This presentation is all about knowing your stress level in the present global set-up and managing it with some stress buster tools and techniques.

1. by
Dr. Mohmed Amin Mir
Assistant Professor
Department of Commerce & Management Studies
Islamia College of Science & Commerce, Srinagar
Jammu & Kashmir
Contact No: +91-9797178402
Email ID: aamin.icsc@gmail.com

2. STRESS
What is Stress?
The concept of stress was first introduced in the life
sciences by Dr. Hans Selye in 1936.
The word ‘stress’ in common English usage means
conditions causing hardship or times of trouble, danger
and tension.
According to Hans Selye (1956), the father of stress
research “stress is any external life event or any internal
drive which threatens to upset the organismic
equilibrium.
Or in other words, stress is something which is
experienced when the demands are beyond the coping
capacity of a person.

3. PERSON
CHARACTERISTICS
Physiological
Physical Health
Psychological
Mental Health
Temperament
Self-Concept
Cultural
Cultural Definitions
and Meanings
Expected Response
Style
RESOURCES
Physical
Money
Medical Care, etc.
Personal
Skills
Coping Style
Social
Support Networks
Professional Help
STRESSORS
Types
Environmental
Psychological
Social
Dimensions
Intensity
Duration
Predictability
STRESS APPRAISAL
Physiological
response
Behavioural
response
Emotional
response
Cognitive
response
A Theoretical Model of the Stress Process
STRESS

4. Identifying the Indicators of Positive Health
Which of the following should not be included in the definition of
positive health?
• Good health is a matter of self-perception.
• Culture decides what we should call ‘good health’.
• Positive health is accompanied by a general feeling of wellness.
• A sound and logical mind is essential for positive health.
• The socially maladjusted can still have good health.
• People who are self-centred and egoist cannot have sound
health status
• Those who have not visited a doctor can be considered as
having sound health.
• Faith and trust are essential ingredients of positive health.
• People can depart from social norms and still be healthy.
• Ill health is a part of health.
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5. Are you in Good Physical Health ?
A simple way to determine physical health is to find out the
Body/Mass /Index (BMI)
You can compute the BMI for yourself using the following
formula:
BMI = Body Weight (kg)
[Height (m)]2
You can interpret the score according to the following chart:
BMI RANGE Obesity/Health Risk
20 – 25 Not obese, no risk
25 – 30 Low risk
30 – 35 Moderate risk
35 – 40 High risk
Above 40 Very high risk

6. Normal and Abnormal Responses to Stress
Normal Responses
Feeling strong emotions
subsequent to the event (eg.
Fear, sadness, rage)
Resistance to thinking about
the event; some use of denial.
Having unwanted, intrusive
thoughts about the event.
Temporary physical symptoms
(headaches, stomach distress)
Resuming one’s normal pattern
of life.
Abnormal Responses
Being overwhelmed by intense
emotions, experiencing panic or
exhaustion.
Extreme resistance to thinking
about the event (eg: through use of
drugs); massive denial.
Having disturbing, persistent
images and thoughts that interfere
with usual functioning.
Strong, persistent bodily reactions
(eg. Continuing headaches, chronic
stomach pains)
Long-term problems in ability to
love and work

7. HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
The Branch of Psychology that Studies the relation between
psychological variables and health, reflects the view that both mind
and body are important determinants of health and illness. This is
emerged as an independent branch of science during early 1970’s.
STRESS REACTION
Fight or Flight Reaction
Either facing the problem Avoiding the problem

8. Dr. Hans Selye (1956)
Stages of Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome
(GAS)
Stage Description
Alarm In response to a stressor, the body prepares for immediate physical
action. The sympathetic nervous system is activated, and stress
hormones (cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine) are released in
greater amounts.
Resistance If the stressor continues, the body maintains a moderate level of
physiological arousal. The organism has increased its ability to
withstand the original stressor, which brought about the alarm
reaction.
Exhaustion With added stressors or depletion of the ability to continue resisting,
the body enters a stage in which a variety of illnesses or even
death may occur.

9. STRESS AND CANCER
The Psycho- immune Theory Proposed by Wayner et al ( 1978) explains
that stress can effect the cancer process in 3 ways
1. Stress may have on the initiation of cancer through
a. increasing the person’s exposure to carcinogens
b. interacting with the effect of carcinogens and
c. allowing the expression of genetic potential by bringing a
change in the hormonal environment.
2. Stress has its influence in the promotion of Management
transformation and blockage of immune response and by blocking
of the immune surveillance.
3. Stress can act at the behavioural Level leading to the sufficient
copy devices or increasing the exposure to carcinogens.
eg: Excessive smoking, Excessive Drinking, etc.

10. COPING WITH STRESS
People use different techniques for coping with stress and
being healthy: Active coping, suppression of competing
activities, planning, restraint, use of social support, positive
reframing, religion like faith in God. Acceptance, Denial,
Behavioural disengagement, Use of humour, and Self-
distraction.
EXERCISE
Talk to two different persons, one whom you consider
stressful, and the other who is often relaxed. Find
out which of the two uses the above means of coping with
stress.

11. STRESS AND COPING
Disorder manifested
Disorder not manifested
High
Low
Low Level of vulnerability High
Level
of
Stress
Stress and vulnerability influence whether or not maladaptive behaviour will occur. When
there are both a high level of stress and high vulnerability, maladaptive behaviour is most
likely. A highly vulnerable person, such as someone with schizophrenia, might show
significant behavioural deterioration with only a mild increase in challenge. A relatively
resilient person might show deterioration only if confronted with an extraordinary life reversal
or challenge.

