Stress Management

Anagha Bhattacharya

anagha.eee@nitmz.ac.in
STRESS MANAGEMENT
 KEYWORDS ASSOCIATED
WITH STRESS
Stress - A state of disharmony or a threat to homeostasis (ability to maintain a relatively
stable internal state despite changes in the external world)

Stressor - Something that causes a state of strain or tension

Stress Management - Ways to break stress that helps to lead a happier, healthier and
more productive life

Stress relievers – Stress busters or relaxants that help alleviate stress

Coping strategies – strategies to invest or use one’s own conscious effort to solve
personal or inter-personal problems to deal with stress and conflict

Resilience – Ability to cope in spite of setbacks, barriers or availability of limited

resources.
The
WHAT IS STRESS
term “stress”, as it is currently used was coined by Hans Selye in 1936,
who defined it as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for
change”.

Apparently, most people viewed stress as some unpleasant threat, therefore,

Selye subsequently had to create a new word, stressor, to distinguish stimulus
from response.

In the present day context, STRESS was generally considered as being
synonymous with distress and dictionaries defined it as “physical, mental, or
emotional strain or tension” or “a condition or feeling experienced when a
person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the
individual is able to mobilize.” (Source: stress.org)
 Concept of Stress
Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional,
or psychological strain. Stress is one’s body's response to anything that
requires attention or action (verywellmind.com)

There’s a fine line between stress and anxiety. Both are emotional responses,
but stress is typically caused by an external trigger whereas anxiety is an
emotion characterized by a feeling of tension, worried thoughts and even
physical changes. Anxiety is more or less nervousness (apa.org).

Types of Stress:

Eustress - Manageable Stress can lead to growth and enhanced competence

Distress - Uncontrollable, prolonged, or overwhelming stress is destructive.
Acute Stress - Immediate response to a threat or challenge
Chronic Stress - Ongoing exposure to stress, may seem unrelenting
Part 1 - Outline
 Legislation
 What is Stress ?
 Types of Stresses
 Individuals
 Stress origins & body systems
 Adaptation Syndrome
 Symptoms
 Costs of Stress
 Discussion & Questions
Legal Overview

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT 1974

It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is

reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of
all employees (Section 2 (1) )

MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK REGULATIONS 1999

Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of

(a) the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which
they are exposed whilst they are at work
WHAT IS STRESS ?

Stress is the reaction people have to excessive pressures

or other types of demand placed upon them. It arises
when they worry that they can’t cope.
WHAT IS STRESS ?

Stress is the “wear and tear” our minds and bodies

experience as we attempt to cope with our continually
changing environment
 DEFINITION

S=P>R
Stress occurs when the pressure is greater than the resource
 Signs of Stress
Physical, Emotional & Behavioral
 Change in Appetite
 Difficulty Sleeping
 Forgetfulness
 Acting Out
 Social Withdrawal/Avoidance
BEHAVIORAL
 Increased use of Caffeine and
Other Substances
 Loss of Concentration
 Mood Swings
 Can stress be positive?
o Stress can motivate you to meet your goals.
 The stress of a deadline can motivate you to finish the
assignment.

o A fire alarm can cause stress that alerts you to avoid danger.

o Planning a vacation.

o Getting promoted at work.

Coping Strategies
 Be realistic: Set limits. Say no to extra responsibility or activities if
feeling overwhelmed.
 Stop being a superhero: No one is perfect so don't expect that
from yourself or others. What really needs to get done? Is a
deadline realistic? Ask for help when needed.
 Take one thing at a time: When feeling overwhelmed by many
tasks, pick one urgent task. Complete one task before moving onto
another.
 Go easy on the criticism: Expectations for self and others can be
too high, setting people up to fail.
 Share feelings: Stay in touch with people! Friends can provide a
sounding board, show support and provide guidance.
STRESS FEELINGS

 Worry
 Tense
 Tired
 Frightened
 Elated
 Depressed
 Anxious
 Anger
TYPES OF STRESSORS

 External

 Internal
External Stresses -
Organisational
Company take over React to changes
Reductions / layoffs Advancement difficult
Major reorganisation Red tape delays jobs
Company sale / relocation Insufficient resources
Employee benefit cuts Pay below going rate
Mandatory overtime required Technology changes
Little input into decisions Employee benefits poor
Mistake consequences severe Workplace conditions
Workloads vary Consistent poor performance
Fast paced work
External Stresses - Major Life
Events

Death of a loved one Change in financial status

Divorce / separation Change of job / work
Imprisonment Mortgage or loan
Injury/illness ( self / Foreclosure of
family ) mortgage/loan
Marriage/ engagement Change in responsibilities
Loss of job Moving house
Retirement Holidays
Pregnancy Christmas
Sexual Problems Minor violations of the law
Now do we agree with the
statement ?

Not all the stress we

experience is
generated at work !!
RECOGNISE THE PROBLEM

The most important point is to recognise the source of

the negative stress.

This is not an admission of weakness or inability to cope!

It is a way to identify the problem and plan measures to
overcome it.
Understanding Stress (contd…)
The Stress Continuum helps assessing the level of stress one is
in

1 — I’m creatively and cheerfully engaged in life.

