WELCOME

Managing
Stress
17 TH August 2021

A Annapurna

Founder and CEO

Emotionalytic s and Co.

Let's check
our stress
levels

https://www.mind.plus /check
-stress-level /
 Stress is the reaction people have
to excessive pressures or other
types of demand placed upon

WHAT IS them. It arises when they worry

that they can’t cope.
STRESS ?
Stress is the “wear and tear” our
minds and bodies experience as we
attempt to cope with our
continually changing environment

S=P>R
Stress occurs when the pressure is greater than the resource
What is Stress ?
➢Str e s s i s th e b o d y ’s a u to m a tic r e s p o n s e to
a ny p hy si ca l or m e n ta l d e m a n d p l a ce d o n i t.

➢A d r e n aline i s a ch e m i cal n a tu ra lly p r o d u ce d

i n o u r b o d y a s a r e s p o n s e to s tr e s s .

➢Fi g h t o r Fl i g h t r e s po ns e i s i l licited .
 Moderate levels of stress may actually
improve performance and efficiency

Is All Stress
Too little stress may result in boredom
Bad?
Too much stress may cause an
unproductive anxiety level
 Worry Tense

Tired Frightened
Stress and
Emotions
Elated Depressed

Anxious Anger
Types of Stresses

External Internal
 EXTERNAL STRESSORS

Physical Social
Organisational
Environment Interaction

Major Life
Daily Hassles
Events
 EXTERNAL STRESSORS

PHYSICAL SOCIAL ORGANISATIONAL

ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTION
❖ Noise ❖ Rules
❖ Rudeness
❖ Bright Lights ❖ Regulations
❖ Bossiness
❖ Heat ❖ “Red - Tape”
❖ Aggressiveness by
❖ Confined ❖ Deadlines
others
Spaces ❖ Bullying

MAJOR LIFE EVENTS DAILY HASSLES

❖ Birth ❖ Commuting
❖ Death ❖ Misplaced keys
❖ Lost job ❖ Mechanical breakdowns
❖ Promotion
❖ Marital status change
 Lifestyle choices

Negative self - talk

INTERNAL
STRESSORS
Mind traps

Personality traits
 INTERNAL STRESSORS

LIFESTYLE CHOICES NEGATIVE SELF - TALK

❖ Caffeine ❖ Pe s s i m is tic
th i nking
❖ Lack of sleep
❖ Se l f cr i ti cis m
❖ Overloaded
❖ O ve r a n a l ys in g
schedule

MIND TRAPS PERSONALITY TRAITS

❖ Unrealistic expectations
❖ Perfectionists
❖ Taking things personally
❖ Workaholics
❖ All or nothing thinking
❖ Exaggeration
❖ Rigid thinking
 Everyone is different, with
unique perceptions of, and
reactions to, events. There is no

THE single level of stress that is

optimal for all people. Some are
INDIVIDUAL more sensitive owing to
experiences in childhood, the
influence of teachers, parents
and religion etc.
SELF –GENERATED OR PERCEIVED STRESS

Most of the stress we experience is self-generated. How we

perceive life - whether an event makes us feel threatened or
stimulated, encouraged or discouraged, happy or sad - depends
to a large extent on how we perceive ourselves.

Self-generated stress is something of a paradox, because so

many people think of external causes when they are upset.

Recognising that we create most of our own upsets is an

important first step towards coping with them.
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM RESPONSES

INCREASED PUPIL PERSPIRATION INCREASED RAPID MUSCLE

DILATION HEART RATE AND BREATHING TENSENESS
BLOOD PRESSURE

INCREASED
MENTAL
ALERTNESS
GENERAL
ADAPTATION
SYNDROME

Alarm response

Adaptation

Exhaustion
ALARM
This is the “ Fight or Flight”
RESPONSE response that prepares the body for
immediate action.
 If the source persists, the body
prepares for long -term protection,
secreting hormones to increase blood
sugar levels. This phase is common
ADAPTATION and not necessarily harmful, but

PHASE must include periods of relaxation

and rest to counterbalance the stress
response. Fatigue, concentration
lapses, irritability and lethargy result
as the stress turns negative.
 In chronic stress situations,
sufferers enter the exhaustion phase:
emotional, physical and mental
resources suffer heavily, the body
EXHAUSTION experiences ‘ adrenal exhaustion’
leading to decreased stress tolerance,
progressive mental and physical
exhaustion, illness and collapse.
SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

PHYSICAL MENTAL BEHAVIOURAL EMOTIONAL

SYMPTOMS SYMPTOMS SYMPTOMS SYMPTOMS
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

