STRESS MANAGEMENT

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STRESS MANAGEMENT

• A Presentation of the Alabama Mental Health
  Counselors Association
• www.almhca.com
• Compiled by Anita Neuer, MA, LPC and Gary
  Williams, Ed.S., LPC
• TODAYS PRESENTER (Enter Your Name Here)

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What is Stress?

• A basic human survival mechanism left over from
  our primordial 'roots' when we could best respond
  to perceived dangers by either fighting or
  fleeing
• The body's non-specific (physical and
  biochemical) response to stressors

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What is Stress?

• Long-Term consequences of being
• too stressed for too long
• Digestion
• Reproduction
• Inhibited growth
• Inhibited tissue repair
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Heart disease (a leading cause of death)
• Kidney disease

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What is Stress?

• Any change requiring you to adapt
• Unavoidable and Necessary
• Stress can be POSITIVE!
• a source of high energy and increased awareness
• Some stress actually improves performance, but
  too much stress impedes performance

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Stress vs. Stressor

• Stressors
• Stress

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What can I do about STRESS??

• Separate your self from the stressor
• Acknowledge the difference between what you think
  and how you feel
• Get clear about what you can control and what is
  beyond your control
• Adopt healthy coping strategies for in the
  moment and healthy lifestyle choices to minimize
  effects of stress

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Stress-Reducing Tips

• BREATHE!!
• When youre stressed, you tend to breathe from
  your chest in short, shallow breaths. Take a
  break, get quiet somewhere and breathe deeply,
  from your diaphragm.
• Use bubbles to practice good and healthy
  breathing they help you control your breathing,
  and you cant stay mad while you blow a bubble!

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Stress-Reducing Tips

• TREAT YOURSELF RIGHT
• Eat right, exercise enough, take time each day to
  be alone with your thoughts, get enough sleep
• LET OTHERS DO THEIR OWN THING
• You are not the general manager of the universe,
  so relax! Celebrate the different ways there are
  to do things.

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Stress-Reducing Tips

• GET ORGANIZED
• If you are too busy to put things away so youll
  be able to find them next time, consider cutting
  your obligations in half
• LIVE IN THE PRESENT
• Keep your mind where your body is
• Be like a kid yesterday was a million years
  ago, and tomorrow is far, far away

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Stress-Reducing Tips

• MONITOR YOUR SELF-TALK
• Get rid of your musts, shoulds, and oughts
• Entertain the possibility that whoever just did
  something hurtful to you didnt do it with
  harmful intention
• Allow for the fact that were all human and we
  all mess upno one is perfect!

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Stress-Reducing Tips

• HELP OTHERS
• Getting too wrapped up in yourself can lead to
  stress
• When you volunteer time to help a chemotherapy
  patient, your bad hair day begins to look
  fairly minor
• LAUGH
• Use the secret of stand-up comicsbe bigger than
  your problems by finding the lighter side of
  them.
• Laughter releases feel good chemicals in your
  body

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Stress-Reducing Tips

• GIVE PEOPLE A BREAK
• When you see someone doing something weird or
  strange, just tell yourself hes having a bad day
  instead of condemning him.
• We can all benefit by some increased patience and
  tolerance!

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Stress-Reducing Tips

• USE DIFFERENT WORDS
• Take a positive approach by describing things in
  a more positive manner
• problem vs. opportunity, deadline vs. finish
  line, need vs. want, should have vs. next time

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Stress-Reducing Tips

• REMEMBER THAT OTHER PEOPLE AND THINGS CAN NEVER
  MAKE YOU ANGRY---
  ONLY YOUR MIND CAN DO THAT!
• Blame your thinking, not things, for your stress
• With enough practice, you CAN change your thoughts

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Commit to Baby Steps

• What is one thing that you can start doing
  differently today to reduce your stress?
• What is one different thing you can start doing
  today to reduce your stress?

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THANK YOU!!!!

• Remember to take care of yourself, no matter what
  else is going on in your life
• Dont be afraid to get professional help if you
  need itcounseling can help you bring your life
  back into balance, enhance your sense of hope and
  joy, and increase the quality of your
  relationships with others!