1. STRESS MANAGEMENT
MANAGING STRESS IN YOUR LIFE:
A PERSONAL APPROACH
Presented by: Suha Abu Dawoud
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2. STRESS MANAGEMENT
 IS A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE
 IS NECESSARY
TIME, MONEY, AND RELATIONSHIPS
ENSURE THAT STRESS WILL ALWAYS BE
WITH US
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3. STRESS MANAGEMENT
STRESS
 DOES NOT HAVE TO BE NEGATIVE OR
OVERWHELMING
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4. STRESS MANAGEMENT
DEFINITION:
THE NON-SPECIFIC RESPONSE OF THE
BODY TO ANY DEMAND
Hans Selye, MD
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5. STRESS MANAGEMENT
DR. HANS SELYE WROTE:
“…STRESS IS ESSENTIALLY REFLECTED BY
THE RATE OF ALL THE WEAR AND TEAR
CAUSED BY LIFE.”
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6. STRESS MANAGEMENT
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO US?
 IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THE STRESSOR
IS PLEASANT OR UNPLEASANT, OR THE
RESULTS ARE GOOD OR BAD
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7. STRESS MANAGEMENT
NOT ALL STRESS IS NEGATIVE
EUSTRESS: POSITIVE STRESS
RESULTS FROM EXHILARATING
EXPERIENCES:
WINNING THE LOTTERY
UNEXPECTED PROMOTION
AWARD
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8. STRESS MANAGEMENT
DISTRESS
STRESS OF:
LOSING, FAILING, OVERWORKING AND NOT
COPING
CAN BE HARMFUL AND IT IS NORMAL FROM
TIME TO TIME
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9. STRESS MANAGEMENT
OUR RESPONSE TO STRESS:
IS THE AUTOMATIC STATE THAT RESULTS
WHEN THE BODY ATTEMPTS TO MAKE
CHANGES IN ORDER TO ADAPT TO ANY
DEMAND
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10. STRESS MANAGEMENT
CAUSES OF STRESS FALL INTO TWO
CATEGORIES:
 EXTERNAL
 INTERNAL
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11. STRESS MANAGEMENT
EXTERNAL STRESSOR
MAY BE MAJOR LIFE EVENTS:
(REFER TO HOLMES-RAHE SCALE)
 MOVING
 DEATH OF SPOUSE, FAMILY MEMBER OR
FRIEND
 DIVORCE
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12. STRESS MANAGEMENT
MAY BE CAUSED BY EVERYDAY
PRESSURES SUCH AS:
 FINANCIAL
 DEADLINES
 ARGUMENTS
 FAMILY CONCERNS
 LACK OF SLEEP
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13. STRESS MANAGEMENT
INTERNAL STRESSORS
“INSIDE OURSELVES”
THIS TYPE OF STRESSOR MAY PLAY A
GREATER ROLE IN THE STRESS OF DAILY
LIFE
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14. STRESS MANAGEMENT
EXAMPLES ARE:
“VALUES AND BELIEFS”
FAITH
GOALS
SELF-IMAGE
EXPECTATIONS OF SELVES & OTHERS
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15. STRESS MANAGEMENT
STRESS
 DRIVEN BY HORMONES
 HORMONES ACT LIKE A CONDUCTOR
 HORMONES INNERVATE BODY SYSTEMS/
ORGANS
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16. STRESS MANAGEMENT
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE STRESSED:
 HYPOTHALAMUS STIMULATES PITUITARY
 PITUITARY RELEASES ACTH INTO BLOOD
 ACTH STIMULATES ADRENAL GLANDS TO
SECRETE FURTHER CHEMICALS THAT
AFFECT OTHER ORGAN SYSTEMS
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17. STRESS MANAGEMENT
STRESS
WHAT YOU NOTICE:
 HEART RATE SPEEDS UP
 BP RISES
 BREATHING SPEEDS UP
 BLOOD TO MUSCLES
 SWEATING
 BLOOD SUGAR INCREASES
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18. STRESS MANAGEMENT
MANY PEOPLE HAVE SYMPTOMS OF
DISTRESS EVERYDAY.
WE ACCEPT IT AS PART OF A NORMAL
DAY.
