Stress and Coping
Stress is .....
Stress is "the non-specific response of the body to any
demand for change"(Hans Selye,1936)
Stress occurs when people perceived that the demands
from external situations were beyond their coping capacity.
(Lazarus and Folkman ,1984)
I'm stressed out!"
Demands
Resources
Examples
routine stress, such as childcare, homework, or financial responsibilities
sudden, disruptive changes, such as a family bereavement or finding out about a job loss
traumatic stress, which can occur due to extreme trauma as a result of a severe accident, an
assault, an environmental disaster, or war
Types of Stress
Acute Stress
Chronic Stress
Acute Stress
This type of stress is short-term and usually the more common form of stress. Acute stress often
develops when people consider the pressures of events that have recently occurred or face
upcoming challenges in the near future.
For exam ple, a person may feel st ressed about a recent argument or an upcoming deadline.
How ever, t he st ress w ill reduce or disappear once a person resolves t he argument or meet s
t he deadline.
Acute stressors are often new and tend to have a clear and immediate solution. Even with
the more difficult challenges that people face, there are possible ways to get out of the
situation.
Acut e st ress does not cause t he same amo unt of damage as long-t erm, chronic st ress.
Sho rt • term effect s include tensio n headache and an upset st omache , as well as a
moderat e amo unt of dist ress.
However, repeated instances of acute stress over an extended period can become chronic and
harmful.
Chronic
This type of stress develops over a long period and is more harmful.
Ongoing poverty, a dysf unct ional family, or an unhappy marriage are examples of sit uat ions t hat
can
cause chronic stress. It occurs when a person can see no way to avoid their stressors and stops
seeking solutions. A traumatic experience early in life may also contribute to chronic stress.
Chronic st ress makes it dif ficult for t he body to ret urn to a level of stress hormone activity,
normal which can cont ribut e to problem in t he following
syst ems:
1. cardiovascular
2. respirat ory
3. sleep
4. Immune
5. reproduct ive
Activity
How do you react? (Response)
What makes you stressed?
What kinds of things make it worse?
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Behavior
Emotions
Emotional
anger burnout
concentration issues
Fatigue
a feeling of insecurity
forgetfulness
irritability
nail biting
restlessness
sadness
Physica I
sweating
pain in the back or chest
cramps or muscle spasms
fainting
headaches
nervous twitches
pins and needles sensations
Behaviour
food cravings and eat ing too or too little
much
sudden angry outbursts
drug and alcohol misuse
higher tobacco consumption
social withdrawal
frequent crying
relationship problems
Mental and other
anxiety
depression
heart disease
high blood pressure
low er im m unit y diseases
against
muscular aches
PTSD
sleeping difficulties
stomach upset
Stressful Event Thought Emotion Physical Behavior
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Stress management techniques
1. Altering how a person views a stressful event
2. Lowering the effects that stress might have on the body
3. Removing or changing the source of stress
4. Learning alternative ways of coping
Biofeedback Meditation or
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Social
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Managing Stress and Build better Coping
Exercise
Reducing the intake of alcohol, drugs, and caffeine
Nutrition
Priority management
Time
Breathing and relaxation
Talking
Acknowledging the signs
Managing Stress and Build better Coping
Exercise: A 2018 systematic review of animal studies found that exercise can reduce memory impairment in subjects
with stress, although studies on humans are necessary to confirm this.
Reducing the intake of alcohol, drugs, and caffeine: These substances will not help prevent stress, and they can
make it worse.
Nutrition: A healthful, balanced diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables can help maintain the immune system at
times of stress. A poor diet can lead to ill health and additional stress.
Priority management: It may help to spend a little time organizing a daily to-do list and focusing on urgent or time
sensitive tasks. People can then focus on what they have completed or accomplished for the day, rather than on
the
tasks they have yet to complete.
Time: People should set aside some time to organize their schedules, relax, and pursue their own interests.
Breat hing and relaxat ion: Medit at ion, massage, and yoga can help. Breat hing and relaxat ion techniques can
slow down t he heart rat e and promot e relaxat ion. Deep breat hing is also a cent ral part of mindf ulness
medit at ion.
Talking: Sharing feelings and concerns with family, friends, and work colleagues may help a person "let off steam" and
reduce feelings of isolation. Other people may be able to suggest unexpected, workable solutions to the stressor.
Acknowledging the signs: A person can be so anxious about t he problem causing the st ress that they do not not ice
the effect s on t heir body. It is import ant to be mindf ul of any changes.
Four Categories of Stabilization
1.Relax and Safety
2.Resources Activation
3.Grounding
4. Distancing
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Coping (Exercise)
Now, we will do an activity that can help you cope when you get stressed.
Sit straight in your chair or on the floor.
Bring your hands to your lower belly. Relax your shoulders. Close your eyes.
Take a long, deep, gentle breath in, sending the breath all the way down to your belly, so your
stomach expands like a balloon.
Breat h out slowly, noticing how the belly shrinks, like the air is going slowly out of the balloon
e again.
Breath in again, and breathe out again. Keep breathing like this for about 10 breaths.
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Four Elements
1 Earth
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Wate
2 r
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Air
4.
3. Fire
Self Experience
Think of someone you really love. It can be anybody you want, may be someone you have been talked
about. It can even be an animal.
Imagine that person or animal is standing right in front of you. What do they look like? Picture their
face, their eyes and their smile. Imagine you are smiling back at them.
Now, keeping your eyes closed, imagine that person is giving you a big hug, sending you love and
strength.
Enjoy that hug as that person hugs you, and sends you love and kindness. Hug them back, sending
that love and kindness back to them. (Facilitator note: If people are comfortable, ask them to put
their arms around themselves/ a teddy bear/ their child and hug. Leave a few moments silence)
Now, imagine you let go of t hat person gent ly and take a st ep back. See t hem smiling at you,
and smile back at t hem. Know t hat t hey are wit h you.
When you are ready, bring your hands together in front of you and start to rub your palms together
really fast, building warmth between your hands. And then, put your hands on your face, the neck,
hug yourself and imagine their love surrounding you.
