Stress -definition of stress -fight or flight response -symptom -early signs -source of stress -type of stress -forbes continuum of overload/underload -stress and individual -methods to manage stress

1. STRESS MANAGEMENT
Fathin Fariha Norhisham

2. WHAT IS STRESS
• Body’s reaction to perceived/real situations that are
considered harmful-feeling threatened and behave in
a way to prevent injury

3. FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE
PROCESS: Release of adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormone) into blood stream
• Increase pulse rates and blood pressure
• Blood flow doesn’t reach extremities; hands and feet  cold
• Blood focuses on major muscle
• Shallow and rapid breathing to increase O2 level
• Rise in sugar level production to increase metabolism fats and energy released into bloodstream
RESULT:
• Increase level of fat in bloodstream
• Increase level of acid in the stomach gastritis
• Breakdown of lean body tissues, more fat storage
• Increase level of anxiety and depression
• Low immune system reduce blood activity to fight infection

4. EMOTIONAL
• Isolation
• Feeling gloomy and down, losing self
worth, depressed
• Losing control, feels suffocated
• Desire to be in control
• Irritable, frustrated, angry
• Loss of sexual desire and ability
• Depleting of energy
• Headaches
• Upset stomach and nausea
• Insomnia
• Feeling cold and tingling sensation in
extremities
• Susceptible to illnesses; colds, coughs,
flu
• Nervousness, shaking, ringing sound
inside ear, sweaty palms and feet
• Chest tightness
PHYSICAL
SYMPTOM

5. HOW TO DETECT EARLY SIGNS?
• Tightness in the jaw/clenching of teeth
• Pain/cramping in the neck area or shoulders and neck
• Check hand: place finger on neck. Is it cold?
• Excessive perspiration/rapid shallow breathing
• Rapid heartbeat and great pulse rate
• Changes in appetite; increase or decrease
• Becoming forgetful and disoriented
• Inability to focus, racing thoughts
• Nail biting, fidgeting and pacing

6. AT WORK
• Low minimum wage
• Excessive workloads.
• No job security; advancement/termination
• Low job satisfaction, feeling unhappy
• Lack of support system and poor
management
• Lack of control over your work
• Working hard to meet expectations
• Long working hours
• Facing discrimination/harassment
• Death
• Marital issues/divorce or family problem
• Financial burden, increase in living
expenses
• Chronic illnesses/injury
• Emotional issue; depression, anxiety, low
self esteem etc
• Traumatic event that disrupts normal
behaviour; rape, natural disaster, violence
etc
• Always comparing yourself to your peers
OUTSIDE WORK
SOURCE OF STRESS

7. IS ALL STRESS BAD FOR YOU?
• NO! there are good and bad stress
• Bad stress is an uncontrol and prolonged stress that drags and
prevents you from living normally such as completing mundane
tasks
• Lead to health complication if persists and reach a burnout point
• Good stress is a form of mild stress that is experienced regularly
• It helps to motivate and excite an individual to complete a
task/goal and enhances and improves cognitive brain function
• Determination of bad and good stress comes from YOU

8. FORBES CONTINUUM OF
OVERLOAD/UNDERLOAD
Point of
productivit
y
Underload Overload
WORK
• No productivity at the end of the continuum
• Underload qualities; boredom, irritability,
overqualification
• Overload qualities; strained relationships, irritability,
poor judgments
• Middle region shows optimal performance. Productivity
qualities; mental alertness, high energy and realistic
analysis of problem

9. HOW CAN OTHERS HANDLE STRESS BETTER THAN ME?
1) Individual self perception
• Self-esteem-positive self perception
• Understand self confidence, capacities and potentials: act accordingly
2) Locus of control
• A- Believe they have control of their own destinies (internals)
• B- Believe in luck/chance (internals)
• A takes control over events, B defensive and passive, rather to endure the pain
(more stress)
3) Flexibility And Rigidity
• Flexible: Easy to adapt, carefree and open, responsive towards others
Indecisive, struggle to make decisions, does not have restrictions or rules to
handle situation
• Rigid: Neat, have everything in order, organized, exert more time effort on
a job
Inconsiderate, critical, does not tolerate with other’s weaknesses, low
interest in personal life

10. PERSONALITY TYPES
A B D
CORONARY PRONE
• Competitive
• High achiever
• Hardworking
Confirmation traits
• Stress during and post-
work
• Workaholic-take work
home
• Fast eater
• Strong desire to succeed
• Impatient-unable to wait
in queue
• Bossy
• Calm, never rush
• Take things lightly
• Laid-back
Confirmation traits
• Feel at ease/ content
during and post-work
• Have more me-time
• Less ambitious
• Less sensitive
• Able to adapt to
situation easily
• Lack of accountability
DISTRESSED/DISEASE
PRONE
• Anxious
• Worried
• Over expressing
negative emotions
Confirmation traits
• Easily irritated
• Afraid to show feelings
• Isolate oneself
• Excessive gloominess

11. IT’S OKAY TO BE STRESSED OUT IT IS COMPLETELY NORMAL!
HELP YOURSELF WITH THESE METHODS
1) Breathing
• Inhale deeply and exhale on the count of 5 for both
2) Neuro Muscular Relaxation
• Tensing-releasing method
• Doing during meditation by quieting, isolated from the world
• Close eyes for 15 minutes, think of a word/phrase that relaxes you and let your mind
wander
• Exercise major muscle groups; shoulders and legs
• Tense and release on the count of 5 for both x10
• Feel the tighten muscles and the warmth radiates out
• Keep track, create a logbook: time, place, physical/ mental feelings

12. 3) Touch Therapy
• Touch/petting to reduce physical stress
• Mimicking a mother’s touch on an infant
4) STOP! And NO! Technique
• Mentally yelling Stop! when something stresses you out
• Return to a calm state
• Say No! when you are not able to afford additional responsibilities, know
your own limit, be firm and clear.
5) Creative Worrying (30 mins)
• Write down five major and minor worries
• Practice “useless worrying” envisioning the worst possibility for 15 minutes
• Deep breathing for 2 minutes
• Practice “constructive worrying” by writing down solutions or strategies for
13 minutes
• Repeat for 1 week. Goal is to reduce useless worrying time to zero