ACTIVITY 1: STRESS BINGO

Instruction: What do you usually do when you stress? Colored the box that correspond
your answer.

BINGO
Has hiked
Listen to Keeps a Plays a Makes ―to to the top
music journal or a musical do‖ lists of the
diary instrument mountain

Enjoys Plays with Likes to Has a fish

Eat baking electronic laugh and tank/
breakfast cookies device does so a lot aquarium

Plays Talks to Do your Enjoys Sleep 9-11

outside family favorite nature hours a
after school about activity night
problem
Goes for Practices a Does yoga
walks/bike Volunteers martial arts Daydreams or palates
riding
Enjoys Goes Works out Skis, Watch
going for a window at a gym/at skateboards movies on
drive shopping home weekends

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 UNDERSTADING STRESS

Stress is defined as a reaction of the mind and body to s stimulus that disturbs the
well-being, state of calm, or equilibrium of a person. There is a common belief that stress
is unhealthy; but discussions among experts conclude that this is not entirely the case.
Psychologists have agreed that small and sporadic amount of stress can be helpful and
beneficial to individuals, while excessive amount of stress sustained over a lengthy
period of time can be destructive to both physical and mental health.

Aside from being a reaction (or response), stress is also a stimulus, as well as a relational
condition between persons and the situations they are in (Feist and Rosenberg 2012). As
a stimulus, stress is caused by situations that may be life threatening or life changing,
such as separation, moving into a new home, or having a new job. These situations or
events are often called stressors.

Stress as a response is the way the body reacts to challenging situations. This involves the interactions
between the hormones, glands and nervous system where the adrenal glands drive the production of cortisol or
better known as ―stress hormones‖. The production of cortisol enables a person’s body to produce the energy it
needs to gear it toward action. Another response of the body similar to the production of cortisol is the release
of a substance called norepinephrine, which triggers the body’s reaction, such as an increased heart rate, high
blood pressure and respiration to prepare the body for action.

Stress as relational is when a person is experiencing stress takes a step back to look at the situation that
is causing the stress, and assesses it. Assessment here means that when the person allows reasoning to prevail
and weigh the relevance or irrelevance of the situation. If the relevance is positive, the person will look at the
situation in a more positive light. If the relevance is negative, this will produce negative emotions that may lead
to stress. An example of this is a flight delay. A positive relevance to this will have the person thinking this is
one situation he has no control of, and there may be a purpose or reason why it is happening. A negative
relevance will produce agitation and impatience, blaming the airline or whoever is responsible for the delay,
which may result in lost opportunities.

The word stress takes a lot of meaning. You look up the dictionary and lists of meaning pops up
referring to pressure, tension, hardship, emphasis, importance etc. It was Dr. Hans Selye (1907-1982), an
endocrinologist, who made the first scientific study on ―stress‖ to refer to body’s reaction to perceived threats
or tension that affects our balance (homeostasis). Balance refers to our normal, healthy and steady state.
According to Seyle, when we are faced with a stressful situation, our body reacts in ana attempt to adjust to it.
He developed a model to explain this bodily response called the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). What
happens to our body in the face of a stressor? Our hormonal system runs and alerts the body to focus on the
stressful event. If stress continues to affect our balance, we produce adrenaline which causes our hearts to beat
faster and mobilize our body to do something. There are more blood diverted to the brain and muscles that push
us to think on our feet, fight or run away. This sets a stage of ―fight or flight‖ reaction. A long time ago, when
life was simple, this fight flight reaction was alright. Such strategy helped man to survive. Think about life
during the hunting period. Hunting wild animals is a challenging task requiring a lot of physical work. That
certainly will burn off energy. And when the adrenaline is used up, the body’s natural balance is easily restored.
Today, we live in a fast modern life. While life has become easier with a lot of technological help, we are also
prone to less energetic conditions. The adrenaline continues to build up in our bodies, but we are unable to burn
off our stress by running or fighting.