12. TYPE A, TYPE B PERSONALITY
In an interesting research two American cardiologists,
Dr. Meyer Friedman and Dr. Ray Roseman (1979) identified
two types of personality traits.
Research findings
based on 8 ½ years
of follow up studies
among people.
Type – A people are more prone to CDH and
cancer (Coronary heart disease)
(1) Type A - Personality
(Health Risk is High)
High powered, ambitious, competitive,
workaholics, who seemed unable to slow
down and relax. (Achieve more and more in
less and less time).
(2) Type B
(Health Risk is low)
Those who are not having the Type A
personality Traits. Ie. Just the opposite of
Type A people.

13. Are you a Type A Person?
Answer the following questions yes or no.
 Do you give yourself harder than most of the people you know?
 Do you tend to complete sentences for people who speak too slowly?
 Do you eat, speak and walk rapidly?
 Do you overemphasis some of your words and add dramatic gestures while
speaking?
 Do you become very annoyed, when you have to wait in line?
 Do you constantly schedule more activities than time allows?
 Do you feel a sense of guilt if you try to relax?
 Do you try to move the topic of conversation to your own interests?
 Do you believe that your success is due to the fast pace that you maintain?
(Note: The more items answered yes, the higher your degree of
Type A behaviour.)

14. YOUR STRESS – LEVEL CAN BE MEASURED
Any kind of change in our existing life- pattern can be considered the reason for stress. But the
intensity of stress depends on how well the person responds to such changes.
This checklist will help you to determine whether you are a victim of stress. From the
five choices given, select the one that best suits your character. Points should be given as
follows :
a. Never – 1 point
b. Sometimes ( More than twice a year) – 2 points
c. Often ( more than once every month ) -3 points
d. Quite frequently - (more than once a week) - 4 points
e. Always – 5
EMOTIONAL TRAITS
1. Can you relax easily ?
2. Ae you quick – tempered?
3. Do you get bored – easily ?
4. Do you find it difficult to do something with concentration?
5. Do you experience anxiety ?
6. Is decision – making difficult for you?
7. Do you experience utter disappointment ?
8. Have you felt hatred towards others ?
9. Are you impatient by nature ?
10.Do you experience sleeplessness ?
11.Are you extremely competitive ?

15. PHYSICAL TRAITS
1. Are you a victim of frequent headaches ?
2. Do you experience a sharp pain in the chest ?
3. Are you a victim of any allergic conditions?
4. Does indigestion trouble you ?
5. Do you bite your teeth?
6. Do you get frequent neck pain ?
7. Do you get tired quickly?
8. Are you troubled by severe backache ?
9. Do the insides of your hands and feet perspire?
10. Do you have frequent stomach aches ?
11. Do you experience shivering of the body ?
12. Have you felt a weight in the chest ?
13. Is it difficult for you to control your emotions ?
SCORE STRESS LEVEL
A Total Score below 60 NO PROBLEM
B Total score between 61-80 MILD
C Total Score between 81-100 MODERATE
D Total Score above 100 SEVERE – MORE PRONE TO ILLNESS

16. Some Stress Management Techniques
Stress is called a silent killer. It has been
estimated that stress plays some role in 50 to 70
percent of the total of physical illness. Heart
disease, high blood pressure, ulcers, and diabetes
are closely related to stress. In view of increasing
incidence of stress, schools, offices, and
communities are taking interest in evolving stress
management techniques. Some of these
techniques are as follows:
Cognitive Behavioural Techniques: These
techniques try to inoculate people against stress.
Most of the programmes involving these
techniques have three stages, ie. education,
training and practice. In the education stage, the
participants come to know the nature and effects
of stress, and are helped in recognising stress –
symptoms. In training, they learn time
management, social skills, use of relaxation
techniques, positive self-talk, setting realistic
goals, and rewarding goal achievement. In the
practice stage, the participants rehearse the skills
learned in real life situation.
Biofeedback: It is a procedure to monitor and
control the physiological aspects of stress. By
providing feedback about body’s functioning, a
person is trained to recognise and control it. This
mechanism helps to reduce stress.
Relaxation Techniques:- The state of relaxation
is opposed to stress. Thus by reducing muscle
tension the feelings of stress and anxiety can be
reduced. Usually relaxation starts from the lower
body, and progresses up to the facial muscles and
the whole body is relaxed. Controlled breathing is
another technique in which deep long breaths are
used.
Exercise:- Aerobic, swimming, walking, running,
asanas, cycling, dancing, and skipping help to
reduce stress. One must practice these exercises
at least three times a week for at least fifteen
minutes at a time. Each session must have
warm-up, exercise, and cool-down phases,
exercise helps to improve endurance, flexibility,
cardiovascular fitness, and stress tolerance.

17. TRY RELAXATION
• Sit quietly in a comfortable position
• Close your eyes.
• Deeply relax all your muscles. Start from your feet and
progress upto your face. Keep them relaxed.
• Breathe through the nose. Try to become aware of your
breath. As you breathe out, say the word “one*”. Breathe
easily and naturally.
• Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. When you finish the
relaxation exercise, sit quietly for several minutes, at first
with your eyes closed. Do not stand up for a few minutes.
• Maintain a passive attitude. Ignore the distracting thoughts.
Do not practice this within two hours after any meal.
*You can change this catch word like………………….…..