Stress Management
ISHITA CHATTERJEE
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
M.A. , M.PHIL (CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY)
Which of these is stress?
ALL OF THESE
ARE STRESS
You receive a promotion at work
Your car has a flat tyre
You go to a fun party that lasts till 2:00 a.m.
Your dog gets sick
Your new bedroom set is being delivered
Your best friend and his wife come to stay
at your house for a week
You develop a bad case of viral fever
What is
Stress is a condition
experienced when a
person perceives that,
demands exceed the
personal and social
resources the individual
is able to mobilize
[Lazarus, 1984]
What is stress?
Stress is your mind and
body’s response or reaction
to a real or imagined threat,
event or change
The threat, event or change
are commonly called
stressors. Stressors can be
internal (thoughts, beliefs,
attitudes) or external (loss,
tragedy, change)
Process of Stress
STRESSOR PERCEPTION EMOTIONAL
OF THREAT REACTION
Activating Appraisal of situation Stress
event as dangerous response
Stress Concepts
Stress is universal (Environment, work,
school, family, friends,…)
Perception is a common source of stress
(encounter appears threatening)
Negative feelings or bad habits may cause
stress
Stress is not all bad
STRESS GOOD OR
BAD???
Stress Concepts
The line between eustress,
that turns you on and the
distress that wears you out
is often difficult to
distinguish
People’s evaluations of
stress and performance are
by necessity subjective
Healthful stress levels vary
greatly among individuals
STAGES OF STRESS
The general adaptation syndrome
(Hans Selye)
Alarm Stage
The organism identifies an environmental
demand as threatening
Manifestations-
Cardiac - increased heart rate
Respiratory - increased respiration
Skin - decreased temperature
Hormonal - increased stimulation of adrenal
glands which produce an adrenal rush
Resistance Stage
Organism gathers resources to cope with
the demand
Your friends, family or co-workers may
notice changes in you before you do so
It is important to examine their feedback to
make sure you do not reach overload
Manifestations
Behavior indicators include: lack of
enthusiasm for family, school, work or life in
general, withdrawal, change in eating habits,
insomnia, hypersomnia, anger, fatigue
Cognitive indicators include: poor problem
solving, confusion, nightmares, hyper-
vigilance
Emotional indicators include: tearfulness,
fear, anxiety, panic, guilt, depression,
agitation, overwhelmed
Exhaustion Stage
During this stage the stressor is not
being managed effectively and the
body and mind are not able to repair
the damage
Manifestations-
Digestive disorders, withdrawal,
headaches, tension, insomnia, loss of
temper
Disorders due to stress
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Acute and transient psychosis (ATP)
Adjustment disorder
Depression
Schizophrenia
Substance use disorders
Anxiety disorders
Psychosomatic disorders
Management Strategies
Stress
management is a decision-making process
When we are under stress, there are three major
ways we can deal with it
The AAAbc’s of Stress
A – alter it
A – avoid it
A – accept it
b – building our resistance
c – changing our perception
Management Strategies
Alter = removing the source of stress
by changing something
– Problem solving
– Direct communication
– Organizing, planning, and time
management are common
techniques for altering stress
Management Strategies
Avoid = removing oneself
from the stressful situation
To conserve stress energy,
people sometimes
– need to walk away
– let go
– say “No”
– Delegate
– Withdraw
– Know limitation
Management Strategies
Accept = equipping oneself
physically and mentally for stress
Management Strategies
B = building resistance
– Physically– proper diet,
regular aerobic exercise,
and systematic relaxation
techniques
– Spiritually- meditation,
prayer, worship, faith, and
commitment strengthen
people
Management Strategies
b = building resistance…..
– Mentally- positive affirmation,
taking time for mental health,
and getting clear about
goals/values/priorities
– Socially- by building and
maintaining support systems,
investing in relationships, clear
communication, and intimacy
Management Strategies
C=change
– Change the way you perceive the
situation or yourself. Changing
unrealistic expectations and irrational
belief is a good start
– Building self-esteem and cultivating a
positive attitude
– Redefining the situation in a less
stress-provoking way i.e., “isn’t it
funny” or “isn’t it grand” instead of
“isn’t it awful,” increases stress
resistance
Techniques…Cognitive
restructuring
Way to change one’s thought process (negative
thinking)
One has to challenge the way one thinks
Cognitive distortions - arbitrary inference,
selective abstraction, overgeneralization,
magnification and minimization
Replace automatic negative thoughts with more
rationalized positive thoughts
Psychotherapy based
management techniques
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Rational emotive Behavior Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Techniques….. Effective simple
relaxation practice
Relaxation techniques are
exercises done that reverse the
physical stress response.
Several types are there:
Biofeedback
Prayer
Meditation
Visualization or imagery
Progressive muscle
relaxation
Relaxation Techniques (contd..)
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is the
process of gaining
greater awareness of
many physiological
functions primarily using
instruments that provide
information on the
activity of those same
systems, with a goal of
being able to manipulate
them at will
Relaxation Techniques (contd..)
Meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual
trains the mind or induces a mode of
consciousness, either to realize some benefit.
Relaxation Techniques (contd..)
Deep breathing
"Deep breathing involves slow and deep inhalation
through the nose, usually to a count of 10,
followed by slow and complete exhalation for a
similar count. The process may be repeated 5 to 10
times, several times a day
Relaxation Techniques (contd..)
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)
- Progressive muscle relaxation involves alternately
tensing and relaxing the muscles
- A person using PMR may start by sitting or lying
down in a comfortable position
- With the eyes closed, the muscles are tensed (10
seconds) and relaxed (25 seconds) sequentially
through various parts of the body
- The whole PMR session takes approximately 30
minutes
General techniques to foster
stress management
Time Management
Problem Solving
Assertive Communication
When to seek help?
Loosing temper very easily
Remaining irritable
Disturbed sleep, appetite
Making frequent mistakes at work
Forgetfulness
Excessive fatigue
Taking recourse to alcohol and other
substances
Conclusion
Stress is universal
Stress is not all bad
Stress is associated with physical and
mental health problems
Stress can be managed if learned
Professional advice should be sought if not
handled effectively
Relax !!!!!