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HEALTHY STRESS

These are certain types of stress that can benefit a person. Stress that is short and sporadic can propel a
person to a necessary action. These types of stress can motivate, energize and spur an individual into fruitful
action. For example, speaking in front of an audience is a healthy type of stress as it pushes the speaker to
prepare and be an effective speaker. Stage performers are also under stress while performing, and this stress
may bring out their best performances. Other types of healthy stress would be competing in sports. Healthy
stress can propel the competing individual to perform better.

Bad stress can be transformed into good stress depending on how an individual assesses the situation.
Adolescent students, who are in constant stressful situations particularly related to school-work and
relationships, should learn some coping mechanisms to assist them in their development toward a healthy adult
life.

Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very
demanding circumstances. If you’re reading this, you’re thinking, ―Duh!‖ So, how is it that we stress ourselves
out and how do we know if the stress we are feeling is healthy or not healthy?

Healthy stress is short term—for example, a deadline at work or school. Once healthy stress passes you feel
relieved and often times a little euphoric.

Unhealthy stress begins to wear on you. You may feel chronically fatigued, lose interest in things that
previously gave you pleasure. You may have physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches or other
pains. And my personal go to when stressed out…irritability.
Anytime you are having physical symptoms that don’t resolve within a reasonable amount of time (week to ten
days), make sure you see your doctor to rule out medication issues or other ailments. Talk to your doctor about
suspecting it could be stress.

If you both agree your symptoms are stress related, consider adopting one of the following 10 healthy
habits recommended by the American Heart Association:
1. Talk with family and friends.
2. Engage in daily physical activity.
3. Embrace the things you are able to change.
4. Remember to laugh.
5. Give up the bad habits.
6. Slow down.
7. Get enough sleep.
8. Get organized.
9. Practice giving back.
10. Try not to worry.

I already sense you are stressing out over this list of ten. Just choose one. One of the ways we stress ourselves
out is looking at EVERYTHING we need to accomplish at the same time. That’s a recipe for overwhelm. For
me, getting organized is calming and makes me feel accomplished. Tonight I think my pantry is going to get a
makeover! Namaste!

CAUSES OF STRESS

Stress is actually a normal part of life. At times, it serves a useful purpose. Stress can motivate you to
get that promotion at work, or run the last mile of a marathon. But if you don't get a handle on your stress and it
becomes long-term, it can seriously interfere with your job, family life, and health. More than half of Americans
say they fight with friends and loved ones because of stress, and more than 70% say they experience real
physical and emotional symptoms from it.

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 Everyone has different stress triggers. Work stress tops the list, according to surveys. Forty percent of
U.S. workers admit to experiencing office stress, and one-quarter say work is the biggest source of stress in
their lives.
Causes of work stress include:

 Being unhappy in your job

 Having a heavy workload or too much responsibility
 Working long hours
 Having poor management, unclear expectations of your work, or no say in the decision-making process
 Working under dangerous conditions
 Being insecure about your chance for advancement or risk of termination
 Having to give speeches in front of colleagues
 Facing discrimination or harassment at work, especially if your company isn't supportive

Life stresses can also have a big impact. Examples of life stresses are:

 The death of a loved one

 Divorce
 Loss of a job
 Increase in financial obligations
 Getting married
 Moving to a new home
 Chronic illness or injury
 Emotional problems (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-esteem)
 Taking care of an elderly or sick family member
 Traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, theft, rape, or violence against you or a loved one

Sometimes the stress comes from inside, rather than outside. You can stress yourself out just
by worrying about things. All of these factors can lead to stress:

 Fear and uncertainty. When you regularly hear about the threat of terrorist attacks, global warming, and toxic
chemicals on the news, it can cause you to feel stressed, especially because you feel like you have no control
over those events. And even though disasters are typically very rare events, their vivid coverage in the media
may make them seem as if they are more likely to occur than they really are. Fears can also hit closer to
home, such as being worried that you won't finish a project at work or won't have enough money to pay your
bills this month.
 Attitudes and perceptions. How you view the world or a particular situation can determine whether it causes
stress. For example, if your television set is stolen and you take the attitude, "It's OK, my insurance company
will pay for a new one," you'll be far less stressed than if you think, "My TV is gone and I'll never get it
back! What if the thieves come back to my house to steal again?" Similarly, people who feel like they're
doing a good job at work will be less stressed out by a big upcoming project than those who worry that they
are incompetent.
 Unrealistic expectations. No one is perfect. If you expect to do everything right all the time, you're destined
to feel stressed when things don't go as expected.
 Change. Any major life change can be stressful -- even a happy event like a wedding or a job promotion.
More unpleasant events, such as a divorce, major financial setback, or death in the family can be significant
sources of stress.

