STRESS

BY:
MUTEGEKI ADOLF
Definition
• Stress is a state that occurs when people encounter events that
they perceive as endangering their physical or psychological
well-being.
• Stress is the body's way of responding to any kind of demand or
threat.
• When you sense danger—whether it's real or imagined—the
body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process
known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction or
• The "stress response." The stress response is the body's way of
protecting you.
 Concepts of stress
 Stress is a universal phenomenon
 Stress can have both positive and negative effects
 Stress is produced by change in the environment that is perceived
as a challenge, threat, and danger.
 Stress affects the whole person in all the human dimensions
 Perception of stress and response to it are highly individualized
 When a person faces the stressor, responses are referred as coping
strategies, coping responses or coping mechanisms.
 Emotional stress: situations difficult or unable to manage.
 Emotional stress often occurs as physical discomfort e.g.
stomach cramps

 Physical stress: physical reaction of the body to various

triggers e.g. pain after surgery.

 Physical stress often leads to emotions stress

 Different people consider different situations stressful.
 Speaking in public can be stressful to some and
relaxing for others.
 Stress may not necessary be harmful
 Mild forms of stress can act as motivators or
energizers.
 Too high stress levels lead to medical and social
problems
 SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Insomnia
Loss of appetite
Fatigue
Loss of weight Forgetfulness
Poor concentration Anxiety
Anger leads to aggression
Isolation
•Maybe :- feelings, thoughts, behavior and
physiology
Feelings
 Feeling anxious
 Feeling scared
 Feeling irritable
 Feeling moody
Thoughts
Low self esteem
Fear of failure
Inability to concentrate
Embarrassment
Worrying about the future
Pre-occupation with thoughts flasks
Forgetfulness
Behaviour
 Shuttering and other speech difficulties
 Crying for no apparent reason
 Acting impulsively
 Startling easily
 Laughing in a high pitch and nervous tone of voice.
 Grinding your teeth
 Increasing smoking
 Increasing of use of drugs and alcohol
 Being accident prone
 Losing your appetite or over eating
 Physiological
 Perspiration/sweaty hands
 Increased heart beat
 Trembling
 Nervous ticks
 Dryness of throat and mouth
 Tiring easily
 Urinating frequently
 Sleeping problems
 diarrhea/indegestion/vomiting
• Butterflies in stomach
• Headaches
• Pre-menstrural tension
• Pain in the neck and or
lower back
• Loss of appetite or over
eating
• Susceptibility to illness
 Is the glass half full or half empty?
•A situation can be stressful or not -- it all
depends on your perception of the event

•A response to stress can be effective or not

-- it depends on your resources and coping
strategies
Relationship between stress and illness
Major life changes that can be stressful
 Meeting academic demands  New life style
 Going to college  Divorce
 Transfer to a new school
 Death of loved one
 New living environment
 Marriage  Being fired from job
 Pregnancy  Developing friendships
 New job
Environmental events that can be stressful
• Time pressure
• Competition
• Financial problem
• Noise
• Disappointments.
 Effects of stress

1.Direct physiological Damage of blood vessels

effects Damage of body organs
 Vaginal infection
Heart diseases
 Peptic ulcers Sexual dysfunction
 Hypertension
 Decreased immune system
 Indirect health related
Harmful behaviors behaviors

