)
Allostasis – Variable systems that allow us to cope with
environmental changes.
(e.g. – Heartbeat, breathing, the amount
of glucose in blood and the amount of
fat)
The stress response (allostasis) is a protective system.
It assists us to face a challenge. The protective stress
Allostatic load – When a person’s stress response system
response is designed for short term activation. When a
starts to falter and turn against a person
person is faced with perceived danger, the body prepares
the person for the challenge. Such a response is meant to
be infrequent. When that person lives out a lifestyle that
overtaxes the inbuilt coping mechanism then health can
start to suffer. When this happens allostasis has given way
to allostatic load.
(McEwen, 2002)
STIMULUS – BASED MODEL
WORLD VIEW
EMPLOYMENT
RELATIONSHIPS
COMPETITION
CULTURAL
EXPECTATIONS
SOCIO -ECONOMIC
RESPONSE – BASED MODEL
PHYSICAL
-Rapid Pulse
- High adrenaline
- Sweat
BEHAVIOUR
-Fight
-Flight
-Faint
PSYCHOLOGICAL
-Panic
-Fear
-Sweat
PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL
INDIVIDUAL
INNER WORLD
(PSYCHOLOGY &
SPIRITUALITY
INTERACTIVE MODEL
WORLD VIEW
PHYSICAL
-Rapid Pulse
- High adrenaline
- Sweat
EMPLOYMENT
INDIVIDUAL
INNER WORLD
(PSYCHOLOGY &
SPIRITUALITY
COMPETITON
PSYCHOLOGICAL
-Panic
-Fear
-Sweat
RELATIONSHIPS
BEHAVIOUR
-Fight
-Flight
-Faint
CULTURAL
EXPECTATIONS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
FACTORS
Health costs of allostatic load (stress)
Allostatic load affects people in various ways. The cardiovascular
system is particularly sensitive to stress. When stimulated the
human body needs extra reserves of oxygen and glucose. In
response to these requirements the heart beats faster to drive more
oxygen and glucose through the body. When repeated surges in
blood pressure occur as in the case for people under constant
stress, hypertension can be the result. Hypertension increases the
likelihood of heart attack. As part of the process for keeping the
body supplied with fuel when under stress, adrenaline and cortisol
work together to balance the energy supply. If a person remains
under stress and cortisol levels therefore stay high, energy
becomes stored as fat. This fat often accumulates along blood
vessel walls, increasing the likelihood of atherosclerosis, another
risk factor in the likelihood of heart attack (McEwen 2002:68-69).
Health costs of allostatic load (stress)
The immune system like the cardiovascular system is
sensitive to stress. If stress continues for an extended period
of time the immune system can start to falter (Hempel 2003).
When stress is present the immune system sends white
blood cells to where they are needed. If stress is ongoing and
becomes allostatic load, the immune system becomes
suppressed and the likelihood of infection increases
(McEwen 2002:91). In some people ongoing stress does not
suppress the immune system. In these people the opposite
occurs and the immune system becomes so sensitive it starts
to attack threats that don’t exist. This is the basis of many
autoimmune diseases (McEwen 2002:99).
T
VIRUS
NPY
T
VIRUS
T
NPY
VIRUS
NPY
T
T
NPY
VIRUS
T
A stress and burnout comparison
Stress
1. Characterised by over-engagement
2. Emotions become over-reactive
3. Physical damage primary
4. Exhaustion affects physical energy
5. Produces disintegration
6. Loss of fuel and energy
7. Depression: body’s need to
Protect itself and conserve energy
8. Sense of urgency; hyperactivity
9. Produces panic, phobia and anxiety
disorders
10. May kill you prematurely, you wont
have time to finish what you started
Burnout
Characterised by disengagement
Emotions become blunted
Emotional damage primary
Exhaustion affects motivation
and drive
Produces demoralisation
Loss of ideals and hope
Depression: grief caused by
loss of ideals and hope
Sense of helplessness and
hopelessness
Produces paranoia
depersonalisation type
disorders and detachment
May never kill you, but your long
life may not seem worth living
Source: Pryor (1986:7)
EVENT
EMOTION
BEHAVIOUR
EVENT
PERCEPTION
EMOTION
BEHAVIOUR
EVENT
PERCEPTION
EMOTION
PAST TRAUMA
BEHAVIOUR
EVENT
PERCEPTION
EMOTION
BEHAVIOUR
CORE BELIEFS
PAST TRAUMA
Henrietta
Henrietta is a woman under stress. She is employed as
a financial consultant by a major bank. She has been in the
position for five years and although the job has been stressful
throughout that time, increased competition in the financial
sector has led to more demands upon Henrietta.
Henrietta is particularly stressed by what she perceives to be
unfair expectations upon her. Although others on the bank staff
are under the same burden, Henrietta seems far more
stressed than the others.
Henrietta is one of seven children. She was the youngest in
her family and was always looked out for. With the best of
intentions, Henrietta’s family saw her as the ‘baby’ of the family
who always needed to be looked after.
The positives of this for Henrietta were feelings of safety and
security. The downside was that Henrietta never developed
resilience. Henrietta has a deeply held unconscious belief
that people should always be there for her.
Henrietta’s stress cannot be understood without taking into
account this part of her ‘life script.’
STRESSORS
THE LIVED
EXPERIENCE
OF STRESS
‘LIFE SCRIPT’
FACTORS
Responsibility = (power + authority)
‘Fight or flight’ and ‘tend and befriend’
A fresh look at
stress – (Session 2)
Understanding and managing
stress
The Stress of Life – Session 2
• Diet
• Exercise
• Psychology
• Spirituality
• Challenging the dominant paradigm of the self
• Some research findings
McEwen (2002:15-16) says;
For decades scientific research has shown that we
can guard against the ravages of stress by
following advice our grandmothers could have
given us: restful, plentiful sleep, a good diet, and
regular exercise, as well as the support of family,
friends, religious organisations, and community
(isolation is one of the chief contributors to
allostatic load), and a sense of control over and
contribution to one’s own life – often noticeably
absent in those who suffer from heart attacks or
depression.
Diet


