Stress Management Skills

Dr. Sonia TinsleyNortheastern State UniversityCollege of Education

What is Stress?

• Stress

• Mental and physical response of our body to changes and challenges in your lives.

• Stressor

• Factors or events, real or imagined, that elicit a state of stress

• Eustress

• Stress that enhances quality of life

• Distress

• Stress that diminishes quality of life

Stress Response

• Physiological and psychological response to positive or negative events that are disruptive, unexpected, or stimulating.

• Learned and conditioned habits adopted early in life.

• Basic human survival mechanism.

The Body’s Response to Stress

• General adaptation syndrome

• Alarm phase – person becomes aware of stressor.

• Resistance phase – person attempts to respond to stressor.

• Exhaustion phase – the physical and psychological resources used to deal with stress are depleted.

Physical Toll of Stress

• Hypertension

• Stroke

• Heart disease

• Kidney disorders

• Alcoholism

• Gastrointestinal problems

• Autoimmune disorders

• Depression

Sources of Stress

• Change

• Hassles

• Pressure

• Inconsistent goals and behaviors

• Conflict

• Overload

• Burnout

• Technology

Occupational Stress

• Pertains to sources of stress at work

• Involves individual characteristics

• Related to the employee’s role within the organization

Do You Have Occupational Stress?

Why is Occupational Stress of Concern?

• Cost to businesses is billions of dollars per year

• Leads to increased sick days, drug or alcohol abuse, and early death

• Can promote high turnover rates of employees

• Technological advances keep employees tethered to work

Disease and Occupational Stress

• Disease States

• Coronary artery disease

• Obesity

• Hypertension

• Elevated cholesterol

• Peptic ulcers

Occupational Stress and Disease (cont.)

• Psychological effects

• Low self-esteem

• Increased job tension

• Low job satisfaction

Student Stressors: Academic

• Test anxiety

• Speech anxiety

• Math anxiety

Student Stressors: Internal

• Procrastination

• Perfectionism

• Problems with goal setting

• Time management

Your Portable Guide to Stress Relief

1. Frequently late?

2. Often angry or irritated?

3. Unsure of your ability to do something?

4. Overextended?

5. Not enough time for stress relief?

Your Portable Guide to Stress Relief (cont.)

6. Feeling unbearably tense?

7. Frequently feel pessimistic?

8. Upset by conflicts with others?

9. Worn-out or burned-out?

10. Feeling lonely?