Roddame Angelo Erispe

Clinical Clerk Group 1

Webinar: Stress Management in the Time of COVID-19

 Stress is the reaction that people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand
placed upon them. It is the “wear and tear” our minds and bodies experience as we
attempt to cope with our continually changing environment.
 When we are stressed, we feel worried, tensed, tired, frightened, depressed, anxious,
and angry.
 External stressors include external environment, social interactions, organisational(rules,
deadlines), major life events and daily hassles(commuting, misplaced keys)
 Internal stressors include Lifestyle choice(caffeine, lack of sleep, overloaded schedule),
negative self-talk(pessimistic thinking, over analyzing), personality traits(perfectionists),
and mind traps(unrealistic thinking, “all-or-nothing” thinking, rigid thinking, exaggeration,
unrealistic expectation).
 Negative stress contributes to minor conditions such as headache, digestive problems,
skin problems, insomnia etc. When this become excessive, prolonged, and unrelieved, it
can have a harmful effect on mental, physical and spiritual health.
 Positive stress provides spurring motivation and awareness. It helps to provide the
stimulation to cope with the rising challenges. We get a sense of alertness and urgency
needed for survival.
 Physical symptoms of stress are changes in sleep pattern, fatigue, digestion changes,
loss of sexual drive, headache, fainting, breathlessness and palpitations.
 Mental symptoms of stress include lack of concentration, memory lapses, confusion, and
difficulty in making decisions.
 Behavioral symptoms include increased alcohol intake, vomiting, restlessness and
fidgeting, hypochondria, and appetite changes.
 To manage stress, we must change our thinking(reframing, focusing on strengths),
change our behavior(get organized, ventilate, humor), and change our lifestyle(diet,
exercise, sleep, leisure, and relaxation.