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Presented by:
DR. KWAME EDUSEI

MEDICAL DIRECTOR

PREMIER MEDICAL SOLUTIONS

DOME BORN-AGAIN

ACCRA
 What is stress?
Stress is an emotional or physical reaction
to positive or negative events in your life,
such as getting married or losing your job.

It is a normal reaction to the ever-increasing

demands of life on you as an individual.

Stress itself isn't abnormal or bad.

What's important is how you view and deal

with the events provoking the stress.

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 What happens when you are under
stress?
 Your brain has an alarm system meant
to protect you from environmental
hazards.

 When your brain perceives a threat, it

signals your body to release chemicals
(hormones) to fuel your capacity for a
response.

 This has been labeled the "fight-or-

flight" response.

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 Once the threat is gone, your body is supposed
to return to a normal relaxed state.

 Unfortunately, the nonstop stress of modern life

means that your alarm system almost never
shuts off.

 Over time, high levels of stress hormones lead to

serious health problems.

 Learning to identify problems and implement

solutions is the key to successful stress
reduction.

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 Importance of stress management
 Many people juggle multiple responsibilities—work-
life, home-life, care-giving and relationships (parent,
wife/husband).
 The pace of modern life makes stress management a
necessary skill for everyone.
 Only 10% of how we do in life is based on what
happens to us; 90% is based on how we respond.
 Stress management gives you a range of tools to help
you provide a better response to stressful situations
in your life.
 Without stress management, your body is kept in a
state of high alert and before long it will break down
or make your life miserable.

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 Types of stress
Stress can affect you over

a short period of time (Acute stress) or

a long period of time (Chronic stress).

Your stress level depends on:

how intense the stress is,

how long it lasts, and

how you cope with the stressful situation.

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Acute (short-term) stress

This is the body's response to any

situation that immediately seems

 Threatening

or

 Dangerous.

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 Most of the time, your body recovers quickly
from acute stress.

 But acute stress can cause problems if it

happens too often or if your body doesn't have
a chance to recover.

 In people with heart problems, acute stress

can trigger an abnormal heartbeat
(arrhythmia) or even a heart attack.

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 Chronic (long-term) stress
This is caused by situations or events that last
over months and years.

This could include:

having a difficult job,

living with a difficult husband / a quarrelsome

wife or

dealing with a chronic disease.

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The things that cause stress
are called Stressors
 Most of the stressors in our life come
from our interactions with fellow human
beings—especially those close to us.

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Causes of stress (stressors)
 Your relationships,
Problems with your family members—spouse,
children, in-laws or
feeling a lack of friendship or support in your
life.
 Emotional problems,
Such as:
anger you can't express, depression, grief,
guilt or low self-esteem.

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 Major life changes,

Such as dealing with the death of a parent or

a spouse, losing your job, getting married or
moving to a new city.

 Your health,

Especially if you have a chronic illness such

as heart disease, stroke or diabetes.

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 Stress in your family,

Such as having a newborn child or being a

caregiver to a family member who is elderly
or who has health problems.

 Conflicts with your beliefs and values.

For instance, you may value family life, but

you may not be able to spend as much time
with your family as you want.

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Your surroundings.
Living in an area where overcrowding, crime,
pollution or noise is a problem can create
chronic stress.

Your social situation.

 Having too little money (Pocketitis)
 Having too much money instantly
(Pocketrophy)
 Feeling lonely or facing discrimination based
on your tribe, gender, age or religious
affiliation can add stress to your life.

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Your job.

 Being unhappy with your work or finding

your job too demanding can lead to chronic
stress.

Unemployment.

 Losing your job or not being able to find

work can also add to your stress level.

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 Physical symptoms of stress
(Acute stress)
Stress causes physical and
emotional changes in your body.
Common physical symptoms of
stress include:
A fast heartbeat.
Headaches.
A stiff neck and/or tight
shoulders.

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Back pain.
Fast breathing.
Sweating and sweaty
palms.
Tummy upset---
(nausea or diarrhoea)

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Symptoms of chronic stress

The Immune system.

Chronic stress can make you more likely

to get sick often.

And if you have a chronic illness such

as Hypertension, stress can make your
condition worse.

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 The Heart
Stress is linked to:
High blood pressure (Hypertension),
Abnormal heartbeat (Arrhythmia),
Blood clots,
Hardening of the arteries
(Atherosclerosis)
Heart attack, and
Heart failure.

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 The Muscles

Constant tension from stress can lead to

chronic

neck,

shoulder, and

back pain.

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 The Stomach

If you have stomach problems, such as

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

(GERD),

Peptic ulcer disease or

Irritable bowel syndrome.

Stress can make your symptoms worse.

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The Reproductive system

Stress is linked to:

Menstrual problems—irregular / painful

Fertility problems,

Erection difficulties, and

Pregnancy-related problems
(miscarriages)

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 The Lungs and the Skin

Lungs

Stress can make symptoms

of asthma and chronic bronchitis worse.

Skin

Skin problems such as acne

(pimples) and itching can be made worse
by stress.

