Stress Management


Effects on the Body

When faced with a stressful situation, the brain responds by initiating 1,400 different responses including the dumping of chemicals into our circulating blood. This sparks a drive that only last for a moment in order for us to do whatever needs to be done. THIS IS A GOOD THING! If this is not controlled, however, and we continue to string ourselves out and panic, and eventually our body will begin to function improperly. Doctors call this series of reactive events General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS); and have broken it down into 3 parts.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Part 1: Red Flag!
During this first stage adrenaline is released and other psychological mechanisms come into play in order to help combat the stressor. Usually, our muscles will tense, our heart beats faster, there is an increase in our breathing and perspiration, our eyes dilate and our stomach will stop digesting. This reaction is also known as FLIGHT OR FIGHT.

Stress arousal signs:

  1. Persistent irritability and anxiety
  2. Insomnia
  3. Occasional forgetfulness and/or inability to concentrate

Part 2: To resist or to adapt, that is the question...
If the cause of the stress still exists, our bodies will go into the second stage of GAS, recognizing the stress and preparing for long-term protection. The body will increase its blood sugar and blood pressure levels by secreting more hormones into the blood stream called corticosteroids. It is when the overuse of this defense mechanism occurs, that the body is thrown off balance, which eventually results in disease. If the body should choose to adapt to this phase for prolonged amounts of time without proper rest and relaxation to counterbalance this response, we become prone to fatigue, concentration lapses, irritability and lethargy all as the effort to sustain arousal slides into negative stress.

Stress resistance signs:

  • Absenteeism or tardiness for class
  • Tired or fatigued for no reason
  • Procrastination and indecision
  • Social withdrawal with cynicism
  • Resentful, indifferent, defiant
  • Increased use of coffee, alcohol, tobacco, etc.

Part 3: Game over.
The thirds stage of GAS is exhaustion, when the body has run out of the fuel needed to reserve the bodys energy and immunity. Known as adrenal exhaustion, blood sugar levels become depleted which lead to decreased stress tolerance, progressive mental and physical exhaustion, illness and collapse.

Stress exhaustion signs:

  • Chronic sadness or depression
  • Chronic mental and physical fatigue
  • Chronic stress related illnesses (headache, stomachache, bowel problems, etc.)
  • Isolation, withdrawal, self-destructive thoughts

Symptoms

What does stress look like? The results of stress come in all different shapes and sizes. We can experience stress physically, emotionally, mentally and behaviorally.

PHYSICAL Stress:

  • Increased heart rate/ pounding heart
  • Tightness of the chest, neck, jaw, and back muscles
  • Diarrhea and/or constipation
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Fatigue
  • Susceptibility to minor illness

EMOTIONAL Stress:

  • Angry outbursts or hostility
  • Depression
  • Anxiousness
  • Lack of interest
  • Being critical of others
  • Self-deprecation
  • Impatience
  • Obsessive rumination
  • Reduced self-esteem
  • Changes in eating habits

MENTAL Stress:

  • Forgetfulness
  • Preoccupation
  • Reduced creativity
  • Lack of concentration
  • Diminished productivity
  • Disorganization of thought
  • Lack of control/need for too much control
  • Negative self-statements and negative evaluation of experiences

BEHAVIOR Stress:

  • Aggressive behaviors (such as driving - road rage, etc.)
  • Increased alcohol or drug use
  • Carelessness
  • Under-eating or over-eating
  • Hostility
  • Compulsive behavior

Long-Term Implications

So, not only does stress take a physical, emotional, mental, and even behavioral toll on us, it also can lead to long-term implications such as:

  • Allergies
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Digestive disorders
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches and migraine
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Impotence and premature ejaculation in men
  • Insomnia
  • Irritable bladder
  • Menstrual problems in women
  • Mouth and peptic ulcers
  • Muscular aches and pains
  • Heart palpitations
  • Panic attacks
  • Eczema

Coping Skills

It is very important that we learn how to control our stress. There is good news and bad news about controlling stress.
The bad news is: We create our own stress.
The good news is: We create our own stress.

Stress and Decision Making

Given all of these possible effects of stress, ponder, for a moment, how your decision making is affected when you are under stress:

  • During crisis, the ability of a group to handle difficult tasks requiring intensely focused attention is decreased.
  • The greater the stress, the greater the tendency to make a premature choice and poor judgment of alternatives for a correct response.
  • The greater the stress, the less likely that individuals can tolerate "ambiguity".
  • Under increasing stress, there is a decrease in productive thoughts and an increase in distracting thoughts.
  • The greater the fear, frustration and hostility aroused by a "crisis", the greater the tendency to aggression and escape behaviors.

Coping with Stress: Remedial Actions

Remedial action to control stress falls into three categories:

  • Change your thinking
  • Change your behavior
  • Change your lifestyle

Change Your Thinking

  • Reframing
  • Positive thinking

Change Your Behavior

  • Be Assertive
  • Get Organized/Time Management
  • Humor
  • Diversion and Distraction

Change Your Lifestyle

  • Diet
  • Exercise
  • Drink Water
  • Meditation
  • Deep Breathing
  • Nature Walks and Imagery
  • Hydrotherapy: A Warm/Hot Bath
  • Music Therapy
  • Pet Therapy
  • Sleep
  • Leisure

Resources

  • uhs.uga.edu
    • Managing stress: wellness lifestyle approach for college students
    • Lots of good info
  • kidshealth.org
    • Defines stress
    • Signs and symptoms of stress overload
    • Keeping stress under control
    • Building resilience
  • apahelpcenter.org
    • APA stress management in aftermath of shootings, etc.
    • Maybe not for website but is good resource to have on hand

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