STRESS MANAGEMENT

Alicia Anderson

STRESS MANAGEMENT

What is Stress Management?Stress management is any technique developed to

help someone cope with or lessen the physical and emotional effects of everyday life pressure.

Health Triangle• Physical: Sore muscles, headaches or decreased productivity at work or school•Mental/Emotional: Anxiety, lack

of motivation or focus, anger or

sadness• Social: Withdrawl with

friends or family and angry

outbursts will make people not

want to be around you

Physical

Mental/ Emotional

Social

There are Healthy and Unhealthy Ways of Dealing with Stress

Unhealthy• Smoking• Drinking alcohol• Over or under eating• Zoning in for hours on the computer or T.V.• Taking out stress on others (e.i. angry outbursts, physical violence etc.)

Healthy• Relaxation• Talking with a person you trust• Laughing• Doing activities you love• Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night

Ways to Relax • Meditation—Effects your body in the opposite way stress does by restoring your body to a calm state, helping the body repair itself• Yoga—Effects your body the same way meditation does and includes breathing exercises• Exercise—It helps to distract you from your stress

Early Signs of Stress• Persistent worry• Your brain is constantly focused on problems that need

resolution making it hard to focus on anything else.

• Headache• Stress headaches are usually caused by muscles tension in

your neck.

• Troubles sleeping• You are so busy thinking about problems you are dealing with

it is hard to calm yourself down enough to sleep.

Different Types of Stress• Eustress: a type of stress that is fun and exciting (skiing

down a hill or racing to meet a deadline)• Acute Stress: a very short term stress that can either

be positive or negative; stress we encounter in day-to-day life (road rage or skiing down a hill)

• Chronic Stress: a type of stress that seems never-ending and inescapable, like the stress of a bad marriage

Problems that Chronic Stress Can Cause

• Depression• Diabetes• Hair Loss• Heart disease• Hyperthyroidism• Obesity• O.C.D.• Ulcers

ActivityRelaxation Exercise

Get comfortable in your seat, close your eyes, and just listen!