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 Emotional symptoms of stress

Features of emotional stress manifest in the

way you think, act and feel. You may:
Feel frustrated, lose your temper more often,
and yell at others for no apparent reason.
Feel anxious or tired all the time.
Find it hard to focus on tasks.
Worry too much about small things.
Imagine that bad things are happening or
about to happen to you.

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 Prevent stress

The best way to prevent stress is

 to avoid getting into situations that are

likely to

 overwhelm your ability to cope.

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 Managing stress

Stress management involves

taking control of how you respond

to stressful situations in your life.

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Foundation of stress management

The foundation of stress management is

to realize that

You are in Control of Your Life ! ! !

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 How you handle stress depends on:

 Your dominant personality:

(Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic, Phlegmatic);

 What you have learned from your family about

how to respond to stress;

 How you think about stressful situations; and

 Your social support systems.

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 The steps in stress management

To get stress under control:

Find out what is causing stress in your life.

Look for ways to reduce the amount of stress

in your life.

Learn healthy ways to relieve stress to reduce

its harmful effects on you.

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What is causing stress in your life?

Sometimes it is easy to see where the

stress is coming from:

You just lost your job,

Getting married or

There is a new baby in the family.

But other times it may not be so clear why

you feel stressed.

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Keeping a stress journal may help.
Get a small notebook and write down when
something makes you feel stressed.
Then write how you reacted and what you
did to deal with the stress.

Keeping a stress journal can help you find out

what is causing your stress and how much
stress you feel.
Then you can take steps to reduce the
stress or handle it better in future.

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 The coping techniques

 Short-term measures

And

 Long-term measures

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 Short-term measures for handling
acute stress
 Breathing method

 Shaking method

 Laughing; and

 Drinking

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 Long-term measures
Managing stress is all about taking charge of
your life:
Take charge of:
Your thoughts,
Your emotions,
Your time,
Your environment, and
The way you deal with problems.

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 Unhealthy coping strategies
When under stress, some people resort:
Smoking
Drinking alcohol
Over-eating or under-eating
Withdrawing from friends, family and social
activities

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Using hard drugs
Sleeping too much

Filling up every minute of the day to avoid

facing the stressor

Lashing out--
(angry outbursts, yelling and exhibiting
physical violence or fighting)

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Healthy ways of coping with stress

 They all require change.

You can either:
 Change the situation or
 Change your reaction to the situation.
 When deciding which option to choose,
it’s helpful to think of the
 four As: Avoid, Alter, Adapt or Accept.

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 The four A’s
Change the situation:

1. Avoid the stressor.

2. Alter the stressor.

Change your reaction:

1. Adapt to the stressor.

2. Accept the stressor.

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 Strategy #1
Avoid unnecessary stress
 Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s
not healthy to avoid a situation that
needs to be addressed.

 However, a large number of stressors in

your life can be avoided.

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Learn to Say “No”

 Know your limits and stick to them.

 Whether in your personal or professional life,

 refuse to accept added responsibilities when

you know you can’t cope.

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Avoid people who stress you out

 If someone consistently causes stress in

your life and you can’t turn the relationship
around,

 limit the amount of time you spend with that

person; or

 end the relationship altogether.

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 Take control of your environment

 If the news make you anxious, turn the

Radio or the TV off / change the channel

 If the traffic gets you tense, take a

longer but less-traveled route.

 If going to the market is an unpleasant

chore, let somebody do the shopping for
you.

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 Avoid hot-button topics
If you get upset over
Sports,
Religion or
Political discussions,

cross them off your conversation list.

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Cut down your to-do list

 Analyze your schedule, responsibilities and

daily tasks.

 Distinguish between the“shoulds” and

the“musts.”

 Drop tasks that are not truly necessary to

the bottom of the list or eliminate them
altogether.

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 Strategy #2:
Alter the situation
 If you can’t avoid a stressful situation,
try to alter it.

 Often, this involves changing the way

you communicate with people.

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Change your communication style

There are three main styles of

communication

Passive,

Assertive, and

Aggressive.

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 Passive communication
 In passive communication, you may not express
your opinions, feelings and needs.
 You may be uncomfortable speaking your mind,
especially when you are with supervisors or
people you see as important (power factor).
 When you are passive, you don't take part in
decisions that affect you, or you don't take a
stand on issues that are important to you.
 Being passive can make you feel like you have no
control over a situation.
 Feeling a lack of control leads to stress.

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 Aggressive communication
 In Aggressive communication, you honestly
state your opinions, feelings and needs, but
you do it at the expense of others.

 You may be seen as rude, unreasonable,

demanding or a bully.

 And being aggressive often offends other

people.

 Their negative reaction can lead to stress for

everyone including you.

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Assertive communication

 In Assertive communication, you state

your opinions, feelings and needs
openly.

 You do this in a respectful, tactful and

thoughtful manner.

 You are more likely to get a better

response when you practice assertive
communication.