2 — I’m relaxed and expect to stay this way.
3–5 — I can handle stresses and think of positive solutions to my challenges.
6–7 — I’m moderately irritable, anxious or overwhelmed, and stresses feel burdensome .
8 — My problems seem unsolvable. Many things are irritating or upsetting me.
9 — Help! I’m about to lose it!
10 — I have chart-topping negative emotions

Source: heart.org
 Perceived Stress Scale
A more precise measure of personal stress can be determined by using a
variety of instruments that have been designed to help measure individual
stress levels. The first of these is called the Perceived Stress Scale.
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a classic stress assessment instrument.
This tool, while originally developed in 1983, remains a popular choice for
helping us understand how different situations affect our feelings and our
perceived stress. The questions in this scale ask about your feelings and
thoughts during the last month. In each case, you will be asked to indicate
how often you felt or thought a certain way. Although some of the questions
are similar, there are differences between them and you should treat each
one as a separate question. The best approach is to answer fairly quickly.
That is, don't try to count up the number of times you felt a particular way;
rather indicate the alternative that seems like a reasonable estimate.
 For each question choose from the following alternatives:
0 – never 1 - almost never 2 – sometimes 3 - fairly often 4 - very often

1. In the last month, how often have you been upset because of something that
happened unexpectedly?
2. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the
important things in your life?
3. In the last month, how often have you felt nervous and stressed?
4. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to
handle your personal problems?
5. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way?
6. In the last month, how often have you found that you could not cope with all
the things that you had to do?
7. In the last month, how often have you been able to control irritations in your
life?
8. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were on top of things?
9. In the last month, how often have you been angered because of things that
happened that were outside of your control?
10. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high
that you could not overcome them?
 Figuring your PSS score:
You can determine your PSS score by following these directions:

First, reverse your scores for questions 4, 5, 7, & 8. On these 4 questions,

change the scores like this: 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1, 4 = 0.
Now add up your scores for each item to get a total.
My total score is ______.
Individual scores on the PSS can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores
indicating higher perceived stress.

Scores ranging from 0-13 would be considered low stress.

Scores ranging from 14-26 would be considered moderate stress.

Scores ranging from 27-40 would be considered high perceived stress.

The Perceived Stress Scale is interesting and important because your

perception of what is happening in your life is most important. Consider the
idea that 2 individuals could have the exact same events and experiences in
their lives for the past month. Depending on their perception, total score
could put one of those individuals in the low stress category and the total
score could put the second person in the high stress category.
 Common Stressors (Driving
Forces of Stress)
Dr. Gary Brown, a licensed psychotherapist, says some of the more common
stressors include:
relationship conflicts at home
new or increasing work responsibilities
increasing demands
financial strain
loss of a loved one
health problems
moving to a new location
exposure to one or more traumatic incidents, such as a car accident or a
violent crime

(healthline.com)
Common Symptoms of Stress

Cognitive
Decreased concentration,
comprehension, & memory
Behavioral
Irritability, withdrawal,
violence
Emotional
Fear, anxiety, depression,
fatigue
Physiological
Increased BP, HR,
Respirations, etc
Somatic symptoms
Decreased immune response
 What is Stress
Management
Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques and
psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person's level of stress,
especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of and for the
motive of improving everyday functioning (wikipedia)

The best stress management plans usually include a mix of stress

relievers that address stress physically and psychologically and help
to develop resilience and coping skills (verywellmind.com)
 Management – The ABC
Model
Psychologist Albert Ellis came up with a model for stress called the ABC’s.
He says that each adversity we face has three components: the “A” or
Activating event, the “B” or your belief about the event”, and “C” which
is the consequence that results.
The model looks like a math equation, “A+B=C”. What we discover is that
the “A” tends to be uncontrollable, so if we want to change the “C” we
have to examine the “B”.

Your friend turns you down for dinner (A).

Now, you believe no one likes you (B).
As a result you feel sad, rejected, and alone (C ).
 Understanding Stress
Management – The ABC
Model (contd….)
The model explains the following:

Humans have a tendency to unrealistically distort experiences which can

lead down to a rabbit hole of negative emotions like in the example.
Emotions change with a change in beliefs.

When the thoughts are challenged and beliefs are altered, one can open
the door to new perspectives and greater resiliency (tenacademy.ca/).
Common Stress
Management Strategies
Coping Strategies

Adaptive Coping

Contribute to resolution of the stress response

Maladaptive Coping

Strategies that cause further problems

Active Coping

Actively seeking resolution to the stress

 Resilience Factors
Positive Role Models
Optimism

Humor

Moral Compass
Altruism

Religion & Spirituality

Social Support
 Some Effective Steps
1. Set realistic expectations
2. Exercise regularly
3. Eat healthy
4. Get adequate sleep
5. Maintain a work-leisure
balance
6. Positive Reframing & optimism
7. Enhance social support
Meditation

 Meditation can happen in a variety of different forms.

 Method of relaxation and reflection.
 Breathing Exercise
Religion & Spirituality
 Associated with psychological and physical well being

 Guards against despair

 Provides social support

 Provides positive role models

 Provides a positive mission

Social Support
 Social support has a profound effect on life expectancy

 Patients have better outcomes with strong social support

 Isolation and poor social support are associated with a poor

stress response

 Few hardy individuals “go it alone”

Signature Strengths
 Recognize skills and talents

 Inventory strengths

 Use your strengths and talents

 Decide what works

 Actively cope

 Apply concepts to enable active coping.

Review
 Stress is part of everyday life

 It can promote growth and competency

 If unrelenting or overwhelming it can cause adverse effects

 Adaptive coping enhances resilience

 Maladaptive coping causes additional problems

 Enhanced coping increases resilience while diminishing the adverse affects

of stress, thus promoting health
Review: Practical Tips
 Set realistic expectations

 Exercise regularly

 Eat healthy

 Get adequate sleep

 Maintain a work-leisure balance

 Positive Reframing & optimism

 Enhance social support

Learning Exercise

1. List your current sources of stress.

2. Conduct an inventory of coping strategies that you use
or have used in the past.
 Include maladaptive strategies
3. List your signature strengths and factors that may
enhance your resilience.
4. While considering the above, develop a personalized
stress management plan to enhance your coping and
resilience.