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Stressis what you feel when you

have to handle more than you are


used to.

Your body responds to stress as


though you were in danger.
This inborn reaction to stress called
the “Fight or Flight” response.
Blood pressure rises
Increased heart rate
Faster breathing
Muscles get ready for action

(This is the wear and tear on our


bodies.)
No, some stress is good.
Stress in small amounts helps you
work harder and react quickly.
It can help you
win a race or finish
a job on time.
Disruptive students
Paperwork
Multi-tasking
Unscheduled events

Brown University found more stress related


illnesses among people whose jobs involve
significant responsibility for the well-being of
others.
Unusual voice volume
Nervous tics or habits (e.g., tapping
fingers)
Vibration feeling (like a motor
running)
Laryngitis
Frequent headaches
Returning to old bad habits
Numbness in extremities
Use of combative gestures (e.g.
punching the air)
Use of sarcasm
Use of exaggeration in speech
Hostile language
Loss of temper
Losing perspective (making a
mountain out of a molehill)
Unusual amount of blinking or
yawning
Repeated lateness
Repeated forgetfulness
Unusual heart feelings (e.g., rapid
heart beat)
Rigid thinking
Sudden weight change
Excessive illnesses and/or colds
Allergies/rashes
Breathing problems (e.g. shortness
of breath)
Accident prone (dropping or
bumping into things)
Misperceptions (failing to hear or
see accurately)
Sudden change in diet (e.g., binging
or focusing on one favorite food)
Inattentiveness/distractibility
High or low irritability (either
nothing bothers you or everything
bothers you)
Find out the cause(s) of your stress
Look for ways to reduce the stress
Learn healthy ways to relieve stress
or reduce it’s harmful effects
 Manage your time well
 Eat well
 Get adequate rest at night
 Change your thinking patterns
 Stop worrying
 Let go of things you can’t change
 Learn to say “no”
 Express about your needs and concerns
 Resolve conflicts with others by talking
 Keep a journal
 Ask for help!
Keep regular eating habits
• Avoid the “eat and run” syndrome
• Try to eat at regular meal times
Eat foods that increase serotonin
levels, lower cortisol levels, and
boost the immune system.
Visit WebMD for a
slideshow on
stress-reducing foods
Mindful Meditation
Deep Breathing Exercises
Guided Imagery
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Exercise
Select a time and place where
you will not be interrupted
It’s ok if there may be background
noises like traffic
Start by meditating 10 minutes at a
time, once in the morning and once
in the evening
Remember it’s ok if your mind
wanders. Meditation takes practice!
 Sit or lie down in a comfortable position
 Close your eyes or look down at the
floor
 Notice how your breathing feels in your
lungs and chest. Do not try to change it
 If your mind wanders, pay attention to
the thought then let it go and focus on
breathing
 If you feel certain emotions
acknowledge them but don’t get lost in
thoughts they trigger
Sends a message to your brain to
calm down and relax and the brain
sends this message to your body.
It makes your cardiopulmonary
system more efficient thus
reducing your heart rate
and blood pressure
BELLY BREATHING
• Sit in a comfortable position
• Put one hand on your belly below the ribs
and another hand on your chest
• Take a deep breath in through your nose
and feel your belly extend. Your chest
should not move.
• Breathe out through pursed lips as if
you’re whistling. Feel the hand on your
belly go in and use it to push the air out.
• Do this 3 to 10 times
 Close your eyes
 Take a few deep breaths
 Picture a calm and peaceful setting
 Add details by thinking about your senses:
what do you see, smell, hear, taste, and feel
 Add a path and feel more relaxed as you
follow it deeper into the scene
 When you are ready to return, count to 3
and open your eyes
 Take the relaxed, refreshed, and calm
feeling with you!
 Stress causes the muscles of the
body to tense, which can lead to
muscle knots, tension, headaches,
stiff necks, backaches, etc.
 Progressive muscle relaxation and/
or exercise can help pull your
muscles out of this state .
Tensing of a muscle group as you
breathe in and relaxing the muscle
group as you breathe out
Work the muscle groups in a
certain order
 CAUTION: Before practicing PMR, consult with
your physician if you have a history of serious
injuries, muscle spasms, or back problems,
because the deliberate muscle tensing of the PMR
procedure could exacerbate any of these pre-
existing conditions.
 Lie down and stretch out comfortably
 Breathe in, tense the first muscle group hard
(but not to the point of cramping) & hold it
for 4 to 10 seconds
 Breathe out, suddenly and completely (not
gradually) relax the muscle group
 Relax for 10 to 20 seconds before doing the
next muscle group
 When all groups are done, count backward
from 5 to 1 to bring your focus to the present
 Walk the halls

 Doyoga poses and/or stretch just a few


minutes when you’re alone in your
classroom

 Engage in a regular exercise routine.


(Consult your physician)
Do you?
• Drink multiple cups of coffee?
• Take pills to go to sleep and/or wake up?
• Take a drink to relax?
• Smoke to soothe nerves or to prevent weight
gain?
• Rely on mood elevators or depressors?
• Use any substance to sustain a mood?
Use substances
Stressed
To ease stress

Substances wear off, but


still facing the stressors
and may feel even worse
• The United Federation of Teachers. (2010).
Managing Stress: A Guide for UFT Members. New
York, NY: Author. Retrieved from:
http://www.uft.org/files/attachments/uft-
managing-stress.pdf

• WebMD Stress Management Health Center.


http://webmd.com
 Ifyou would like a copy of this presentation
please email:
• Rachael Donnelly
Rachael.donnelly@onslow.k12.nc.us
• Jennifer Garcia
Jennifer.garcia@onslow.k12.nc.us
OR
• Carissa Marsh
Carissa.marsh@onslow.k12.nc.us

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