PNS Consumer slide show

1. STRESS MYTH # 1: ONLY MAJOR SYMPTOMS OF STRESS REQUIRE ATTENTION Wrong. Minor symptoms of stress, such as headaches, stomach acid, backache, or are the early warnings that your life is getting out of hand and that you need to do a better job of managing stress. Source: Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D. and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D., The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life, Pocket Books, 1993.

2. STRESS MYTH # 2: STRESS IS EVERYWHERE— YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT Not so. You can plan your life so that stress does not overwhelm you. Effective planning involves setting priorities and working on the simple problems first, solving them, and then going on to the more complex issues. Source: Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D. and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D., The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life, Pocket Books, 1993.

3. STRESS MYTH # 3: STRESS IS THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY Stress is quite different for each of us. What is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another. Each of us responds to stress in an entirely different way. Source: Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D. and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D., The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life, Pocket Books, 1993.

4. STRESS MYTH # 4: STRESS IS ALWAYS BAD FOR YOU Stress is to the human condition what tension is to the violin string: too little and the music is dull; too much and the string snaps. Managed stress makes us productive and happy; mismanaged stress can kill us. Source: Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D. and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D., The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life, Pocket Books, 1993.

5. STRESS MYTH # 5: THE MOST POPULAR TECHNIQUES FOR REDUCING STRESS ARE THE BEST ONES No universally effective stress reduction technique exists. Our lives and situations are all different; our reactions to stress are different. Only a comprehensive program tailored to the individual works. Source: Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D. and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D., The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life, Pocket Books, 1993.

6. STRESS MYTH # 6: NO SYMPTOMS, NO STRESS An absence of symptoms does not mean an absence of stress. In fact, camouflaging symptoms with medication may deprive you of the warning signals you need for reducing the strain on your physiological and psychological systems. Source: Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D. and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D., The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life, Pocket Books, 1993.

7. STRESS FACT: 75% - 90% OF DOCTOR VISITS ARE FOR STRESS-RELATED AILMENTS & COMPLAINTS Source— American Academy of Family Physicians

8. STRESS FACT: WOMEN BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE NATION’S STRESS AND FINANCIAL DOWNTURN Compared with men, more women are stressed about: Money (83% vs. 78%), The Economy (84% vs. 75 %), Job Stability (57% vs. 55%), Housing Costs (66% vs. 58%) Their Families’ Health Problems (70% vs. 63%). Source: The American Psychological Association “Stress in America” survey. October, 2008

9. STRESS FACT: YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST HEALTH RESOURCE You can minimize your use of costly medications, doctors visits and hospitalization. You can’t eliminate stress from your life, but you can start to combat it immediately. Source: Lyle H. Miller, Ph.D. and Alma Dell Smith, Ph.D., The Stress Solution: An Action Plan to Manage the Stress in Your Life, Pocket Books, 1993.