2. What is stress
• Stress is your body's way of responding to any
kind of demand. It can be caused by both good
and bad experiences. When people feel stressed
by something going on around them, their bodies
react by releasing chemicals into the blood. These
chemicals give people more energy and strength,
which can be a good thing if their stress is caused
by physical danger. But this can also be a bad
thing, if their stress is in response to something
emotional and there is no outlet for this extra
energy and strength.
3. Causes of stress
• Many different things can
cause stress -- from
physical (such as fear of
something dangerous) to
emotional (such as worry
over your family or job.)
Identifying what may be
causing you stress is often
the first step in learning
how to better deal with
your stress.
4. Types of Stress
• Some of the most common sources of stress
are:
• Survival Stress
• Internal Stress
• Environmental Stress
• Fatigue and Overwork
5. Survival Stress
• You may have heard the phrase "fight or
flight" before. This is a common response to
danger in all people and animals. When you
are afraid that someone or something may
physically hurt you, your body naturally
responds with a burst of energy so that you
will be better able to survive the dangerous
situation (fight) or escape it all together
(flight). This is survival stress.
6. Internal Stress
• Have you ever caught yourself worrying about things
you can do nothing about or worrying for no reason at
all? This is internal stress and it is one of the most
important kinds of stress to understand and manage.
Internal stress is when people make themselves
stressed. This often happens when we worry about
things we can't control or put ourselves in situations
we know will cause us stress. Some people become
addicted to the kind of hurried, tense, lifestyle that
results from being under stress. They even look for
stressful situations and feel stress about things that
aren't stressful.
7. Environmental Stress
• - This is a response to things around you that
cause stress, such as noise, crowding, and
pressure from work or family. Identifying
these environmental stresses and learning to
avoid them or deal with them will help lower
your stress level.
8. Fatigue and Overwork
• This kind of stress builds up over a long time and
can take a hard toll on your body. It can be
caused by working too much or too hard at your
job(s), school, or home. It can also be caused by
not knowing how to manage your time well or
how to take time out for rest and relaxation. This
can be one of the hardest kinds of stress to avoid
because many people feel this is out of their
control. Later in this course we will show you that
you DO have options and offer some useful tips
for dealing with fatigue.
9. HOW TO REDUCE, PREVENT & COPE
WITH STRESS
Stress Management Techniques
10. Identify the sources of stress in your life
• Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in
your life. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Your true sources of stress
aren’t always obvious, and it’s all too easy to overlook your own
stress-inducing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
• To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits,
attitude, and excuses:
• Do you explain away stress as temporary (“I just have a million
things going on right now”) even though you can’t remember the
last time you took a breather?
• Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life
(“Things are always crazy around here”) or as a part of your
personality (“I have a lot of nervous energy, that’s all”).
• Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or
view it as entirely normal and unexceptional?
• Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or
maintaining it, your stress level will remain outside your control.
11. Start a Stress Journal
• A stress journal can help you identify the regular
stressors in your life and the way you deal with
them. Each time you feel stressed, keep track of it
in your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will
begin to see patterns and common themes. Write
down:
• What caused your stress (make a guess if you’re
unsure)
• How you felt, both physically and emotionally
• How you acted in response
• What you did to make yourself feel better
12. Look at how you currently cope with
stress
• Think about the ways you currently manage
and cope with stress in your life. Your stress
journal can help you identify them. Are your
coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful
or unproductive? Unfortunately, many people
cope with stress in ways that compound the
problem.
13. Unhealthy ways of coping with stress
• These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress,
but they cause more damage in the long run:
• Smoking
• Drinking too much
• Overeating or under-eating
• Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities
• Using pills or drugs to relax
• Sleeping too much
• Procrastinating
• Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry
outbursts, physical violence)
