Transcription of WHAT IS STRESS?
1 STRESS MANAGEMENT. workbook 1. WHAT IS. STRESS? Contents PAGE. Exercise Exercise What is Stress?..5. Fight or Flight What Contributes to Stress?..7-9. Stress and 10. Exercise 11-12. How can stress become a problem?.. 13. How Does Stress Affect You?.. 14. Our 15. Our 16. Our 17. Our 18. The Vicious Cycle of 19. Exercise 20. 5 21. Steps to Dealing with 22. Healthy Living 22. Healthy Living Healthy Living 23. Healthy Living Cigarettes and 24. First Steps to Controlling Your Exercise 26. Types of 27. 10 Tips to Help You 28. Support 29. Things to 30. Page | 1. What is Stress? The aim of these Wellbeing workshops is to help you learn more about stress and the steps which can be taken to help reduce the impact it can have on your life if left unchecked.
2 What to expect at a workshop n The workshops are like lectures, there are no group discussions or people having to speak out in front of the group n If anyone is looking for more support than education on Stress Management there are contact numbers at the back of each workbook , where One to One support can be sought n There are four workshops in total each lasting two hours n You will be given a workbook for each workshop with some exercises n There will be time during the workshop to consider the exercises; however, it may be that you find it more useful to complete the exercises when you get home and have time to really think about your answers.
3 We strongly suggest, to get the most from these workshops, that you do read the workbooks when you get home n Trainers may invite participants to give an example of stress but you don't need to speak out if you don't want to; it's a general invitation to the whole group not to any individual n Monitoring information we gather cannot identify you and is simply for us to ensure we are reaching people If you have any questions please either write this down on a post-it (provided) and stick it on the board for us to read, or you can approach one of the presenters or their colleague directly In Session 1 we will look at: n What stress is n What causes stress n How stress affects you n What keeps stress going n About lifestyle changes that can help, and n First steps to dealing with stress Page | 2.
4 In weeks 2 and 3, we will look at how your behaviour and the way you think can contribute to feeling stressed; and in week 4 we will look at problem solving skills to help you cope better. To start though, it would be good to have a look at how life is for you just now, the following exercise may be useful to help you do that. * Exercise 1 *. How is life just now? On the scale below where would you rate your quality of life this week? 0 _____ 10. As bad as it could possibly be As good as it could possibly be What is happening in your life that might be contributing to you feeling this way? Record the positive as well as the negative as it may be that you feel okay just now: Page | 3.
5 * Exercise 2 *. Where would you need to be on the scale, for your quality of life to be good enough? 0 _____ 10. As bad as it could possibly be As good as it could possibly be What would you be doing differently that would tell you that you had reached this point? Page | 4. What is Stress? Facts a Stress is something we all experience a It is a normal reaction a It happens to us all in situations we find stressful - at times of threat and uncertainty, or when we have taken on too much a Stress can be useful and can improve our performance a footballer before a match; going for a job interview or speaking in public Fiction - common misunderstandings about stress r Stress and anxiety are signs of mental illness r If you're stressed you should know what's causing it r Stress only affects weak people When we view what is happening to us as a threat or if we find it difficult to cope with uncertainty, then stress can be a normal response.
6 Think of someone who is afraid of flying: n They think that the flight will be awful or even catastrophic n They have threatening images running through their head and begin to feel stressed as a result n They sometimes begin to feel sick, shaky and tense n The combination of how they think, how they feel and their body's response can feel uncomfortable or overwhelming and very often, they find it easier to avoid flying n This reaction is unhelpful Nevertheless other stress reactions can be helpful n You have a deadline n You feel your body react with tension but this drives you to get the job done rather than avoid it n This response is helpful Page | 5.
7 The Fight or Flight Response Mind signals Dizziness / light headedness /. danger unreal feeling due to change in flow of blood Breathing changes Heart rate increases Adrenalin is Blood diverted to arms released and legs so you can run faster Shakiness as muscles tense Nausea /. butterflies Most often when feeling stressed we are unaware of what is happening and can feel more stressed because we don't understand the strange sensations we feel in our bodies. We can quickly feel overwhelmed. By taking a step back and becoming more curious about what is happening both in our bodies and in our minds, we can begin to recognise the signs of stress sooner and learn ways of reversing the feeling of being overwhelmed.
8 When we are experiencing stress sometimes we are able to notice where we feel it in our bodies. Most often people describe a sensation of butterflies in their stomach, shortness of breath, a tingling feeling in their fingers, a need to go to the loo and tension in their head and neck areas. These are normal responses and are only a few ways in which our bodies respond to stress. Page | 6. As humans, we respond to stress as all other animals do. Think of a leopard padding along quietly. It hears a noise. How does it then react? Spine lengthens and stiffens to speed escape blood directed to Neck muscles engorge with back and front legs to be blood to steady its head stronger when fighting.
9 And protect its spine while allowing it to focus better. Freeze on the spot. Heart rate will increase to speed up the redirection of blood to where it is needed most when under threat. This is a completely normal stress response which you may recognise when feeling stressed. It is also known as the FLIGHT OR FIGHT. RESPONSE. The freeze response commonly occurs when in shock or experiencing extreme stress. These reactions are also known as the adrenaline response. The fight or flight response can also arise from a psychological threat. The way we look at and understand what is happening around us influences how we react to it.
10 We may be sitting at home worrying about our gas bill or the argument we had earlier in the day. Sitting at home we are under no threat but our body will still respond owing to the way we are thinking. We would describe this as unhelpful as, sitting in your chair at home, there is no physical threat in that moment. Stress is a normal reaction and you can learn ways of controlling it. Page | 7. What Contributes to Stress? ANYTHING CAN CAUSE US STRESS! It depends on how we look at the situation and our understanding of what is happening. The things that contribute to our stress can fall into two categories, internal stressors and external stressors.
