Stress Management

Understanding Stress

StressWhat is stress?

It’s the spice of life or the kiss of death depending on how we cope with it. Stress gives us the means to express our talents and energies and pursue happiness; it can also cause exhaustion and illness, nervous breakdowns, heart attacks, accidents. Strictly speaking, stress is simply the body’s non-specific response to any demand made on it, and is not necessarily synonymous with nervous tension or anxiety….

AnxietyAnxiety or tension is a feeling of apprehension or fear that lingers. The source for this uneasiness is not always known or recognized which adds to the distress: "Everything stresses me out.“ "I am always worried."Fundamentally, it is not the quality or intensity of the events that counts. What matters is not what happens to us, but the way we take it.Judge how you are taking the stress in your life at any particular moment; if there are too many signs of distress in your feelings or behavior, there are various little tricks to minimize these

Tips to Reduce Stress

Organize your life:¨ Manage your time¨ Make to do lists

¨ Plan ahead¨ Set mini goals¨ Learn to Plan

Practice Relaxation:¨ Meditation

¨ Deep Breathing¨ Get a Massage¨ Visualization¨ Take a Bath

¨ Try saying the Serenity Prayer

Stretch¨ Stand up and reach

up¨ Neck stretch: roll

your head in a half circle,starting at one

side, then droppingyour chin to yourchest, then to the

other side¨ Watch a cat stretch

and do the same

Take a break¨ Breath deeply¨ Sit back and

relax¨ Do something you

love¨ Read a good book

¨ Change yoursurroundings

¨ Learn to Play

Communicate:¨ Express your

emotions¨ Talk to a friend

¨ Eliminate negativetalk

¨ Cry¨ Laugh

Other stress management tips:

¨ Learn to live one day at a time¨ Improve your appearance¨ Do something for someone else (volunteer

work)¨ Allow yourself private time everyday¨ Learn to forgive and forget¨ Watch a good movie¨ Listen too your favorite music¨ Eat well¨ Be a positive person¨ Avoid unnecessary competition

Anxiety Exercises1. What is your definition of anxiety?

2. Write five examples of how students who cope with anxiety in positive waysmight feel, think, and work toward successfully completing their coursework.

3. Write five examples of how students who cope with anxiety in negative ways might feel, think, and work towards successfully completing their coursework.

Analyzing anxiety:

1. Have you ever gotten so stressed on a test that you forgot the material youknew?

2. Do you have problems with worrying about how you will do even before you take a test?

3. Do you ever feel like you are getting so much pressure from others that youcan’t concentrate on your coursework?

4. Are you easily discouraged about your grades?

Your personal reactions to anxiety:For one full week, record moments when you feel anxiety. Where were you (in class, at work), what was the situation (were you being called on in class, ice breaker during an extracurricular activity, at work), why did you feel anxious, how did you react physically (did your stomach hurt, did you shake, palms sweat)? How does anxiety influence your attitude or behavior? (do you get angry with yourself; do you have an attitude with other people?) What are some techniques for dealing with each situation?

Then plan to use some relaxation technique the next time you encounter these situations. With a little planning you will be able to anticipate and, therefore, better manage your anxiety. These two questions should help you get started:

1. I usually feel anxious when:

2. I notice when I am anxious I see these changes in myself:

Better Sleep GuideWe all have too much to do, recharge yourself by getting a good night’s sleep. The quality and quantity of your sleep can make all the difference in how productive you’ll be the next day.

Tips to get the a good sleep1. Give yourself “permission” to go to bed. As hard as it may be to put away your “to

do” list, make sleep a “priority,” You’ll thank yourself in the morning.

2. Unwind early in the evening. Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before bedtime.

3. Develop a sleep ritual. Doing the same things each night just before bed signals your body to settle down for the night.

4. Keep regular hours. Keep your biological clock in check by going to bed around the same time each morning – even on weekends.

5. Make your bedroom a Sleep Haven. Create a restful place to sleep. Sleep in a moderate (temperature not too hot or too cold), dark room that is free from noises that may disturb your sleep. Make sure the mattress and foundation meet your needs for both comfort and support.

6. Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. It’s difficult tosleep on a bed that’s too small, too soft, too hard, or too old.

7. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help relieve daily tension and stress – but don’t exercise too close to bedtime or you may have trouble falling asleep.

Tips to get the a good sleep8. Cut down on stimulants. Consuming stimulants, such as caffeine, in the evening can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

9. Don’t smoke. Smokers take longer to fall asleep and wake up more often during the night.

10. Reduce alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol shortly before bedtime interrupts and fragments sleep.

11. Exercise. Sometimes exercise an hour or two before bed can relieve you from the stress gained throughout the day. It not only is healthy for you, but can help you rest better.

12. Journal. Keep a journal of the day’s activities, highlighting challenging moments of the day and developing strategies on how to handle such situations in the future. Also discuss the lessons learned from both positive and negative interactions with other people, noting blessings also.

13. Herbal tea. There are several brands of non-caffeine herbal teas available in your local grocers that are natural sleep aids.

