Stress Management

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Stress Management

• Workshop V

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When is it time to ask for help?

• When you feel trapped, like there is
• nowhere else to turn.
• You worry excessively and cant
• concentrate.
• The way you feel affects your sleep,
• your eating habits, your job, your
• relationships, your everyday life.

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Possible Signs of Stress

• Migraine headaches
• Upset stomach
• High blood pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of appetite
• Frequent or lingering colds
• Acne/pimples
• Cold sores
• Dizziness
• Lack of energy
• Dryness of throat and mouth

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Mental or Emotional Problems

• Irritability
• No sense of humor
• Often on the verge of tears
• Crying spells
• Feeling that you cant cope
• Being suspicious of others
• Difficulty concentrating
• Making poor decisions
• Not being able to think
• Not being able to stay awake

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Behavioral Problems

• Sleeping badly
• Snapping or shouting at those around you
• Fiddling with your hair
• High-pitched or nervous laughter
• Trembling, shaking, excessive blinking
• Finding it difficult to talk to people
• Having trouble completing tasks
• Overeating
• Drinking, smoking more than usual
• Grinding the teeth or clenching the jaw

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Lifestyle Habits That Help Reduce Stress

• Dont take on more than you can handle. Try to
• complete one task at a time.
• Schedule quiet time and time for relaxation and
• planned activities.
• Be assertive and stand up for yourself-no one
• else will.
• Distinguish between situations you can control
• and those you cannot.
• Accept that fact that you cant be perfect and
  will
• not always be right.

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Lifestyle Habits That Help Reduce Stress cont. .
.

• Educate yourself about proper nutrition and how
  it can affect your mind and body
• Use time management to set priorities and allow
  enough time to complete a task. Eliminate
  something if too much is happening at once.
• Dont make too many life changes at once.
• Analyze your values, and accept yourself for who
  you are.
• Make efforts to develop close friendships and
  support systems.
• Develop a stress-management program and stick to
  it!

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Ten Ways to Stay Mentally and Physically Healthy

• Validate worth Do things you enjoy and that
  bring you satisfaction and pleasure, make your
  life POSITIVE!
• Pay attention to yourself Be in tune with your
  mental, emotional and physical needs.
• Let go of negative emotions Fear, anger,
  resentment, envy. Dont hide your emotions. Be
  forgiving of yourself and others.
• Practice positive images What do I truly want
  in life? Focus on images of well-being.

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Ten Ways to Stay Mentally and Physically Healthy
cont. . .

• Like yourself And others as well, it saves you
  time and energy.
• Relationships Create, fun, caring, honest
  relationships. Make them stable and secure.
  Heal old wounds from past relationships.
• Get involved Make a positive contribution to
  your community. Do something you enjoy!
• Health Make a commitment to stay healthy. Diet,
  exercise, but dont become a slave to it!
• Look for opportunities For growth and learning.
  Be grateful. When you mess up, forgive yourself.
  Learn from your experiences and move on!
• KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOR!

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Ten Commandments of Stress

• Thou shalt organize thyself Take control of the
  way youre spending your time and energy
• Thou shalt control thy environment by controlling
  who and what is surrounding you Either get rid
  of stress or get support for it.
• Thou shalt love thyself by giving yourself
  positive feedback Remember, you are a unique
  person who is doing the best they can.
• Thou shalt reward thyself by planning leisure
  activities into thy life It really helps to have
  something to look forward to.
• Thou shalt exercise thy body since your health
  and productivity depends on your bodys ability
  to bring oxygen and food to its cells Exercise
  your heart and lungs regularly 2 to 3 days a
  week 20-30 minutes per day walk, jog, bike,
  swim etc.

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Ten Commandments of Stress cont. . .

• Thou shalt relax thyself by taking thy mind off
  your stress and concentrating on breathing, and
  positive thoughts Daydream a little, meditate,
  exercise, listen to music, and visit with friends
  and family.
• Thou shalt rest thyself as regularly as possible
  Sleep seven to eight hours a night.
• Take study breaks, rest your mind.
• Thou shalt be aware of thyself Be aware of
  distress signals like insomnia, headaches,
  anxiety, upset stomach etcThese can be signs of
  more serious disorders ulcers, hypertension,
  heart disease.
• Thou shalt feed thyself though shalt not poison
  thy body Eat a balanced diet,
• avoid high calorie foods. Dont depend on drugs
  or alcohol or caffeine
• Thou shalt enjoy thyself. Happier people tend to
  live longer have few physical problems and are
  more productive

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Stress Quiz

• This test will help you to evaluate your stress
  level.
• It identifies some of the key symptoms and allows
  you to identify
• which factors apply to you.
• Instructions
• Rate each of the statements listed below on a
  scale of 1 to 5, when 1
• is never and 5 is always. Put the appropriate
  number in the blank
• next to the statement, base your answers on how
  you feel at this
• time.
• Total up the points next to each statement to
  calculate your score.
• 1 Never 2 Rarely 3 Sometimes 4
  Often 5 Always

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Stress Quiz
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Stress Quiz
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Stress Quiz Evaluation

• Scoring
• 20-40 Low You have few things
  stressing you out in your life and/or you
• seem to be
  managing then quite well. Fairly Low You are
  likely
• experiencing some
  negative effects of stress. Depending on the
• changes and
  challenges in front of you, you might want learn
  ways
• to deal more
  effectively with the stress in your life.
• 61-80 Moderate You may be suffering from
  chronic stress, depending on you
• ability to deal
  effectively with the changes in your life. It
• would be
  advantageous to you to learn way to deal more
• effectively with
  change and to minimize the adverse effects of
• stress.
• 81-100 High You are probably suffering
  from some of the detrimental effects
• and should seek out resources to
  help you cope more effectively.