Interventions in Interventions in Stress ManagementStress Management

Chapter 4Chapter 4

What is an intervention?What is an intervention?

► Intervention – an activity that prevents Intervention – an activity that prevents a stressor/stressors from resulting in a stressor/stressors from resulting in negative consequencesnegative consequences

►What might “negative consequences” What might “negative consequences” be?be?

The Negative Consequences are The Negative Consequences are the things that result from the things that result from

Selye’s Stage of Exhaustion, Selye’s Stage of Exhaustion, which are?which are?

►Psychological discomfortPsychological discomfort►AnxietyAnxiety►Various types of illness and disease Various types of illness and disease

(malnutrition, heart disease, ulcers, (malnutrition, heart disease, ulcers, etc.)etc.)

►What might some other negative What might some other negative consequences be?consequences be?

When is a stressor a When is a stressor a stressor?stressor?

Cognitive AppraisalCognitive Appraisal

►A stressor is only a stressor if it is A stressor is only a stressor if it is perceived as such and causes the perceived as such and causes the physiological arousal of a stress physiological arousal of a stress response (fight or flight)response (fight or flight)

►The process of perceiving and The process of perceiving and interpreting a stressor is called interpreting a stressor is called Cognitive AppraisalCognitive Appraisal

Example of Cognitive Example of Cognitive AppraisalAppraisal

►What might be a potential stressor?What might be a potential stressor?

►Likely response?Likely response?

►Alternative response(s)?Alternative response(s)?

► IT IS YOUR DECISION WHETHER OR IT IS YOUR DECISION WHETHER OR NOT A LIFE SITUATION IS GOING TO BE NOT A LIFE SITUATION IS GOING TO BE STRESSFUL OR NOT!!STRESSFUL OR NOT!!

Stress ModelStress Model

►Life situation is presentedLife situation is presented►Perceived as STRESSFULPerceived as STRESSFUL►Emotional arousalEmotional arousal►Physiological arousalPhysiological arousal►Consequences (mentioned earlier)Consequences (mentioned earlier)

ROADBLOCKS!ROADBLOCKS!

► INTERVENTION involves setting up INTERVENTION involves setting up “roadblocks” within the steps of the “roadblocks” within the steps of the stress modelstress model

Roadblocks act as FILTERSRoadblocks act as FILTERS

►Life situation (Roadblock)Life situation (Roadblock)►Perception/Cognitive Appraisal yields Perception/Cognitive Appraisal yields

stress (Roadblock)stress (Roadblock)►Emotional arousal (Roadblock)Emotional arousal (Roadblock)►Physiological arousal (Roadblock)Physiological arousal (Roadblock)►Consequences (Roadblock)Consequences (Roadblock)

REMEMBER…REMEMBER…

► It is not possible, or even desirable, to It is not possible, or even desirable, to ELIMINATE all stress.ELIMINATE all stress.

►The goal is stress management The goal is stress management through modifying perception through modifying perception (cognitive appraisal) AND the use of (cognitive appraisal) AND the use of “roadblocks” in order to replace “roadblocks” in order to replace DISTRESS with EUSTRESS.DISTRESS with EUSTRESS.

EUSTRESSEUSTRESS

►Stress yields PERSONAL GROWTH Stress yields PERSONAL GROWTH (eustress) Example?(eustress) Example?

►Stress leads to BENEFICIAL/POSITIVE Stress leads to BENEFICIAL/POSITIVE BEHAVIOR (eustress) Example?BEHAVIOR (eustress) Example?

►Stress encourages PEAK Stress encourages PEAK PERFORMANCE (eustress) Example?PERFORMANCE (eustress) Example?

TAKING CONTROL AND TAKING CONTROL AND RESPONSIBILITYRESPONSIBILITY

►Defensive, Explanations, Excuses, etc.Defensive, Explanations, Excuses, etc.

►When we respond in these ways, what When we respond in these ways, what are we doing?are we doing?

