Stress & Coping Strategies
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Transcript of Stress & Coping Strategies
STRESS and COPING STRATEGIES
What is stress ? Types of stress Sources of stress Type A personality Reaction of body to stress Effects of stress on body Coping with stress and stress management
What is Stress ?
STRESS :
The demand that is made on an organism to adapt. EUSTRESS :
Stress that is helpful CONFLICT :
Being torn in different directions by opposing motives CATASTROPHIZE
To interpret negative events as being disastrous; to "blow out of proportion.“
Stress, Stressor and Stress response
Stress is a state that occurs when people are faced with events they perceive as endangering their physical and psychological well-being.
In stress, the events that are perceived as threatening are called stressors and the person’s reactions to these events are called stress responses.
REACTIONS TO STRESS
Six Major Psychological Stressors 1) Frustration Occurs when progress toward a desired goal is blocked Common sources: Physical environment Social environment Individual limitations Common reactions: Aggression Passive-aggression Apathy Regression
REACTIONS TO STRESS
2) Pressure Situations that require a person to do too much in
too short a time 3) Boredom Understimulation 4) Trauma A shocking physical or emotional experience5) Change Both positive or negative
REACTIONS TO STRESS
6) Conflict
Can be within ourselves or with another person
--- Approach-approach
--- Avoidance-avoidance
--- Approach-avoidance
Multiple approach-avoidance
Reactions of body to stress
Physiology of Stress Hans Selye (1950) described a General Adaptation
Syndrome which is infact a physiological response to stressors.
It consists of three stages :
1. The alarm reaction stage
2. The resistance stage
3. The exhaustion stage
Reactions of body to stress
1. The alarm reaction stage Activation of sympathetic nervous system
leading to greater arousal. Sympathetic nervous system triggers the
release of hormones from adrenal glands, which are adrenaline, nor-adrenaline and steroids. These hormones cause---tachycardia, palpitation, increase in respiration rate, increased muscle tension, sweating.
Reactions of body to stress
2. The resistance stage Activation of sympathetic nervous
system and its responses continue but parasympathetic nervous system (which is involved in energy storing and conserving processes) calls for more careful use of body’s resources.
Reactions of body to stress
3.The exhaustion stage Eventually the physiological systems
used in the alarm reaction and resistance stages become ineffective and stress related diseases (hypertension, heart disease, asthma) are more likely to occur.
Type “ A ”Personality more prone to develop frequent stress. Characteristics of Type A personality are : TIME PRESSURE * Always working against the clock * Doing two or more things at once * Irritation with slow moving traffic or queues * Impatience with others * Agitation when forced to do nothing COMPETITIVENESS * Always playing games to win * Very self-critical * Measuring success as material productivity ANGER AND HOSTILITY * Feelings of anger both towards the outside world and sometimes towards oneself
CHARACTERSTICS OF TYPE “B” TYPE B: non competitive relaxed,in control easygoing understanding/forgiving confident and happy in job enjoys leisure and weekends
Effects of stress on body
Stress effects the immune system Stress stimulates the production of steroids
and steroids suppresses the functioning of immune system.
Persistent secretion of steroids decreases inflammation and interferes with the formation of antibodies and the person become more vulnerable to various illnesses.