Caffeine – Found in coffee, tea, chocolate, coke. It
causes the release of adrenaline which in turn increases
the level of stress. In moderation caffeine can be helpful
in increasing alertness but regular consumption of too
much coffee can have the same impact as long term
stress. Regular drinking of coke is even worse.
Alcohol – In moderation it can be beneficial for the
cardiovascular system but overuse of alcohol is a major
stressor. In a catch 22 people often drink as a way of
coping with stress. Such a strategy actually increases
the effect of stress. High levels of alcohol combined with
stress are a deadly combination.
Diet



Smoking – Smoking is attractive for some people because it
does work short term. This is the problem with most drugs.
Smoking is responsible for a number of cancers,
hypertension, respiratory illnesses and heart disease.
Sugar – There are no essential nutrients in sugar. The quick
input of energy that sugar produces can exhaust the adrenal
glands leading to irritability, poor concentration and in some
instances depression. High sugar intake also increase the
possibility of diabetes.
Salt – Salt increases blood pressure, depletes adrenal
glands. Avoid junk foods that are high in salt. These include
bacon, ham, pickles and sausage.
Diet


Fat – Fat puts strain on the cardiovascular
system and creates obesity. It has also
been linked to breast, colon and prostate
cancers.
Carbohydrates – These are helpful in that
they release the serotonin which has a
soothing effect. Good sources of
carbohydrates are rice, pasta, potatoes and
breads. Experts say that a baked potato or
a cup of rice is able to relieve the anxiety of
a stressful day.
Diet


Fibre – You should have at least 25 grams
of fibre a day. Sources are fruits,
vegetables and grains. Great for the
digestive system which can be effected
substantially by stress.
Vegetables – Vegetables like
carbohydrates increase the production of
serotonin thus assisting in mood stabilising.
Exercise

Schiraldi and Kerr (2002:143) say that,
Moderate, regular exercise is remarkably effective for
improving mental and physical health. It measurably
reduces muscle tension and other stress symptoms
without the side effects of medication. It improves selfesteem, lowers blood pressure, slows resting
breathing and heart rates, increases energy levels and
stamina, improves the quality of sleep, promotes
weight loss, strengthens the immune system, reduces
PMS symptoms, and reduces anxiety and depression.
Exercise

It has been suggested that a half hour
walk each day is as effective in
preventing relapse amongst post
depressive people as is Prozac. In other
words, exercise has antidepressant
effects. This is due to the way in which
exercise stimulates the release of
endorphins into the chemistry of the
brain.
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things that I cannot change;
Courage to change the things that I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
(Reinhold Niebuhr)
Goals
I will join a social club
I will keep in touch with
the friends I already have
I will sign up to do volunteer work
Desires
To have lots of friends
and never be lonely
HEALTHY BEHAVIOUR
DRIVEN BEHAVIOUR
“Willingness to take risks”
“Avoids anything risky”
EMOTION
“Fear, panic”
-ve SELF TALK
“Say no, withdraw, get out of it”
ASSUMPTION
“If I do something new I will fail”
CORE BELIEF
“I am a failure”
Conscious
Pre-conscious
Unconscious
COMMON DISTORTIONS OF THINKING (DOTS)
1. Filtering: You take only the negative (or positive) details and
magnify them while filtering out all positive aspects of a situation.
2. Polarised thinking: Seeing things as black or white, all or
nothing, good or bad e.g. you have to be perfect or you’re a failure.
3. Mind reading: You assume that you know what people are
thinking and feeling without any evidence.
4. Catastrophising: Making mountains out of molehills.
5. Blaming: You hold other people responsible for your pain, or
take the other tack and blame yourself for every problem or
reversal.
6. Emotional reasoning: Living on the basis that whatever you
feel is true.
7. Global mislabelling: You generalise one or two qualities into
a negative global judgement – eg. “I’m a failure” instead of “I made
a mistake”
8. Minimisation: Minimising your own or another’s positive qualities – e.g. “I’m
hopeless at everything”
9. Perfectionism: I must do a job perfectly or I will look bad and suffer
accordingly.
10. Externalisation of self-worth: My sense of worth depends mainly on
what others think of me.
11. Fallacy of worrying: If I worry enough, the problem will be solved.
12. Fallacy of ignoring: If I ignore the problem long enough, it will go away
13. Jumping to conclusions: Making up your mind about something without
having all the evidence.
14. Entitlement: Expecting special privileges that don’t exist.
15. Justifying: Attempting to defend one’s position by any means available
rather than face the issue squarely.
SOME COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING TECHNIQUES:
1. Reattribution: Placing responsibility where
responsibility belongs
2. Questioning evidence
3. De-catastrophising: Also called the “what if”
technique?
4. Reframing: Putting on “new glasses”
5. Thought stopping: Picture a stop sign, or a bell, or
a wall whenever unwanted thoughts start
6. Paradox: Prescribing the problem
7. Normalising: Recognise the “normality” of worry in
worrisome circumstances
8. Relaxation and breathing exercises
9. Support group: Joining or forming a regular/sharing group
can build much needed bridges, develop trust and restore
confidence
10. Risk taking exercises: Daring to get out of one’s “comfort
zone” – builds self – esteem
FOUR QUESTIONS FOR CHALLENGING
MISTAKEN BELIEFS




