cqu student support centre stress management workshop

CQU STUDENT SUPPORT CENTRE

Stress Management Workshop

Past• How has stress affected you in the past? • (perhaps it sneaks up on you)• What triggered it? Name some of your common stress

triggers.• How have you managed it? Think about your emotions

as well as your actions.• We are often reactive – anger, panic, withdrawal – not

proactive.• Do you think you could have managed your stress better?• How?


Present

•What is stressing you now?

•How are you handling it?

•What can you do to help relieve some of this stress?

•What have you learnt from the past and present?


Future• What are some things that may stress you in the

future?

• With what you’ve learnt from the past and present, how can you prepare yourself?

• Prevention is better than repair.

• Manage your future by managing stress.


Positive Stress

• Stress in moderation

• Alert, enrich your life

• A challenge/excitement


Negative Stress

• Excessive Stress

• Your enemy, crowds your life

• Makes you feel lousy


3 Categories of Stress1. Physical

Illness Violence Environmental conditions, eg. Cold

2. Psychological (emotional) Frustration Anxiety about the future (something that

does not exist, only in our heads) Our own standards Guilt Fear


Categories of Stress continued:

3. Lifestyle-related (behavioural) • high pressure occupations

Drug/alcohol abuse Taking on too much


Comparison

• Compare the pain from a broken limb and pain of stress.A broken limb is painful

You can see it The cause is easy to identify Other people give you sympathy Other people are curious and interested In fact it is a bit of a novelty and people sign the cast


Comparison

The pain of stress

Often opposite to the above It is invisible Sometimes hard to identify the source You have to cope with it usually on your own Time alone will not heal it No one will fix it for you – it is your responsibility You need to be proactive in your management of

stress.


So what are some Stressors or Triggers?

1. Change – having control over our lives is difficult with the continual change all around us.

2. Insecure jobs.3. Insecure relationships.4. Longer working hours.5. More expected of us at work.6. Money concerns.7. World problems.


So what are some Stressors or Triggers?

8. Responsibility for much but often we feel powerless.

9. Guilt – “if only’s” tie us into knots.10. Negative self talk – robs you of

motivation and enmeshes you in painful emotions.

11. Criticisms Research shows that most parents give 10

criticisms for every 1 complement to children High school teachers 18:1 Bosses – ranges from 10:1 to 4:1


• Minor issues turn into major issues if you are already stressed.

• Sometimes you have little room left to take any more – and you could possibly explode.


Stress Chemicals

• Hormones released (cortisol & epinephrine) in stressful events can spark your body into storing more body fat as if the body is preparing for a famine.

• Adrenalin in moderate quantities is good to keep us alert

• High levels of adrenalin and cortisol restricts memory, concentration and clear thinking

• Result: more stress, confusion and panic CQU STUDENT SUPPORT CENTRE

Stress Spiral

Negative Behaviouralchoice

Physicalreaction

IncreasedNegativethoughts

Negativethoughts

STRESSORPositive Behavioural choice


Stress Spiral

Don’t sit exam,Stop studying

Headache, panic,Feel sick, sweating

I’m uselessI’m worthless

I’m going toFail; not do

well

EXAMPositive coping strategies


Techniques Which Deceive

• Tea & coffee do not help because they are stimulants not relaxers (caffeine & nicotine).

• Poor posture inhibits proper breathing, which in turn decreases energy.

• Studies show that if you watch TV for more than 2 hours, your mood will actually sink.


The Stress Resistant Person

• Takes personal control and responsibility over events in their lives.

• Is proactive more than reactive.• Is committed to a goal.• Uses few substances or chemicals.• Is active.• Has strong social bonds with other people.


Prevention Techniques

• Organise to avoid stress (list some things on your mind) What is urgent? What is important? What can be put off? What is unimportant? (can be ignored)

• The future is important but not urgent.• The present contain all four categories.• The past contains the important and unimportant.

They are there only to assist us to learn from our past experiences.

• PRIORITISE.CQU STUDENT SUPPORT CENTRE

Preparation• Make a list of your common stressors.• Now number them from worst to least stressful.• Next, close your eyes and imaging your least stressful

event. Make it a vivid scene. Hold it for 30-40secs.• Now Practise a relaxation or coping skill.• Work your way up through the list but do not do more

than 3 at a time.• Practise.• If you know something is going to occur in the future

that will stress you, imagine it and then use your coping skills.

• Ask yourself . . .CQU STUDENT SUPPORT CENTRE

Coping Strategies• What tools can you have on standby if

prevention doesn’t work?

• Have a cue word to relax. Have an image that means peace to you.

• There’s evidence that breathing/meditation/relaxation techniques helps to keep stress chemical levels down.


Coping Strategies

• Focus on what you can control.

• Listen for 1 extra minute before jumping in.

• Ask, “Will my reaction be worthwhile?”


Coping Strategies

• Divert your mind for a short time.• Physical activity assists you to manage stress

and helps you recover quicker.• Ask yourself, “Is the stressor worth dying for?”• Guilt – forgive yourself for not being perfect.• Try tensing your muscles more than they are.

If it is difficult then consciously relax each one.

• Stay in touch with people you care about.• Stop and phone a friend.


Self Talk•Recognise your self-defeating messages and change them.

•Treat your positive self talk as a coach.•When you begin negative self talk, stop what you are doing and consciously say something nice to yourself.

•Now do something that will make you feel a little better.


Strategies

• Laugh – it increases your immune system and eases pain – start a humour library.

• Sleep and stress do not mix. Keep all negatives and work out of the bedroom so that it means relaxation.

• Drink plenty of water to flush the excess stress chemicals.

• Breathing Technique – (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4) 4.


• Make a list of your common stressors.• Now number them from worst to least

stressful.• Next, close your eyes and imagining your

least stressful event. Make it a vivid scene. Hold it for 30-40 secs.

• Now practise a relaxation or coping skill.• Work your way up through the list but do not

do more than 3 at a time.• Practise.

Coping Strategies


• Think of something that has stressed you in the last week.

• What would have made it worse?• How are you feeling now with that thought?• Now think about the opposite of what made it

worse?• How are you feeling now?• How can you do that?

Often with stress we don’t think.Often with stress we don’t think.It is habitual, we freeze, we fear .It is habitual, we freeze, we fear .

““What I fear, I create”.What I fear, I create”.


Simple Hints to Help DE-STRESS

• Balance the amount of resources you have with your expectations of you

• Put a single flower in every room• Have a symbol that reminds you to be

positive• Open the curtains and let the outside in• Play your favourite uplifting music• A nice soak in the bath


Simple Hints continued:

• Have a shower imagining the water washing the stress away– Dry yourself vigorously with the towel to increase

circulation and energy– Gently pat yourself dry if relaxation is the goal

• Walk with your head straight and shoulders square

• Look around, be observant of your surroundings instead of focusing on you and your negative thoughts


Simple Hints continued:

• Highlight the positive things in your life– A beautiful sunset– Absorb the sun’s warmth on a Winter’s day– Enjoy the cool breeze on a Summer’s day– Appreciate a flower– Play with your children and your pets– Enjoy pleasant aromas– Connect with friends– Watch a comedy


4 Points to Feeling GOOD

• Straighten up

• Look up

• Think up

• Lighten up


cqu student support centre stress management workshop

Documents

positive stress stress

pain of stress

categories of stress

management of stress

common stress triggers

stress chemicals hormones

broken limb

painful emotions