Stress can be caused by major life events, daily problems, environmental factors, and catastrophes. The body responds to stress in three stages - alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. Individual responses to stress depend on personality traits like optimism and perfectionism. Effective coping strategies include managing time well, using mental rehearsal, engaging in physical activity, relaxation, positive thinking, building resilience, and seeking social support.

1. Section 3.1 What Causes Stress?
• Stress is the response of your body and mind to
being challenged or threatened.
What is Stress?
• At moderate levels, stress can actually improve your
ability to concentrate and perform at your best.
• Beyond that level, however, it begins to take a
negative toll on performance.
• You experience stress when situations, events, or
people make demands on your body and mind.

2. Section 3.1 What Causes Stress?
• Four general types of stressors are
The Many Causes of Stress
• major life changes
• catastrophes
• everyday problems
• environmental problems
• An even or situation that causes stress is called a
stressor.

3. Section 3.1 What Causes Stress?

4. Section 3.1 What Causes Stress?
• A catastrophe is an event that threatens lives and
may destroy property.
Catastrophes
• A person who experiences a catastrophe may deal
with the psychological effects for years after the
event.

5. Section 3.1 What Causes Stress?
• Some of the most common stressors are minor, but
frequent, everyday events.
• Conflict—disagreements with family members,
friends, or others—is another common source of
stress.
• For many people, the pressure to succeed is a major
source of stress.
Everyday Problems

6. Section 3.1 What Causes Stress?
• Conditions in your immediate surroundings affect
your level of stress each day.
• A major stressor that occurs all around you but is
often overlooked is noise.
• Living in unsafe or crowded conditions also tends to
increase feelings of stress.
Environmental Problems

7. Section 3.2 How Stress Affects Your Body
The body’s response to stress occurs in three stages
Stages of Stress
• the alarm stage
• the resistance stage
• the exhaustion stage

8. Section 3.2 How Stress Affects Your Body
Alarm Stage
4) Breathing rate increases.
5) More sugar released
into blood. Ability of
blood clot increases.
6) Flow of blood to
skin reduced.
Sweating increases.
8) Pupils open wide.
10) Lump forms in throat
as muscles contract.
3) Flow of blood to brain
increases.
2) Heart rate and blood
pressure increase.
7) Flow of blood to digestive
system reduced. Digestion
slows. More stomach acid
produced.
1) Adrenaline released into blood.
9) Muscles tense. More energy
produced by cells.
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Fight-or-Flight Response

9. Section 3.2 How Stress Affects Your Body
• During this stage, your body adapts to the continued
presence of the stressor.
• The work that your body does during the resistance
stage uses up a lot of energy. As a result, you may
become tired, irritable, and less able to handle any
added stress.
Resistance Stage

10. Section 3.2 How Stress Affects Your Body
• Your body can no longer keep up with the demands
placed on it.
• Your physical and emotional resources are depleted.
Exhaustion Stage
• Exhaustion occurs only if a stressor continues for a
long time—usually weeks, months, or even years.

11. Section 3.2 How Stress Affects Your Body
Recognizing Signs of Stress

12. Section 3.2 How Stress Affects Your Body
Stress and Illness
Stress can trigger certain illnesses, reduce the body’s
ability to fight an illness, and make some diseases
harder to control.
• Stomachaches
• Asthma
• Headaches
• Lowered Resistance to Disease
• Heart Disease

13. Section 3.3 Stress and Individuals
How you react to a stressor depends on how you
assess the situation.
Responses to Stress Vary
• Is this situation a threat to my well-being?
• Do I have the necessary resources to meet the
challenge?

14. Section 3.3 Stress and Individuals
Stress and Personality
Your personality influences your assessment of a
situation.

15. Section 3.3 Stress and Individuals
• Optimism is the tendency to focus on the positive
aspects of a situation.
Optimism and Pessimism
• Pessimism is the tendency to focus on the negative
and expect the worst.

16. Section 3.3 Stress and Individuals
• A perfectionist is a person who accepts nothing less
than excellence.
Aiming for Perfection
• There are ways to break the cycle and reduce your
stress.
• Accept that you cannot be perfect.
• Take pride in the things you do well.
• Don’t focus on your mistakes.

17. Section 3.3 Stress and Individuals
• The ability to recover from extreme or prolonged stress
is called resilience.
Resilience
• They know their strengths and have confidence in
their abilities.
• They make realistic plans and take the steps to carry out
those plans.
• They have good communication and problem- solving skills.
• They are able to recognize and control their feelings.
• They recognize that change is a normal part of life and are able
to put life changes in perspective.
• People with resilience share other characteristics.

18. Section 3.4 Coping With Stress
• You can do many things to keep stress under control.
Take Control of Stress
• It is important to distinguish between stressors that
you can control and those that you cannot.
• It is important to distinguish between stressors that
you can control and those that you cannot.

19. Section 3.4 Coping With Stress
Time wasters keep
you from making the
best use of the time
you have to study.
Time Management

20. Section 3.4 Coping With Stress
Mental Rehearsal
• In a mental rehearsal, you practice an event without
actually doing the event.
• The event takes place in your mind as you imagine
yourself performing at your best.
• You might rehearse every aspect of the event a few
times over until you feel confident that you can
perform it as imagined.

21. Section 3.4 Coping With Stress
Reduce Tension
Even when a stressor isn’t under your control, there
are things you can do to reduce the stress.
Physical Activity
By doing something physically active, you provide your body with a
healthy outlet for built-up energy.
Relaxation
The goal of relaxation techniques is to give your mind and body
a rest.

22. Section 3.4 Coping With Stress
Change Your Thinking
Sometimes you can reduce your level of stress by
changing the way you think about stressors.
Avoiding Negative Thinking
One way to change your thinking is to replace negative thoughts
with positive ones.
Humor
If you use humor carefully, it can be an effective tool for managing
stress. But don’t use humor to cover up your true feelings.

23. Section 3.4 Coping With Stress
Build Resilience
You need to build you resilience to help you deal with
extreme or prolonged stress.
• Take Care of Yourself
• Build a Support System
• Take Action
• Help Somebody
• Confide in Yourself
• Go Easy on Yourself
• Put Things in Perspective
• Find a Hassle-Free Zone
• Stick to Your Routines

24. Section 3.4 Coping With Stress
Reach Out for Support
• Sometimes the stress in your life becomes too
overwhelming for you to handle on your own.
• Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to.
Sharing your problems can help you see them
more clearly.
• Just describing your concerns to someone else often
helps you to understand the problem better.