What are the facts and what are my
subjective perceptions?
What is the evidence for and against
my thinking?
What distortions or mistakes am I
making in my thinking?
Are there any other ways of interpreting
this situation?
DATE
EVENT
xx/xx/xx Co-worker
criticises
my work
AUTO.
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS/ RATIONAL
BEHAVIOUR RESPONSE
I’m useless.
I have to
stop others
seeing it.
I should
change job.
fear,
shame,
anger
temptation
to rip my
work up
and start
again
Thought
stopping.
Who made
this person
an expert.
Actually his
work is
often
questioned.
He has a
reputation
of being a
bad worker.
NEW
EMOTIONAL
RESPONSE
Find the
emotions
have settled.
I’m calmer
IMPORTANCE
URGENT
&
NOT
IMPORTANT
URGENT
&
IMPORTANT
NOT URGENT
&
NOT
IMPORTANT
NOT URGENT
&
IMPORTANT
URGENCY
AWARE
A – Accept your anxiety. Fighting directly can
make it worse. Try and flow with it.
W – Watch your anxiety. Become an observer
of it. Write about it.
A - Act as though the anxiety is not there.
Don’t let the anxiety control your life.
R – Repeat the steps
E – Expect the best – (Choose hope – don’t
reduce hope to a feeling)
GOD
GOD
The line of perfection
SIN
SIN
Spiritual ladder
Human beings
ANXIETY PRODUCING
RELIGION
Human beings
GRACE CENTRED
SPIRITUALITY
SPIRITUAL ECLIPSE
GOD
FALSE GOD
SUBJECT
Confession and forgiveness
Part of a helpful spirituality is the ability
to major on living by confession and
forgiveness. If when we make a
mistake and hurt others we confess
and seek to make amends, then
we remove unhelpful feelings of guilt
from our lives.
When we strive to forgive others we
remove the poison of resentment from
our lives. It has been said that
“resentment is like drinking poison
and waiting for the other person to die”
(Malachy McCourt cited in Schiraldi &
Kerr, 2002:181).
The importance of a “journeying” view of self
A Stable and
unchanging self
to be found and
protected
Cartesian View
“I Think Therefore
I am”
The self is fluid and changing.
The self is a journey and always
emergent
Vichian View
“The dialogical
self”
Some findings from the research:
1. The problematic nature of ‘call’
2. The potential for pre-reflective identification to be
confused with call
3. The Christian concept of being ‘tested.’ –
(I should suffer)
4. Only the women in the study experienced a sense
of call internally
It’s about knowing, and if I was to talk about my call to
ministry now, it’s probably stronger than it ever was but
I still couldn’t necessarily find the words to explain it in
a very coherent fashion. Apart from, it’s an inner
knowing. (Sophie)
…in the space of six days, I’d jumped every hurdle. While
this is a coincidental thing, in terms of call, I sensed that just
the way the process was expedited it seemed to be, it was
made remarkably easy. (Ken)
Some findings from the research:
1. The problematic nature of ‘call’
2. The potential for pre-reflective identification to be
confused with call
3. The Christian concept of being ‘tested.’ –
(I should suffer)
4. Only the women in the study experienced a
sense of call internally
5. Stress related to being ‘agents of change’
Some findings from the research:
6. The abuse of Ministers by Congregations –
(We hear of abusive Ministers. There are also abusive
churches)
7. Discrimination against female clergy – (both overt
and covert)
8. The difficulties involved in ‘measuring success.’