STRESS

MANAGEMENT
(LIZAMARIE CAMPOAMOR-OLEGARIO, PHD)

* 1
 What is stress?
•  demands or pressures > what you can cope with
•  a mixture of uncomfortable feelings
(pressure, worried, tense, upset, sad, and angry)
•  can get too much and
can even trigger a mental illness
•  a response of the body to
any demand placed on it
 Factors that Affect Us How to Deal
with Situations
•  External Factors
–  work
–  relationships,
–  finances
•  Internal Factors
–  health
–  hunger,
–  amount of sleep
Symptoms of Stress
•  Until you accept responsibility
for the role you play in
creating or maintaining it, your
stress level will remain outside
your control
 How do I cope with stress?
Practice the four A's
(Avoid, Alter, Adapt & Accept)
•  Avoid unnecessary stress
–  learn to say “no”
–  avoid people who stress you out
–  turn off the tv
 How do I cope with stress?
•  Alter the situation
–  express your feelings
–  create a balanced schedule:
•  family life
•  social activities
•  solitary pursuits
•  daily responsibilities
•  Downtime

* Solution-Based Coping
 How do I cope with stress?
•  Adapt to the stressor
–  Change your expectations and attitude.
–  Set realistic goals
–  View stressful situations from
a more positive perspective
(cognitive restructuring)
 How do I cope with stress?
•  Adjust your standards
–  Practice gratitude
–  Accept the things you can’t change
–  don’t try to control the uncontrollable
–  learn to forgive
* Appraisal-Based Coping
 How do I cope with stress?
•  “God grant me the strength to
change what I can, the
patience to accept what I can’t
change, and the wisdom to
know the difference.”
How do I cope with stress?
Make time for fun and relaxation
•  carve out “me” time
•  take care of your own needs
•  take a break from all responsibilities
•  recharge your batteries
•  do something you enjoy every day
–  play the piano, play music
–  draw, paint, play with play-dough, do coloring books
 How do I cope with stress?
•  B R E A T H E deeply
–  Chest vs. diaphragmatic breathing
–  Regulates
•  blood pressure,
•  heart rate
•  circulation
•  digestion
•  many other bodily functions
–  helps you relax and stay calm.
 How do I cope with stress?
•  Guided Imagery
–  Cancer patients who imagine themselves
without the cancerous cells
–  Transporting the individual to a quiet place
in their mind
(perhaps a favorite lake, river, or forest).
–  Can reduce blood pressure
–  Can lower cholesterol and glucose levels
–  Can heighten immune cells
 How do I cope with stress?

•  Take a hot bath

•  Get a therapeutic massage
 How do I cope with stress?
•  Yoga, meditation, pray
–  Allows you to “let go” of everyday worries
–  Improve physically, mentally, and spiritually
–  Away from phone,
television, friends,
family, and
other distractions
How do I cope with stress?
Connect to others
•  Face-to-face interaction triggers
a cascade of hormones that
counteracts the body’s defensive
“fight-or-flight” response
•  Help someone by volunteering
•  Have lunch or coffee with a friend
•  Accompany someone to the movies or a concert
•  Call or email an old friend
•  Go for a walk with a workout buddy
•  Meet people by taking a class or joining a club
 How do I cope with stress?
Manage your time better
•  Don't over-commit yourself.
•  Prioritize tasks.
•  Break projects into small steps.
•  Delegate responsibility.
How do I cope with stress?
Maintain balance with a healthy lifestyle
•  Eat a healthy diet.
–  Eating whole, real foods
restores balance and
regulate hormone levels
How do I cope with stress?
•  Get enough sleep.
–  Adequate sleep fuels your mind,
as well as your body.
–  Feeling tired will
increase your stress
because it may cause you
to think irrationally.
How do I cope with stress?
•  Reduce caffeine, cigarettes, sugar, alcohol, and
drugs.
–  Caffeine and nicotine
stimulants and will increase the stress and anxiety
–  Sugar
temporary "highs” end with a crash in mood and energy
–  Alcohol
a depressant when taken in large quantities,
but acts as a stimulant in smaller quantities
How do I cope with stress?
•  Relief is only temporary and
only masks the issue at hand.
•  Drink water, herbal teas, or diluted natural fruit
juices
 How do I cope with stress?
•  Exercise
–  releases endorphins that make you feel good
–  take your dog for a walk
–  walk or cycle to the grocery store
–  use the stairs rather than an elevator
–  play activity-based video game
–  dance
–  swim
–  tai chi/ qi gong
–  help a neighbor
–  get enough sunshine
How do
I cope
with
stress?

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Thank you!