• Increased smoking and Decreased compliance

alcohol use with medical advice
• Decreased nutrition Increased delays in
seeking medical care
• Decreased sleep
Decreased likelihood of
• Increased drug use
seeking medical advice
• Prostitution
 General adaptation syndrome (gas) – hans selye,
1945
• In 1936 Hans Selye created the stress model
"General Adaptation Syndrome", which
thoroughly explains the stress response and how
aging and disease are caused by chronic exposure
to stress.
• The General Adaptation Syndrome is a model that
is comprised of three elements or phases which
describe the body’s response to stress
 Stage 1: Alarm Stage
• Stage 1: Alarm Stage
The first stage of the general adaptation stage, the alarm
reaction, is the immediate reaction to a stressor.
• In the initial phase of stress, humans exhibit a "fight or
flight" response, releases the “stress” hormones such as
adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol which prepares the
body for physical activity.
• However, this initial response can also decrease the
effectiveness of the immune system, making persons more
susceptible to illness during this phase.
 Stage 2:  Resistance
• During this phase, homeostasis begins restoring balance
and a period of recovery for repair and renewal takes place.
• The stress hormone levels may return to normal but you
may have reduced defence and adaptive energy left. 
• If a stressful condition persists, your body adapts by a
continued effort in resistance and remains in a state of
arousal.
• When the body finds itself repeating this process too often
with little or no recovery this moves one into the final stage.
 Stage 3: Exhaustion
• During this phase, the stress has been persistent for a longer
period. The body starts to lose its ability to combat the stressors
and reduce their harmful impact because the adaptive energy is
exhausted
• . The body's resistance to the stress may gradually be reduced, or
may collapse quickly. Generally, this means the immune system,
and the body's ability to resist disease, may be almost totally
eliminated.
• Those who experience long-term stress may succumb to heart
attacks or severe infection or other diseases due to their reduced
immunity.
 STRESS MANAGEMENT
 Everyone experiences stress, its normal
 Normal does not mean healthy or inevitable
 Everyone can learn to eliminate stress
 Doesn’t mean elimination of pressure in life.
 Pressures will persist e.g. Bills, Hours in a day will never be
added, career or family responsibilities always demanding e.t.c
 Being in control of one’s life is the foundation of stress
management.
START A STRESS JOURNAL
 Help to keep track of regular stressors in life and
the way to deal with them
 Write down:
i) What caused your stress?
ii) How you felt, both physically and emotionally.
iii) How you acted in response?
iv) What you did to make yourself feel better
COPING WITH STRESS
• Health journal identifies coping strategies
• Coping strategies may be healthy or unhealthy,
helpful or unproductive
• Unfortunately many people cope with stress in
ways that compound the problem.
 UNHEALTHY WAYS OF COPING WITH
STRESS
Temporarily reduce stress, but cause more damage in
long run.
• Smoking
• Drinking too much
• Over eating or under eating
• Zoning out for hours in front of the T.V or computer.
• Withdrawing from friends, family and activities
• Using pills or drugs to relax
• Sleeping too much
• Procrastinating
• Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing
problem
• Taking out your stress on others
(Lasting out, angry out bursts, physical violence).
HEALTHIER WAYS OF MANAGING
STRESS
• Contribute to great emotional and physical
health.
• Require change; change the situation or
change reaction
• Four As: Avoid, alter, adapt or accept
 DEALING WITH STRESSFUL
SITUATIONS: The four A’s
1. Change the situation
 Avoid the stressor
2. Change your reaction
 Adapt to the stressor
3. Adapt to the stressors
 After the stressor
4. Accept the things you cant change
 Accept the stressor
STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
• 1: AVOIDUNNECESSARY STRESS
• Learn how to say “no”
• Avoid people who stress you out
• Take control of your environment
• Avoid hot – button topics
• Pare down your to – do list
2: alter the situation
•Express your feelings instead of bottling
them up.
•Be willing to compromise(agree/accept)
•Be more assertive(confident)
•Manage your time better
3: Adapt to the stressor Reframe problems

• Look at the big picture

• Adjust your standards
• Focus on the positive
• Adjust your attitude
ACCEPT THE THINGS YOU CAN’T
CHANGE

•Don’t try to control the uncontrollable

•Look for the upside
•Share your feelings
•Learn to forgive
MAKE TIME FOR FUN AND
RELAXATION
Healthy ways to relax and recharge
 Go for a walk
 Call a good friend
 Sweat out tension with a good workout
 Write in your journal
 Take a long bath
 Light scented candles
 Savor warm up of coffee or tea
• Savor warm cup of coffee or tea
• Play with a pet
• Work in your garden
• Get a massage
• Curl up with a good book
• Listen to music
• Watch a comedy
 TECHNIQUES OF STRESS
MANAGEMENT
 Autogenic training (e.g say to yourself I am calm repeat 6 times)
 Cognitive therapy
 Conflict resolution
 Exercise
 Getting a hobby
 Meditation
 Deep breathing
 No hot topics
 Relaxation techniques
•Fractional relaxation
•Progressive relaxation
•Spas
•Spending time in nature
•Stress balls
•Natural medicine
•Clinically validated alternative treatments
Time management
Listening to certain types of relaxing
music particularly
i) New age music
ii)Classical music
AN INDIVIDUAL STRESS
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
•Make an effort to stop negative thoughts
•Plan some fun
•Refocus the negative into the positive
•Take a break
•Think positively
Physical activity
•Start a physical activity program
•Decide on a specific time, type, amount and
level of physical activity.
•Exercise regularly
•Find a buddy to exercise with
•You do not have to join a gym
Nutrition
 Plan to eat foods that improve your health and well
being, fruits and vegetables.
 Use the food guide pyramid to help you make healthy
food choices.
 Eat the right amount of food on a regular schedule.
 Eat healthy diet
 Reduce caffeine and sugar
 Avoid alcohol, cigarette and drugs
Social support
•Make an effort to interact socially with
people-
•Nurture yourself and other
•Reach out to other people
•Connect with others
Relaxation
 Do something you enjoy everyday
 Learn about and try using one or more of the many
relation techniques.
 Listen to your body.
 Take a mini retreat
 Take time for personal interests and hobbies.
 Keep your sense of humor.
 Set a side relaxation time
 Get enough sleep.
THANK YOU