✓ Sleep pattern changes ✓ Dizziness

✓ Fatigue ✓ Fainting
✓ Digestion changes ✓ Sweating & trembling
✓ Loss of sexual drive
✓ Tingling hands & feet
✓ Headaches
✓ Breathlessness
✓ Aches and pains
✓ Palpitations
✓ Infections
✓ Missed heartbeats
✓ Indigestion
 Lack of concentration

Memory lapses

MENTAL Difficulty in making decisions

SYMPTOMS Confusion

Disorientation

Panic attacks
 Appetite changes - too much or too little

Eating disorders - anorexia, bulimia

Increased intake of alcohol & other drugs

BEHAVIOURAL Increased smoking

SYMPTOMS Restlessness

Fidgeting

Nail biting

Hypochondria
 Bouts of depression

Impatience

EMOTIONAL
Fits of rage
SYMPTOMS
Tearfulness

Deterioration of personal hygiene and

appearance
 Stress is not the same as ill-health, but has
been related to such illnesses as;

Cardiovascular disease
STRESS
RELATED Immune system disease

ILLNESSES
Asthma

Diabetes
 Digestive disorders

Ulcers

STRESS Skin complaints - psoriasis

RELATED
Headaches and migraines
ILLNESSES
Pre-menstrual syndrome

Depression
Stress at Work
WHY DO Work provides an income and fulfils
a variety of other needs; - mental
WE WORK ? and physical exercise, social contact,
a feeling of self-worth and
competence.
FACTORS INFLUENCING WORK STRESS

▪ The drive for success ▪ Uncertainty

▪ Changing work ▪ Conflict
patterns ▪ Responsibility
▪ Working conditions ▪ Relationships at work
▪ Overwork ▪ Change at work
▪ Under-work
THE DRIVE FOR SUCCESS

Society is driven by ‘work’,

personal adequacy equates Our culture demands monetary
with professional success, we success / professional status.
crave status and abhor failure.
 Many people feel lucky to have a job.

CHANGING Unemployment, redundancy, shorter working

WORK weeks, new technology affect emotional and

physical security. No more jobs for life, more short

PATTERNS - term contracts.

Financial and emotional burnout is increasing

among all levels.
WORKING CONDITIONS

Physical and mental health is adversely

affected by unpleasant working conditions, such
as high noise levels, lighting, temperature and
unsocial or excessive hours.
OVERWORK

STRESS MAY OCCUR THROUGH AN CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS LONG

INABILITY TO COPE WITH THE HOURS, UNREALISTIC DEADLINES AND
TECHNICAL OR INTELLECTUAL FREQUENT INTERRUPTIONS WILL
DEMANDS OF A PARTICULAR TASK. COMPOUND THIS.
UNDERWORK

This may arise from boredom because there is

not enough to do, or because a job is dull and
repetitive.
UNCERTAINTY

About the individuals work role - objectives,

responsibilities, and expectations, and a lack of
communication and feedback can result in
confusion, helplessness, and stress.
CONFLICT

Stress can arise from work the individual does

not want to do or that conflicts with their
personal, social and family values.
RESPONSIBILITY

The greater the level of

responsibility the greater
the potential level of
stress.
 Stresses - Organisational

• C o m p a n y t a k e ove r • Re a ct to ch a n g e s
• Re d u c t i o n s / l a yo f f s • A d va nce men t d if f icult
• Major reorganisation
• Re d ta p e d e l ays j o b s
• Company sale / relocation
• In s u f f icie nt r e s ou rce s
• E m p l oye e b e n e f i t c u t s
• Pay b e l o w g oin g ra te
• M a n d a t o r y ove r t i m e r e q u i r e d
• Te ch n o lo gy ch a ng es
• Little input into decisions
• E m p l oyee b e n e f its p o o r
• M i s t a k e c o n s e q u e n c e s s e ve r e

• Wo r k l o a d s va r y • Wo r k p lace co n d i tion s

• Fa s t p a c e d w o r k • C o n s i s ten t p o or p e r f o rm an ce
RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK

Good relationships with colleagues are crucial.

Open discussion is essential to encourage positive
relationships.
CHANGES AT WORK

Changes that alter psychological, physiological

and behavioural routines such as promotion,
retirement and redundancy are particularly
stressful.
Self - help
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.
STRESS CONTROL

A B C STRATEGY
 Change Change your thinking

Stress
Management Change Change your behaviour

Techniques

Change Change your lifestyle

Change your Thinking

RE-FRAMING POSITIVE THINKING

Re-framing

Re-framing is a technique to change the way

you look at things in order to feel better about
them. There are many ways to interpret the same
situation so pick the one you like. Re -framing does
not change the external reality, but helps you
view things in a different light and less stressfully.
 Positive Thinking

01 02 03 04 05 06

Forget Stress leaves us Focus on your Learn from the Look for Seek out the
powerlessness, vulnerable to strengths stress you are opportunities positive - make
dejection, negative under a change.
despair, failure suggestion so
focus on
positives;
Change your Behaviour

