Managing Personal StressBy: Keith Isaacs

What is stress?

Types of stress?

Situations involving…

What are stressors?

Personal Stress – Physical or mental strain, pressure, or tension placed on an individual

Stressors – Stimuli that cause physiological and psychological reactions in individuals.

- Physiological Stress - Force that causes stress over the physical body.- Psychological Stress - Force that causes stress in the mind of the body.- Social Stress - Force that causes stress over external events of the body .

Physiological StressEliminating stressors in:

Physiological StressScenario: A day with John!

Everyday John will wake up in the morning for work. As he awakes, he finds it hard to get up and get going. He gets to the shower only to find that he is out of breath going up the stairs and must sit before getting into the shower. John will then get ready for work, and skip breakfast as he usually does. At work, he starts experiencing headaches and is starting to get hungry. For lunch, he decides to go to a fast food place, where he fills himself to the point it makes him tired. Returning to work, he becomes more fatigued and even less motivated than he was in the morning. John’s boss notices the lack of afternoon work, and gives a verbal warning to him. As the day ends, the John finds himself in front of the television and asleep before dinner. John struggles once again to get up to eat dinner. After dinner the he finds he cannot sleep, and is up until 2:00 am. What could John have done differently to relieve his stress and maintain a better and healthier lifestyle?

Physiological Stress1st way to relieve the physiological stress

Cardiovascular Health

• Stress can cause heart disease • Stress also contributes to high blood pressure, high cholesterol,

and other cardiac risk factors in many individuals.• Stress leads poor lifestyle habits including smoking and

unhealthy diet, which leads to poor heart health. • Alters body behavior and adds to negative changes in blood and

nervous system• Reduces blood flow to the heart, which can lead to irregular

heart beat and clotting. 

Physiological Stress2nd way to relieve the physiological stress

Dietary Health

• Stress leads to over eating, obesity, and increased physical effects of stress on our body

• Unhealthy foods add Chemical Stress to our bodieso Caffeine is a stimulant that chemically increases levels of

adrenalin and significantly increase blood pressureo Alcohol interrupts sleep, limits emotional response, and our

ability to cope with stress positivelyo High Fat Intake- (Heart Disease) Stress eating leads to

eating food high in fat/cholesterol o Plaque- build up that blocks flow of blood in the heart

o Sugar raises insulin levels and energy rate in the body

Physiological StressResiliency Exercise

HOW DOES EXERCISE HELP WITH STRESS?• Increases positive chemical reaction in the brain and increases energy (endorphins)• Alleviates pressure through physical action that requires focus and concentration• Reduces stress by building self confidence and generation self control over your mind • and body

TIPS FOR SUCCESS• Do something you like• Create a schedule or exercise plan (Stick to it)• Set a goal• Find a buddy• Try new things• Commit

Physiological StressResiliency Diet

HOW DOES A HEALTHY DIET HELP WITH STRESS?• Increases chemical/physical health of your body and it’s ability to cope or resist stress• Controlling your weight and physical appearance builds self confidence and generates positive emotion and thought• “a diet low in saturated fats, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, show a 73% reduction in the risk of new major cardiac events” http://www.worldheartfederation.org• “Low fruit and vegetable intake accounts for about 20% of cardiovascular disease worldwide” http://www.world-heart-federation.org

TIPS FOR SUCCESS• Pay attention to what your eating- Buy/Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc…• Throw away and do not purchase unhealthy food (out of sight; out of mind)• Remove the idea that food is a tool for comfort

o Identify your food triggers-What do you crave the most when you are under stress or seeking comfort?

• Eat a balanced diet-A healthy diet is not = starvation

o Include balanced meals and healthy snacks to your daily routine

Psychological StressEliminating stressors in:

Psychological StressScenario: Too much to handle!

How can I go to school full-time, take care of my kids and family, work, get my homework completed in a timely manner and manage to get decent grades in college? My grades are extremely important to me, but so is my home and family life. I am always anxious which makes it hard to relax and sleep, causing me to never feel like I am maximizing my ability to the upmost potential. What can I do to reduce all of this psychological stress?