Relaxation TechniquesThe information below briefly describes several relaxation techniques. To learn more about these relaxation techniques, please visit the LAC Blackboard website, which has links to various websites.

1.Meditation: this technique involves focusing on something unchanging (such as a spot on the wall) or something repetitive (such as repeating a word – a mantra). Then you realize your mind has wandered, merely return to repeating the word.

2. Imagery: Imagery can be guided or unguided. When guided, someone else determines which image you should keep in mind when trying to relax. When unguided, you decide what image would be relaxing. If possible, it is best to choose your own image since you have a better idea of what you find relaxing than does someone else. Some images people generally find relaxing are sunshine warming the body, a day at the beach, a rippling lake, a walk in the woods, the surf rolling on the shore, birds flying through the air, a carpeted room warmed by a fire, and a sailboat floating on the water.

Relaxation Techniques3. Autogenic Training: Autogenic training requires you to

imagine your arms and legs feel heavy, warm and tingly. By doing this, blood flow increases to these body parts due to a dilation (widening) of blood vessels in the arms and legs. This is part of the relaxation response. After the body is relaxed this way, the mind is calmed by adding images of relaxing scenes. Imagery that is part of autogenic training is called autogenic mediation.

4. Progressive Relaxation: Progressive relaxation teaches the sensation of muscular contraction by focusing attention on the feeling of the muscles as they are tensed throughout the body. It then teaches the sensation to your more tense parts. The relaxed sensation can be imagined to be a warm ball that travels to various bodily locations warming and relaxing them.

5. Diaphragmatic Breathing: Relaxed breathing occurs as a result of the diaphragm expanding, as opposed to stressful breathing that is a function of the chest expanding. Relaxed breathing is called Diaphragmatic Breathing. To try Diaphragmatic Breathing, lie on your back and place your hands on your abdomen. As you breathe you should feel your abdomen riseand your chest remain fairly stable.

Relaxation Techniques6. Quieting Reflex: With practice, this technique is said to relax a

person in just six seconds. The Quieting Reflex is done as follows:

o Think about something that makes you afraid or anxious.

o Smile inside. This breaks up the anxious facial muscle tension.

o Tell yourself, “I can keep a calm body in an alert mind.”

o Let your jaw go loose as you exhale, keeping your lower and upper teeth slightly apart.

o Imagine heaviness and warmth moving throughout your body, from head to toe.

Relaxation Techniques7. Instant Calming Sequence: Another relaxation technique said

to take just seconds to elicit the relaxation response is the Instant Calming Sequence.

Step 1: Uninterrupted Breathing. In the face of the stressor, keep breathing smoothly, deeply and evenly.

Step 2: Positive Face. Flash a slight smile as soon as you recognize you are being stressed.

Step 3: Balanced Posture. Keep your chest high, your head up, neck long, chin in, and in other ways balanced. Imagine being lifted from a hook at the top of your head.

Step 4: Bathe in a Wave of Relaxation. “Imagine you’re standing under a waterfall that washes away your tension.”

Step 5: Acknowledge Reality. Face your causes of stress head-on. Don’t try to deny it or wish that it hadn’t happened. Think: “This is real. I can handle it. I’m finding the best possible way to cope right now.”

Step 6: Reassert Control. Instead of fretting about how the stressor had robbed you of control, focus on what you can control and take appropriate action. Also, think clear-headed, honest thoughts instead of distorted ones.

Take the Stress Test

Do any of these apply to you?

Work Load

1. Always too much work; never able to relax

2. High Pressure periods; deadlines, test come all at once

3. One or two difficult courses take all my time; no time left for anything else

4. Efforts often seem for nothing – Don’t get satisfying results

5. Seems like I have a lot more work than roommate, friends

6. I have to work harder than roommate and friends to get the same results

7. My job takes up too much time; I can’t afford to cut back

8. My stress is complicated by commitments I can’t get out of

If you said yes to many work stressors…

…you might consider one of the following:

• Consult with a counselor about time management and/or priority setting

• Seek out a tutor or other study skills help

• Talk to the career center about work style

People1. Tension with family, friends or

romantic partner2. Incompatibility with roommate’s

habits, schedule, lifestyle3. Change in relationship; love

lost/gained new romantic partner4. Death of a close friend or family

member

5. Parents divorce, separation or conflicts. Adjustment to parents new partner.

6. Interpersonal conflict; trouble expressing needs or standing up for rights

7. Reluctant to ask for help8. Trouble saying no

If you said yes to many people stressors…

…you might consider one of the following:

• Talk to a friend, RA or counselor about the problem

• Go to a program on assertiveness training and/or conflict

• Take an interpersonal communication class

Mind1. Worry about what people think?2. More time spent thinking about what

can go wrong than what can go right3. More time spent thinking about what

DID go wrong than where you can go from here

4. No time to think, always having to do

5. Motivation problems, difficulty getting started

6. Tendency to get too worked up when under pressure or in a crisis

7. Tendency to get down, dwell on how bad things are

8. Often feel guilty

If you said yes to many mind stressors…

…you are experiencing a lot of internally generated stress.