Effects of stress on body
Psychosomatic illnesses Peptic ulcer or Acid peptic disease Essential hypertension Bronchial asthma Ulcerative colitis
Effects of stress on bodyStress causes headaches Tension headache Migraine headacheStress can cause coronary heart disease Type “A” behavior Obesity Hypertension Diabetes HyperlipaedemiaStress and cancer Stress reduces immunity Psychological factors in the treatment of cancer
Stressful Situations
CAUSES OF STRESS Stressful Life events--- Death of spouse or any close relative Divorce or separation Disturbance in interpersonal relationship Loss of job, Financial losses or economic problems Chronic or incurable physical or psychological illness Physical injury Seeing or experiencing terrorism, dacoity or accidents All kinds of threats & difficult situations Environmental Stresses such as Noise, pollution or
extremes of temperatures
Stressful Situations Loss problems include not only the loss of a person through death or
separation but also the loss of a body part or the function of an organ
Role changes Such as entering marriage, parenthood or a new job with
added responsibilities Problems in relationship Such as those between married couples, between parent
and child or other relations Conflict problems Difficulties in choosing between two undesirable
alternatives
Stress & Coping Strategies UNCONSCIOUS & CONSCIOUS EFFORTS TO
DEAL WITH STRESS 1. COPING STRATEGIES (Conscious Efforts)
a) Adaptive Coping Strategies :- Problem Solving Strategies Emotion reducing strategies
b) Maladaptive Coping Strategies
2. DEFENCE MECHANISMS (Unconscious processes)
Stress & Coping Strategies
COPING STRATEGIES (Conscious Efforts) :
a) Adaptive Coping Strategies :-
1)Problem Solving Strategies Seeking help from another person or obtaining information or advice that would help or solve problem Making & implementing plans to deal with the problem Defending one’s own rights or persuading another person to change his behavior
Stress & Coping Strategies
2)Emotion reducing strategies Ventilation of emotions---talking to
another person and expressing emotions
Avoidance----refusal to think about problem, avoiding people who are causing problems or avoiding reminders of the problems
Positive reappraisal---recognising that problem has led to some good, for example self betterment
Stress & Coping Strategies b) Maladaptive Coping Strategies * Use of Alcohol or unprescribed drugs---to reduce emotional response or awareness of stressful circumstances * Deliberate self harm—either by drug overdose or self injury * Histrionic behaviour---an unrestrained emotional display may reduce tension Eg : In grief * Aggressive behaviour—may release feelings of anger
Stress & Coping Strategies
DEFENCE MECHANISMS
(Unconscious processes) ---Concept given by Sigmund Freud ---Operates unconsciously.( person is
not aware of ) ---Relieves Anxiety
Stress & Coping Strategies
REPRESSION Exclusion from consciousness of impulses, emotions or memories that would otherwise cause distress
DENIAL person behaving as if unaware of something that he may reasonably be expected to know.
DISPLACEMENT Transfer of emotions from a person, object or situation with which it is properly associated, to another source
Stress & Coping Strategies PROJECTION Attribution to another person of thoughts or feelings similar to one’s own, thereby rendering one’s own thoughts or feelings more acceptable REGRESSION Adoption of behaviour appropriate to an earlier stage of development RATIONALIZATION Unconscious provision of a false but acceptable explanation for behaviour that has a less acceptable origin IDENTIFICATION Unconscious adoption of the characteristics or activities of another person, often to reduce the pain of separation or loss
Stress Management
1. Become aware of your stressors and your emotional and physical reactions
2. Recognize what you can change.3. Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions to stress. 4. Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress. 5. Build your physical reserves. 6. Maintain your emotional reserves.
Become aware of your stressors and your emotional and physical reactions
Notice your distress. Don't ignore it Determine what events distress you.
What are you telling yourself about meaning of these events?
Determine how your body responds to the stress. Do you become nervous or physically upset
Recognize what you can change Can you change your stressors by avoiding
or eliminating them completely? Can you reduce their intensity (manage
them over a period of time instead of on a daily or weekly basis)?
Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break, leave the physical premises)?
Can you devote the time and energy necessary to making a change (goal setting and time management techniques may be helpful here)?
Reduce the intensity of your emotional
reactions to stress Are you viewing your stressors in
exaggerated terms and/or taking a difficult situation and making it a disaster?
Are you expecting to please everyone? Are you overreacting and viewing things as
absolutely critical and urgent? Do you feel you must always prevail in every situation?
Work at adopting more moderate views Try to temper your excess emotions. Put the
situation in perspective
Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress Slow, deep breathing will bring your
heart rate and respiration back to normal Relaxation techniques can reduce
muscle tension Electronic biofeedback can help you gain
voluntary control over such things as muscle tension, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Medications, when prescribed by a physician, can help in the short term in moderating your physical reactions.
Build your physical reserves Exercise for cardiovascular fitness three to four times
a week (moderate, prolonged rhythmic exercise is best, such as walking, swimming, cycling, or jogging).
Eat well-balanced, nutritious meals Maintain your ideal weight. Avoid nicotine, excessive caffeine, and other
stimulants Mix leisure with work. Take breaks and get away
when you can. Get enough sleep. Be as consistent with your sleep
schedule as possible
Maintain your emotional reserves Develop some mutually supportive
friendships/relationships Pursue realistic goals which are meaningful
to you, rather than goals others have for you that you do not share.
Expect some frustrations, failures, and sorrows.
Always be kind and gentle with yourself -- be a friend to yourself