CHP 3 Stress Management Stress Response of the body to any demands made upon it Stressor Agents or situations that cause stress response in the body either positive or negative Eustress Positive stress that stimulates proper function Births or weddings Distress Negative stress resulting in illness Categories of Stressors Acute time limited o Situations that cause anxiety o Public speaking or working under pressure Brief naturalistic o Serious challenges o Taking SAT or project deadlines Stressful event sequences o Difficult consequences of traumatic occurrence o Death of loved one or loss of house from hurricane Chronic Distant o Ongoing demands caused by life changes o Permanent disabilities from accident or caring for a disabled parent o Traumatic experiences from past that have psychological impact o Child abuse or war combat o Biological o Striving to maintain or restore homeostasis stability through adaptive response o 3 stages Stress Theories General Adaptation Syndrome Alarm Resistance Exhaustion Cognitive Transactional Model o Nonbiological o Stress is a relationship between demands and the power to work through them without destructive or unreasonable means Stress Models Life events model o 300 life change units in a year o More likely to suffer serious health problems o Scale to evaluate stress levels and potential for coping Diathesis stress model o Certain stressors have different effects on different people because people vary in predispositions or vulnerabilities o The greater one is vu o Theory explaining behavior as a result of nature and nurture o More vulnerable the less environmental stress is required to cause problems Effects of Stress Physically Digestive system slows down o Can cause mouth ulcers or cold sores Heart rate increases and raise in blood pressure o Increases potential of blood clots and heart attack o Weakens heart muscle Adrenal glands produce stress hormones o Can increase abdominal fat o Increases glucose production in liver with possibility of renal hypertension o Increased vulnerability to colds and respiratory infections Skin problems Breath quickens Slower immune system Upset stomachs Reproductive system Muscle tension Brain becomes more alert o Period disorders in women or premature ejaculation in men o Stress hormones affect memory and kill neurons o Headaches o Depression o Disrupted sleep Severe emotional distress causes DNA to speed up aging by shortening telomeres Cortisol Stress hormone o Causes excessive fat and heightens likelihood of diabetes and stroke Effects of Stress Psychological Defense mechanisms o Mental processes to help cope Denial Displacement Projection Rationalization Repression College Stress Girls report more stress than men o Tend and befriend Seeking help from other females o Men fight or flight More likely to turn to alcohol lifestyle Minority students o Greater stress due to acculturation o Racism and discrimination Personal Stressors o Economic job stress o Genders respond differently and cope differently and have differences in hormones and Survivor s Guilt Remaining workers see coworkers get fired leave Unemployment High psychological demands combined with low control over one s job Burning out State of physical and mental exhaustion due to constant pressure o Societal stressors Worrying about respect from peers Worry over terrorism or war o School Which college to attend or which classes to take Learning disabilities Affect 1 out of 10 Americans o People react by hitting kicking screaming swearing don t deal with cause of anger they Anger Epidemic o Road rage o Three culprits Time Technology Tension just feel more angry Stress in US o Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people examine negative thoughts challenge them or rewrite negative thinking 1 in 5 Americans feel extreme stress Managing Stress Cognitive restructuring Journaling Physical activity Progressive relaxation Visualization o Intentionally increasing then decreasing tension in muscles o Guided imagery o Create mental visuals that calm body down o Obtaining info about physiological activity that occurs Biofeedback Meditation o Activates sections of brain in charge of nervous system o Mindfulness Awareness emerging from paying attention in the present to experiences happening moment by moment Includes greater self compassion and decreased fear of emotions like worry or anger and decreased absent mindedness o Union of mind body and spirit o Eases conditions like lower back pain migraines asthma and hypertension Yoga Trauma and Stress 1 2 of people experience at least one traumatic event 20 30 experience serious reactions but most cope well and fully recover Coping strategies o Talk o Help others o Do something productive o Take a break o Take care of self PTSD o Mental response to out of ordinary stressors captivity combat etc o Twice as common in women than men o Vets Increased chance of heart disease and lowered impulse control o Symptoms fear insomnia drug and alcohol abuse o Treatments behavioral cognitive medication and therapy Thriving Life challenges can increase mental toughness and build resilience Enable one to thrive o Optimistic attitude o Self efficacy o Spirituality o Personal relationships Time Management Lack of organization and time adds stress Timesickness Nerve racking feeling of life being endless to do list Steps to improve o Schedule your time o Develop plans o Identify time takers o Make most of classes o Develop good study style o Focus on task at hand o Keep workspace in order o Overcome procrastination 3 most common types Putting off unpleasantries putting off difficult tasks putting off hard decisions Do what is least liked first build time into schedule for interruptions establish ground rules for meeting needs learn to focus and just do what needs to be done Symptoms of poor time management o Rushing o Inability to make decisions o Fatigue o Missed deadlines at constant rate o Sense of overwhelment by demands and details