ROADBLOCKS (skills and ROADBLOCKS (skills and techniques)techniques)

►My frustration…My frustration…

►Subjectivity and IndividualizationSubjectivity and Individualization

►Trial and ErrorTrial and Error

►Empowerment and ChangeEmpowerment and Change

Life Situation Interventions: Life Situation Interventions: INTRAPERSONALINTRAPERSONAL

Chapter 5Chapter 5

What does “intrapersonal” What does “intrapersonal” mean?mean?

ESTABLISHING INTERVENTIONSESTABLISHING INTERVENTIONS

►First is gaining SELF-AWARENESS First is gaining SELF-AWARENESS regarding our patterns of stress regarding our patterns of stress managementmanagement

► Journaling (see pg. 74)Journaling (see pg. 74)

ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY STRESSORSSTRESSORS

►Through examining our behavior/stress Through examining our behavior/stress management PATTERNS, we can begin to management PATTERNS, we can begin to see what stressors can be EASILY see what stressors can be EASILY REMOVED.REMOVED.

►Examples of something “easily Examples of something “easily removed”?removed”?

►What might we need to be aware of What might we need to be aware of regarding…?regarding…?

NUTRITIONNUTRITION

►An unbalanced diet can lead to An unbalanced diet can lead to decreased stress management decreased stress management capacities and potentially result in capacities and potentially result in disease (book describes cancer and disease (book describes cancer and heart disease) heart disease)

NUTRITION cont.NUTRITION cont.

►Pseudostressors or SympathomimeticsPseudostressors or Sympathomimetics

►Examples of pseudostressors?Examples of pseudostressors?

►Balanced Diet (remember…)Balanced Diet (remember…)

Vitamin – Stress CycleVitamin – Stress Cycle

►Stress => Depletion of Vitamins B and CStress => Depletion of Vitamins B and C

►Depletion of B & C => anxiety, Depletion of B & C => anxiety, depression, insomnia, muscle weakness, depression, insomnia, muscle weakness, and/or stomach problemsand/or stomach problems

►Depletion also => less production of Depletion also => less production of stress-fighting adrenal hormones => stress-fighting adrenal hormones =>

►BODY LESS CAPABLE OF RELIEVING BODY LESS CAPABLE OF RELIEVING STRESSSTRESS

►What is the point here?What is the point here?

SUGARSUGAR

►Consumption of sugar=>Consumption of sugar=>

►Body needs Vitamin B to break down Body needs Vitamin B to break down sugar=>sugar=>

►Less stress-fighting adrenal Less stress-fighting adrenal hormones=>hormones=>

►What?What?

SALTSALT

►Consumption of Salt=>Consumption of Salt=>

►Water Retention=>Water Retention=>

►Higher Blood Pressure=>Higher Blood Pressure=>

►Potentially Less Stress Resistance and Potentially Less Stress Resistance and Greater Risk of Health ProblemsGreater Risk of Health Problems

NUTRITIONNUTRITION

►What is the point?What is the point?

ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY STRESSORSSTRESSORS

►Noise can raise blood pressure, Noise can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate, and cause muscle increase heart rate, and cause muscle tension (what is white noise?)tension (what is white noise?)

►Life Events (perception-what about it?; Life Events (perception-what about it?; social support; Life-Events Scale on pg. social support; Life-Events Scale on pg. 83-85)83-85)

►Hassles (everyday-what do we know?; Hassles (everyday-what do we know?; Scale on pg. 90 & 91; identify & Scale on pg. 90 & 91; identify & eliminate)eliminate)

DISCUSSION TOPIC (time DISCUSSION TOPIC (time permitting)permitting)

►What impact does the media have on What impact does the media have on our perceptions of weight, nutrition, our perceptions of weight, nutrition, beauty, etc.?beauty, etc.?

Finishing TouchesFinishing Touches

►Group Formation and activities on Group Formation and activities on Wed.Wed.

►Topics chosen on 9/19Topics chosen on 9/19

►Reminder for JournalingReminder for Journaling