• Information or counseling on self talk, irrational beliefs and reinterpretation might be a good place to start.

Body1. Insufficient sleep2. Frequent colds, sickness3. Negative effects from caffeine,

nicotine, alcohol, etc.4. Uncomfortable chair, poor

posture, excessive time hunched over book or computer.

5. Eye Strain (wrong glasses, poor lighting, computer screen overload)

6. Inadequate nutrition, missed meals, reliance on junk food

7. Lack of exercise8. Aversive environment

If you said yes to many body stressors…

…then try the following:

- Exercise regularly- Choose healthy foods- Change your environment (lighting,

space, etc.)- Reduce or eliminate caffeine, nicotine

and alcohol intake- Get enough sleep

So…

What can you do to alleviate excessive

stress?

Become Aware of Your Stressors and Emotional and Physical Reactions

- Notice when you are stressed, don’t ignore it

- Find out what stresses you out and what they might be telling you

- Learn how it affects your body (sweats, stomach ache, etc)

Recognize what you can change

• Can you change your stressors by avoiding or eliminating them?

• Can you reduce their intensity (manage them over time instead of immediately)

• Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break, leave)

• Can you devote the time necessary to make a change?

Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions

• Are you expecting to please everyone?• Are you overreacting and viewing things

as absolutely critical and urgent?Work at adopting moderate views, see

stress as something you can cope with, not something that overpowers you

Do not labor on the negative and/or the “what ifs”

Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress

Slow, deep breathing will bring your heart rate and respiration back to normal

Relaxation techniques can reduce muscle tension.

Medications, when prescribed by a physician can help in the short term.

Build your physical reserves.

• Exercise for cardiovascular fitness 3 – 4 times a week

• Eat well-balanced, nutritious meals• Maintain your ideal weight• Avoid nicotine, excessive caffeine and

other stimulants• Mix leisure with work. Take breaks and

get away.• Get enough sleep. Be consistent with

your sleep schedule.

Maintain your emotional reserves

Develop mutually supportive friendships/relationships.

Pursue realistic goals which are meaningful to you, rather than goals other have for you that you do not share.

Expect some frustrations, failures and sorrows.

Always be kind and gentle with yourself – be a friend to yourself.

Eliminating Stress From Your Environment

• A poorly organized living space can be a major source of stress.

• If your environment is well organized and pleasant, then it can help to reduce stress and increase productivity.

• Some people under stress need a calm environment, others may enjoy the raised levels of arousal associated with the 'buzz' of a busy space.

To improve air quality:

• Ban smoking • Open windows • Use an ioniser• Have plants in the room.

• Bad lighting can cause eye strain and increase fatigue, as can light that is too bright, or light that shines directly into your eyes. Fluorescent lighting can also be tiring. What you may not appreciate is that the quality of light may also be important.

• Try experimenting with working by a window or using full spectrum bulbs in your desk lamp. You will probably find that this improves the quality of your working environment.

Decoration and Tidiness

• A chaotic and cluttered living or work space adds to stress.

• Don’t be dogmatic, but keep the area you are working in free of clutter.

• Have calming and happy decorations.

Large amounts of background noise during the day can cause irritability, tension and headaches in addition to loss of concentration.

Solutions:

use of quiet rooms when concentration is needed

Use earplugsTry a pleasantly assertive approach. Ask that

music is turned down or that the person use headphones

It is important for people to feel that they have sufficient personal space at work and at home.

Where no personal space is available, then you can establish some feeling of ownership by bringing personal objects such as small plants or photographs of loved-ones.

Block off a space using furniture, sheet or divider when you need some space.

• The essence of meditation is to quiet your thoughts by focusing completely on just one thing.

• Unlike hypnosis, which is more of a passive experience, meditation is an active process which seeks to exclude outside thoughts by concentrating all mental faculties on the subject of meditation.

• Keep your body relaxed. It should be in a position that you can comfortably sustain for a period of time (20 - 30 minutes is ideal).

• Focus your attention on your breathing. • Concentrate on breaths in and out. Count your

breaths using the numbers 0 to 9. • Visualize images of the numbers changing with

each breath. • Alternatively, visualize health and relaxation

flowing into your body when you inhale, and stress or pain flowing out when you exhale.

Focusing on an object• Completely focus attention on

examination of an object. • Look at it in immense detail for

the entire meditation. Examine the shape, color differences, texture, temperature and movement of the object.

• Objects often used are flowers, or flowing designs. However you can use other objects equally effectively (e.g. alarm clocks, desk lamps, or even coffee mugs!)

Some people like to focus on sounds. The classic example is the Sanskrit word 'Om', meaning 'perfection'.

Create a mental image of a pleasant and relaxing place in your mind.

Involve all your senses in the imagery: see the place, hear the

sounds, smell the aromas, feel the temperature and the movement of

the wind. Enjoy the location in your mind.