TO REDUCE THE WEAR AND TEAR ON
OURSELVES, WE MUST INCREASE
AWARENESS
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19. STRESS MANAGEMENT
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF STRESS
 PHYSICAL
 MENTAL EMOTIONAL
 BEHAVIORAL
 COGNITIVE
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20. STRESS MANAGEMENT
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:
 MUSCLE TENSION
 NAUSEA, VOMITING
 HEADACHES
 JAW, NECK & BACK PAIN
 DIARRHEA
 SLEEP DISTURBANCES
 DRY MOUTH, SWEATY PALMS
 UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
 COLD HANDS
 BREATHING CHANGES (E.G., SHALLOW, SIGHING)
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21. STRESS MANAGEMENT
EMOTIONAL/MENTAL SYMPTOMS:
 ANXIETY, WORRY, GUILT, NERVOUSNESS
 ANGER, FRUSTRATION
 MOODINESS
 DEPRESSION
 APPETITE VARIES
 RACING THOUGHTS
 NIGHTMARES
 DIMINISHED CONCENTRATION
 IMPAIRED MEMORY OR FORGETFULNESS
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22. STRESS MANAGEMENT
 INDECISIVENESS
 CLOSE TO TEARS OR CRYING
 LONELINESS
 FEAR OF GETTING CLOSE
 SUICIDAL THINKING
 TROUBLE LEARNING NEW INFO
 CONFUSED/DISORGANIZED
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23. STRESS MANAGEMENT
BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS
 TARDINESS
 SERIOUS APPEARANCE
 NERVOUS BEHAVIOR/HABITS
 RUSHING/PACING
 ON EDGE
 INCREASED FRUSTRATION/IRRITABLE
 MORE ACCIDENTS
 OVERREACTING
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24. STRESS MANAGEMENT
 REDUCED PRODUCTIVITY
 SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL
 DEFENSIVE
 SLEEP PROBLEMS/TIREDNESS
 INCREASED USE OF OTC DRUGS
 INCREASED TOBACCO
 INCREASED ALCOHOL
 INCREASED RECREATIONAL DRUGS
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25. STRESS MANAGEMENT
LONG TERM EFFECTS ARE HARMFUL.
MOST OF US BOUNCE BACK. UNDER
LONG-TERM STRESS HOWEVER:
 OUR PERSONALITIES CHANGE
 MAY BECOME DEPRESSED
 FEEL HELPLESS/HOPELESS
 BECOME EXPLOSIVE/IMPULSIVE
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26. STRESS MANAGEMENT
 HAVE EXAGGERATED FEARS
 DEVELOP ANXIETY/PANIC
 DEVELOP PHYSICAL PROBLEMS
INCLUDING CV DISEASE, HBP, ULCERS OR
HEADACHES
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27. STRESS MANAGEMENT
QUESTIONS?
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28. STRESS MANAGEMENT
NOW THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH
SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS,
HOW DO YOU MANAGE IT?
SIMPLE, RIGHT?
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29. STRESS MANAGEMENT
COPING SKILLS FOR STRESS
MANAGEMENT:
 DEEP BREATHING
 EXERCISE
 RELAXATION
 GUIDED IMAGERY
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30. STRESS MANAGEMENT
GET ORGANIZED:
USE CALENDERS OR “TO DO LISTS”
KNOW YOUR LIMITS:
BE REALISTIC
CHANGE ATTITUDE:
LEARN TO SEE STRESSFUL SITUATIONS AS
CHALLENGES
TALK IT OVER:
TALK THE SITUATION OVER WITH A FRIEND
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31. STRESS MANAGEMENT
LEARN TO SAY “NO”:
THERE ARE SOME DEMANDS THAT WE
HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. SEPARATE
THOSE FROM ACTIVITIES OVER WHICH
WE HAVE SOME CONTROL, AND LEARN
TO SAY “NO” TO DEMANDS.
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32. STRESS MANAGEMENT
POSITIVE SELF TALK:
LEARN THAT YOU CAN MANAGE A
STRESSFUL SITUATION BY WHAT YOU
SAY TO YOURSELF, “I CAN HANDLE THIS
ONE STEP AT A TIME”.
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33. STRESS MANAGEMENT
TAKE CHARGE:
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING
YOUR LIFE WHAT YOU WANT.
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34. STRESS MANAGEMENT
 DEEP BREATHING
 PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION
 BIOFEEDBACK
 MEDITATION
 BEGIN AN EXERCISE PROGRAM
 REAPPRAISE YOUR LIFE AND PRIORITIES
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35. STRESS MANAGEMENT
LOVE, PRAY, FORGIVE
REALIZE THAT MOST STRESS COMES
FROM WITHIN, NOT WITHOUT.
TAKE TIME TO SMELL THE FLOWERS
AND TASTE THE STRAWBERRIES.
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36. STRESS MANAGEMENT
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
ATTENTIVENESS
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