LIFESTRESS MANAGEMENT

Dr. S. Krishnan, MBBS, MD, DPM, DIP.NB, MNAMS

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

MO-in-Charge, Holistic and Stress Research Clinic

Department of Psychiatry

Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram

May God Bless You All

Self Awaren

essEmpa

thy

IPREffective

Communication

Creative ThinkingCritical

Thinking

Problem

Solving

Decision

Making

Coping with

Emotions

COPING WITH

STRESS

The Life Skills

Congrats!!! You too are Stressed!!!

Bad Equation

High demands

Need for perfection

Burnout

Fewer rewards

When under Stress

adapt to negative stress sit on fence exhibit positive adaptation0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

When under Stress (%)

The Stress – Performance Curve

What is Stress• Physical and Mental

changes that happen when exposed to a unique situation unexpectedly.

Not all stress is Bad

Good Bad Cumulative stress

Common Manifestations

Physical

Emotional

Cognitive

Behavioral

Relational

Physical Symptoms

Headaches

Indigestion

Sleep problems

Back pain and muscle tension

Restlessness

Behavioral Symptoms

Excess smoking

Excessive use of alcohol

Compulsive eating

Aggressiveness

Inability to get things done

Emotional Symptoms

Crying

Nervousness

Overwhelming sense of pressure

Loneliness

Easily upset

Cognitive symptoms

Trouble thinking clearly

Forgetfulness

Lack of creativity

Trouble making decisions and problem solving

Loss of sense of humor

Spiritual symptoms

Emptiness

Doubt

Cynicism

Apathy

Need to ‘prove’ self

Relational symptoms

Isolation

Intolerance

Lashing out

Nagging

Lack of intimacy

Distrust

Medial Problems Associated with Stress

Cardiac – hypertension, heart attacks

Nervous system - stroke

Gastrointestinal – peptic ulcer

Dermatological – dermatitis, psoriasis

Respiratory –allergy, asthma

Sexual problems – irregular menstruation, sexual dysfunction to infertility

Psychiatric – depression, anxiety

How people deal with Stress

Talking to others

Exercise

Work harder

Bottle things up

Try to focus on the positive

Snack

Turn to substances

Avoid the problem

•Step 1: Identify if you are stressed•Step 2: Identify the stressor(s)•Step 3: Identify the reason for the stressor(s)

•Step 4: CHANGE – Behavior, Emotions, Situations, Thinking BEST LIFE

•Step 5: Practice. Practice. Practice

A 5 step Guide to Managing Stress

10 easy steps to manage stress

1. Knowledge

2. Share

3. Prioritize

4. Don’t be too hard on yourself

5. Don’t worry about things of past and future

6. Proper sleep

7. Proper food

8. Proper relaxation techniques

9. Be realistic

10. Learn life skills

Mindful Life Management

Mindfulness • Self directed practice of relaxing

the body and mind• Attending to present moment to

moment experience nonjudgmental using simple exercises

Health Benefits of Mindfulness

• Sleep disorders• Anxiety• Depression• Cardiovascular disorders• Type A Behavior • GI Distress• Psychosomatic

disorders – Diabetes, Hypertension

• Skin disorders –

Psoriasis• Cancer • Chronic Pain,

Fibromyalgia • Respiratory problems

– Asthma• Infertility• Headaches –

Migraine, TVH• Somatization disorder

Uses of Mindfulness

Decreases depression and anxiety

Prevents relapse of depression

Helps stress management

Helps management of substance use problems

Helps better patient care

Helps growth of the brain

On purposeTo sit and be

with you

Attend to your Breath

Just spend about 30 mts Non-

judgmentally

Take Home Message

“Stress is a normal part of normal life”.

“Coping with Stress is a Skill which can be acquired with practice”.

Thanks…