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 Learn to be assertive
 Being assertive helps you communicate in a
healthy way.
 When you are assertive, you take part in decisions
that affect you.
 You have the satisfaction of knowing that you can
express your feelings and opinions honestly with
others.
 It helps you stand up for yourself without
offending others.
 It also helps you feel more in control of a
situation.

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 How can you be more assertive?

To be more assertive, you focus on what you

say, how you say it, where you say & when
you say it.

You can plan and practice how to be more

assertive using the assertiveness ladder.

It works both at home and at the workplace.

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 The ‘LADDER’ principle
 L: Look at what you want and what you
need. Define what you want and keep it in
mind during your discussion.
 A: Arrange a time and place to discuss the
situation.
 D: Define the problem for the other person.
Don't assume the other person already
knows about the problem.
 D: Describe your feelings using "I"
statements.

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 An "I" statement tells how you feel without
blaming someone else. For example, try
saying "I'm feeling frustrated," instead of
"You frustrate me.”

 E: Express what you want or need. Be

specific, brief and firm. For example, instead
of asking your friend to be "more
considerate," ask him to call if he'll be more
than 15 minutes late.

 R: Reinforce the idea of getting what you

want. Show the other person how your
request might be good for both of you.

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 Manage your time better

 Poor time management can cause a lot

of stress.

 When you’re running behind schedule,

it’s hard to stay calm and focused.

 But if you plan ahead you can alter the

amount of stress you’re under.

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 Strategy #3
Adapt to the stressor
 If you can’t change the stressor, change
yourself.

 You can adapt to stressful situations

and regain your sense of control by
changing
 Your expectations and
 Your attitude.

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 Reframe problems

 Try to view stressful situations from a

more positive perspective.

Instead of getting upset about a traffic

jam, look at it as an opportunity to

 listen to your favorite music, or

 enjoy looking more closely at the new

cars or the new buildings springing up in
the city.

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 Look at the big picture
 Take perspective of the stressful situation.

 Ask yourself how important this situation

will be in the long run.
 will it matter in a month? A year?
 is it really worth getting upset over?

 If the answer is no, focus your time and

energy on something else.

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 Adjust your standards
 Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable
stress.

 Set reasonable standards for yourself and

others, and learn to be okay with “good
enough” some of the time.

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 Focus on the positive
When stress is getting you down,

 take a moment to reflect on all the things

you appreciate in your life,

 including your own positive qualities and

gifts.

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 Find a purpose
 People who strive to meet a goal or fulfill a
mission — whether it's growing a garden, caring
for children or finding one's spirituality — are
better able to handle stress than those who
don't have such aspirations.

 Having a goal provides a sense of purpose,

bolsters self-esteem and brings people together.
 What your goal is doesn't matter as much as
whether the process of working toward it is
meaningful to you.

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 Strategy #4
Accept the things you can’t change
 Some sources of stress are unavoidable.
 You can’t prevent or change stressors
such as the death of a loved one, a
serious illness or a natural disaster.
 In such cases, the best way to cope
with stress is to accept things as they
are.
 Acceptance may be difficult, but in the
long run, it’s better than fighting against
a situation you can’t change.

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Don’t try to control the uncontrollable.

Many things in life are beyond our

control— particularly the behaviour of
other people.

Rather than getting upset over them,

 focus on the things you can control such
as
 the way you choose to react to
problems.

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 Look for the upside
 When facing major challenges, try to
look at them as opportunities for
personal growth.

 Ask yourself; what can I learn from this?

 If your own poor choices contributed to

a stressful situation, reflect on them
and learn from your mistakes.

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 Share your feelings

 Talk to a trusted friend

(if you are married, that should be your

spouse).

 Expressing what you’re going through

can be very helpful, even if there’s
nothing you can do to alter the stressful
situation.

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 Learn to forgive

Accept the fact that we live in an

imperfect world and that people make
mistakes.

Let go of anger and resentments.

Free yourself from negative energy by

forgiving people and moving on.

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 Strategy #5:
Make time for fun and relaxation
 You can reduce stress in your life by
having fun.

 If you regularly make time for fun and

relaxation,

 you will be well-equipped to handle life’s

stressors when they inevitably come.

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 Healthy ways to relax
 Go for a walk.

 Spend time in nature (beach / water

falls).

 Call a good friend for a chat.

 Take a long bath in deodorised water.

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 Work in your garden.

 Get a massage from your partner.

 Read a good book or magazine.

 Listen to good music.

 Dance

 Watch a comedy film / cartoons

 Go for window shopping

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 Set aside time for relaxation

 Include rest and relaxation in your daily

/ weekly schedule.

 Put the phone off or on silence

 This is your time to take a break from all

responsibilities and recharge your
emotional batteries.

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Keep your sense of humour

 Get yourself a list of jokes from the

internet

 so you can find something to laugh

about.

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 Get enough sleep

 Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well

as your body.

 Sleep helps your body to repair itself

and

 helps your body to recharge its batteries

and renew it’s energy.

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What a world ! ! !

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THANK YOU

QUESTIONS
TIME

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