Psychological StressHow we define psychological stress and the effects?

oWHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS?

• An individual reaction to demands from the self or from other individuals.• The mind causes tension due to the inability of a person to deal effectively with these expectations.

EFFECTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STESS…

• Leads to worry, fear, anxiety and depression

Psychological StressTreating psychological stress

Counseling- enable, empower and teach positive and healthy reactions

Relaxation training – deep concentration, mental focus, breathing, etc.

Cognitive Therapy techniques – learn how to examine what is important and prioritize

- What needs to change?

Psychological StressResiliency in psychological stress

SMALL WINS STRATEGY

• Working for incremental accomplishment rather than trying to hit a home run.

• Setting small concrete goals, so you can enjoy visible success.

o High confidenceo Excitemento Optimistico Will motivate you to accomplish another small

win

Psychological StressResiliency in psychological stress

DEEP RELAXATIONS STRATEGIES

• Meditation

• Yoga

• Autogenic training

• Self- hypnosis

• Regular practice of these techniques will provide

conditioning

• to your body to inhibit the negative effects of stress.

Social StressEliminating stressors in:

Social StressScenario: Change in scenery…

You have accepted a move to another state for that perfect job. You are leaving the only place you have ever lived with your parents and friends living only minutes away. The company will pay for your move but there are still so many details you still need to work through before the move. Even though everyone is being supportive about your new job there is a lot of tension about living hundreds of miles away. Your perfect job starts and you notice your subordinates keep their distance and turn away when you walk by. Not only are you dealing with all of the hassles involved with moving like hooking up utilities, unpacking and learning you way around a new city: your furniture arrives damaged, it took you 30 minutes to find the grocery store that was 5 minutes away and you still cannot find the post office. You miss your friends and family and old co-workers. Leaving your strong social network behind was much more difficult than you expected and you wonder if you made the right decision. How do you cope with the stress?

Social StressMethods of combating social stress

• Develop a new social support network by getting involved in your new community. Join a gym or find a local sports league to join or even find a local charity organization that suits you.

• Keep in touch and show your family how much you appreciate them and how important they are to you.

• Keep a positive outlook and celebrate the small wins in life.

• Take time to learn about yourself and cope with the strong emotions you are feeling.

Social StressMethods of combating social stress continued…

• Find a support group for people who are going through a similar experience. • Use Humor to release stress hormone levels and keep things in prospective.• Create an open and friendly support system for coworkers so they feel like they can turn to you when necessary. • Avoid people who are non-supportive; make sure they reduce and not increase your stress.• Be proactive and make the first move to keep in touch. • Keeping family and friends close for support and keeping bonds are important for getting past stress.• Stay proactive, open minded and take the initiative to make new friends and work relationships.

Social StressBenefits of eliminating social stress

• Helps to develop skills in problem solving and communication

• Learn how to manage your emotions

• Gives you a sense of belonging

• Rely on others and yourself

• To view yourself in a positive manner

Conclusion• Stress can play a huge role in the quality of one’s career, as well as one’s life.

• The amount of physiological, psychological, and social stress that a person deals with on a daily basis can significantly impact a person’s performance as a manager and leader in the workforce.

• Resiliency is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone.

• Managing stress is managing life. Managing life is managing stress.

• Use what you have learned in this class to deal with your own stress!

Stress reduction = Life-long success!

Stress ResourcesUseful information on stress

• http://www.stresscure.com/health/stresscv.html

• http://www.worldheart.org/cardiovascular-health/cardiovascular-disease risk factors/stress/

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/290689.stm

• http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4488

• http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what some specific stress reduction methods 000031 7.htm

• http://www.apahelpcenter.org/dl/the road to resilience.pdf

• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/social-support/SR00033

• http://www.medicinenet.com/stress_management_techniques/page4.htm