Your stress level will differ based on your personality and how you respond to situations. Some people let
everything roll off their back. To them, work stresses and life stresses are just minor bumps in the road. Others
literally worry themselves sick.

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What are the 4 Basic Sources of Stress?
―Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.‖ – Ovid
Stress is an unavoidable byproduct of life. When natural changes occur, we typically experience stress
during the process of adaptation. It is worthwhile to note that stress results from both positive and negative
changes. When we experience negative changes (e.g., experiencing some type of loss) it is easily understood
that stress results. It may be slightly less intuitive to consider the ways in which stress results from positive
changes (e.g., falling in love or getting a promotion). Even the happy events of life usually result in the
experience of some form of stress. It is the change that is stressful.

(1) Environment
Our environment is constantly bombarding us with a diverse array of allergens, toxins, pollution, noise,
and traffic. Our bodies are constantly adapting to whatever our current environment is throwing at us. While
there are aspects of the environment that are more difficult to personally control, it is important to note which
aspects of our personal environment we can control. How can you actively make your living and working
environment as clean, healthy, and free of unnecessary stress as possible?

(2) Social
There is a wide array of stressors within our social worlds placing demands on our time and attention as
well as our mental and emotional resources. This social context is constantly presenting us with interpersonal
challenges to juggle: work demands, financial obligations, family life, and loved ones. In order to successfully
navigate our social worlds without becoming overwhelmed by stress, we must learn how to balance obligations,
needs, and desires effectively.

(3) Physiological
Our bodies are constantly undergoing changes as we go through the days, weeks, months, and
years. Sometimes we nourish our bodies with proper sleep, adequate exercise, and balanced nutrition. Other
times we abuse our bodies with lack of sleep, a sedentary lifestyle, and a poor diet. It is true that we are often
our own worst enemies when we make ourselves unhealthy through poor lifestyle choices. Many unhealthy
choices are made in an effort to achieve ―instant gratification‖ or mistakenly take away stress in the
moment. All of those unhealthy choices only come back to increase our levels of stress in the long-term. The
trick lies in finding a healthy balance that can be maintained as an ongoing lifestyle.

(4) Thoughts
Our own internal cognitive processes are an incredible source of stress for many people. The way that
we interpret changes in our environments has a great deal to do with the subjective levels of stress that we
actually experience. Two people could experience the exact same life change, but if those two people have very
different thoughts about that life change, their levels of stress will be just as different. For example, if two
people both received an e-mail from their boss or professor asking to speak with them privately at the end of the
day, there are very different thoughts that could occur. One person might think, ―Oh no, I just know I’m going
to get fired!‖ While the other person thinks, ―I must have done really well with that presentation!‖ It is easy to
see how subjective levels of stress will be quite different for these two individuals.

What recent life changes have you experienced (positive or negative) that have impacted your current
level of stress? Do you feel that you typically experience higher levels of stress in any one of these four basic
categories? Sometimes we don’t even realize how many changes we may have experienced recently until we
take a moment to pause and reflect on recent life changes. It is helpful to practice directing compassion towards
yourself during times of intense stress, and remember that all changes (even the happy ones) bring with them
levels of stress as we adapt.

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1. What is stress?

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2. What happens to our body when we are stress?

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3. Do you think stress is bad? Explain your answer?

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1. Self- Assessment exercises: ― How stressed are you?‖

Rate the level of your stress on the scale of 1to 10. Encircle the number that best represents you. 1 is
calm, relaxed state, 10 is high stressed level.

…1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10
2. What happen to you when you stressed? List down your typical reactions.

PHYSICAL EMOTIONAL

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INTELLECTUAL BEHAVIORAL

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