Chapter 3: Personal Stress Management

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Chapter 3 Personal Stress Management

• An Invitation to Health Brief, 5th Edition
• Hales

Prepared by Jeanne Freeman, PhD, CHES
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What is Stress?

• Nonspecific response of the body to any demand
  made upon it
• Eustress
• Distress

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What Causes Stress?
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What Causes Stress?

• Relation between stress and health
• Impact of stress on health
• Impact of health on resistance or coping ability
• Perceived stress
• Stress and physical health
• Aging
• Endocrine system
• Brain function

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What Causes Stress?
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Stress on Campus

• Student reactions to stress
• Physical, Emotional, Behavioral, Cognitive
• Support network
• Friends and family
• Self-efficacy
• Diverse populations
• Gender differences

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Coping with stress

• Exercises to regain a sense of calm
• Breathing, Refocusing, Laughter, Spiritual
  coping, Exercise
• Common defense mechanisms
• Denial
• Displacement
• Projection
• Rationalization
• Reaction formation
• Repression

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Other Personal Stressors

• Relaxation techniques
• Progressive relaxation
• Visualization or guided imagery
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Biofeedback

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Stress and Psychological Health

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Resilience
• Optimistic attitude and self-efficacy
• Stress inoculation and spirituality
• Secure personal relationships
• Develop new skills and flexibility

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Organizing Your Time

• Symptoms of poor time management
• Rushing and fatigue
• Inability to make choices
• Missed deadlines
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Time management skills can be learned
• Procrastination