BE ASSERTIVE GET ORGANISED VENTILATION HUMOUR DIVERSION AND

DISTRACTION
Be Assertive

Assertiveness helps to manage stressful

situations, and will , in time, help to reduce their
frequency. Lack of assertiveness of ten shows low
self - esteem and low self - confidence. The key to
assertiveness is verbal and non - verbal
communication. Extending our range of
communication skills will improve our
assertiveness.
 1) The right to express 2) The right to express
my feelings opinions / beliefs

Equality and 3) The right to say 4) Right to change

Basic Rights ‘Yes/No’ for yourself your mind

6) Right to be yourself,
5) Right to say ‘I don’t
not acting for the
understand’
benefit of others
 7) THE RIGHT TO 8) THE RIGHT TO MAKE 9) THE RIGHT TO SET MY 10) THE RIGHT TO BE
DECLINE REASONABLE REQUESTS OWN PRIORITIES LISTENED TO, AND
RESPONSIBILITY FOR OF OTHERS TAKEN SERIOUSLY
OTHER PEOPLE’S
PROBLEMS
Being Assertive

Being assertive involves standing up for your

personal rights and expressing your thoughts,
feelings and beliefs directly, honestly and
spontaneously in ways that don’ t infringe the
rights of others.
 Assertive People

Take responsibility
Respect themselves Ask openly for what
for actions and
and others they want
choices

Disappointed if Self - confidence Not reliant on the

‘want’ denied remains intact approval of others
Assertive Skills

Establish good eye Stand or sit

Talk in a firm,
contact / don’t comfortably - don’t Use body language
steady voice
stare fidget

‘What do you
Concise and to the
‘I think’ / ‘I feel’ think?’ ‘How do
point
you feel ?’
Benefits

Higher self-esteem Less self-conscious Less anxious

Appreciate yourself
Manage stress Feeling of self-
and others more
more successfully control
easily
Get Organised

Poor organisation is one of the most common causes of

stress. Structured approaches offer security against ‘out of
the blue’ problems. Prioritising objectives, duties and
activities makes them manageable and achievable. Don’ t
overload your mind. Organisation will help avoid personal and
professional chaos.
 Make a list

What MUST be done

What SHOULD be done

Time
What would you LIKE to do
Management
Cut out time wasting

Learn to drop unimportant activities

Say no or delegate
Plan Plan your day

Set Set achievable goals

Don’t Don’t waste time making excuses for

waste not doing something

 ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’

Develop a support network through friends or

Ventilation colleagues to talk with. It’s not always events
that are stressful but how we perceive them.

Writing a diary or notes may help release

feelings but do not re-read what has been
written.
 Good stress - reducer

Applies at home and work

Humour Relieves muscular tension

Improves breathing

Pumps endorphins into the bloodstream - the

body’s natural painkillers
 Get away from
Take time out things that bother
you

Diversion
Doesn’t solve the
and problem
Reduce stress level

Distraction

Calm down Think logically

Change Your Lifestyle

❑ Diet

❑ Smoking & Alcohol

❑ Exercise

❑ Sleep

❑ Leisure

❑ Relaxation
Diet

Healthy eating habits

Caffeine (Stimulant)

Salt
Smoking and Alcohol

Moderate your consumption

Benefits of Exercise

Uses up excess energy released by the ‘Fight or Flight’ reaction.

Improves blood circulation

Lowers blood pressure

Clears the mind of worrying thoughts

Improves self image

Makes you feel better about yourself

Increases social contact

 Difficult to
Good stress
cope when
reducer
tired

Sleep
Wake
Plenty of
refreshed
daytime
after night’s
energy
sleep
 Interest

Gives you a ‘break’ from

stresses
Leisure
Provides outlet for relief

Provides social contact

 Lowers blood pressure

Combats fatigue

Benefits of
Promotes sleep
Relaxation
Reduces pain

Eases muscle tension

Decreases mental worries

Increases concentration

Increases productivity

Increases clear thinking

Alternatives

❖ Conventional Medicine ❖ Floatation

❖ Counselling & psychotherapy ❖ Herbalism
❖ Relaxation ❖ Biofeedback
❖ Meditation ❖ Homeopathy
❖ Massage ❖ Hypnotherapy
❖ Yoga ❖ Osteopathy
❖ Acupuncture ❖ Pet Therapy
❖ Aromatherapy ❖ Ref lexology
Brief Mindfulness Exercise

Just sit in a comfortable position, close

your eyes and listen.

https://www.7cups.com /exercises /mindful

ness523/
https://www.7cups.com /exercises /mindful
ness1/
The Key Word Is….

Balance