Stress Management

Are you Stressed?

What Is Stress
Stress is the bodys automatic response to any
physical or mental demand placed on it.
Adrenaline is a chemical naturally produced in our
body as a response to stress .
Fight or Flight response is illicited.
It was first described by Walter Bradford Cannon.
The fight or flight response refers to a specific
biochemical reaction that both humans and animals
experience during intense stress or fear. The
sympathetic nervous system releases hormones that
cause changes to occur throughout the body.
Stress
Researchers define stress as a physical, mental,
or emotional response to events that causes
bodily or mental tension. Simply put, stress is any
outside force or event that has an effect on our
body or mind.
Is All Stress Bad?
Moderate levels of stress may
actually improve performance
and efficiency
Too little stress may result in
boredom
Too much stress may cause an
unproductive anxiety level
Identifying Stressors
Situations, activities and
relationships that cause trauma to
ones physical, emotional, or
psychological self
Stressors
School
Work
Family
Relationships
Legal
Finances
Health/illness
Environment
Living Situation
Signs of Stress
Physical
Headache
Back Pain
Fatigue
Aches and Pains
Mental
Difficulty Concentrating
Increased Errors
Poor Decision Making
Negative Effects of Stress
1. Physical
- Weight gain/loss
- Unexpected hair loss
- Heart palpitations
- High blood pressure
2. Emotional
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Can lead to depression
Can also lead to unhealthy coping strategies
(i.e. alcohol, drugs, etc)
Managing Stress
What is your favorite stress reliever?
How Can We Manage Stress?
Live with an Attitude of Gratitude
Be Grateful for what you have.
Time Management
Get organized
Get structured
Set short term goals
Set long term goals
Use a planner:
daily schedule and To Do list
Relaxation
Breathing: practice deep breathing
Progressive muscle relaxation
Guided Imagery
Meditation
Tapes, CDs etc.: Either something structured
(commercial) or soothing music
Choose and schedule it in
Managing Stress
Stress Relief Strategies
1. Body relaxation excercises
- breathing techniques
- guided imagery
2. Physical exercise
-yoga
-work out routine
3. Meditation
4. Counseling
-talk therapy
-life coaching
Other Helpful tips
Changing perceptions and expectations
Break jobs/tasks into manageable parts
Set reasonable/realistic goals
Avoid procrastination/postponing
Set boundaries
Dont compromise your values/beliefs
Schedule me time
Benefits of Stress Management
Physical health gets better
-more energy and stamina
Emotions stabilized
-positive attitude
-hopeful/happier
Ability to focus improved
-able to learn and achieve
How many hats do you wear?
Personal
Work Related
Relax
Our brain fires electrical waves at 14 or more cycles a second.
These are beta waves and are great for getting tasks done, but
not for learning new things.
Taking a few minutes to relax deeply slows your brain waves
down.
These slower waves are alpha waves.
They occur at between 7 and 14 cycles a second
Studies show alpha waves improve learning.
----OnCourse by Skip Downing
Cognitive (Thoughts)
Pay attention to what you say to yourself
Identify negative thinking and irrational beliefs
Negative thinking leads to stress and anxiety
Teach thought-stopping techniques
Teach affirmations
One negative thought
leads to another..
then another..
then another ..
Pretty soon you have ruined your entire life
Spirituality
Church, etc
Help others
Spend quiet time every day
Be thankful
Think positively
Put your faith to work!
"I am at peace in the midst of chaos or madness.
No person, place or thing has the power to upset me.".
Eating
Cut down on sugar, caffeine, processed foods
Eat nutritiously: all food groups, especially
fresh fruits and veggies
Eat a little every couple of hours or so
Eat slowly
More Ideas
Laugh Often
Try a New Thing
Cry
Get Enough Sleep
Exercise & Fresh Air
Build a Support System Friends, Family
and Co-Workers
SAY NO OCCASSIONALY
Even More Ideas
Let go of perfectionism
Learn to be flexible
Relax your standards
Focus less on pleasing others and more on
pleasing yourself
Stay away from negative people
Surround yourself with upbeat, flexible and fun
people.
Personal Stress First Aid Kit
What would you put in yours?
I have in mine
Name Your Stressor
Person
Place
Thing
Combination
Ann Landers said
People take
advantage of
you only with
your permission
Q& A
Poonam Menaria
Career Counsellor &
Psychotherapist...
Poonam Menaria
Career Counsellor
&Psychotherapist...
Dr. Sanjay Marwah
orthopaedic surgeon
Dhanshree Patrikar, who is preparing
for her civil services...
Marwah said that while we have aped
the undesirable eating..
Your Time ....
SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
DAD: "Yeah sure, what is it?

SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"

DAD: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?

SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "If you must know, I make $100 an hour.

SON: "Oh! (With his head down).

SON: "Daddy, may I please borrow $50?

The father was furious.

DAD: "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other
nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so
selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such
questions only to get some money?
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think:
Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $ 50 and he really didn't ask for money very
often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
DAD: "Are you asleep, son?"
SON: "No daddy, I'm awake".
DAD: "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier. It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation
on you. Here's the $50 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling.
SON: "Oh, thank you daddy!"
Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had
money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.
DAD: "Why do you want more money if you already have some?"
SON: "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do.
"Daddy, I have $100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have
dinner with you."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness. It's just a short
reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having
spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $100
worth of your time with someone you love? If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily
replace us in a matter of days. But the family and friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their
lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family.
Some things are more important.
Exercise taught in class were from....
Yogiraj Shri Vethathiri
Maharishi (19112006) was
a spiritual leader and founder-trustee of
the World Community Service Center in
1958 in Chennai. He founded over 300
yoga centres around the world and wrote
about 80 books, many of which became
academic textbooks. He was declared the
19th Siddha by the Dravidian University
Shri Vethathiri Maharishi wrote over 2000 poems on
philosophical subjects. In the Indian philosophical tradition,
his philosophy corresponds to pure advaita; it may be called
pantheistic monism. His language and attitudes are
contemporary, non-sectarian and non-dogmatic. He authored
about 75 books in Tamil and English, and continued to write
until his death.
For further details visit...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vethathiri_Maharishi