1、Get a Grip!,Managing Stress and Anxiety,Stress,Hans Selye “stress is not necessarily something bad it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental.” Selye believed the biochemical ef
2、fects of stress would be experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive or negative.,What is Stress?,A combination of physiological and emotional responses to an event or situation a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense survival mechanism used to respond to perceived dange
3、rs stress is a powerful internal communication to raise awareness source of energy due to the release of hormones secreted during the physiological stress response,What is Stress?,Physiological responses include Increased heart rate Increased blood pressure Sweating Dry mouth Headaches,Cognitive and
4、 Emotional responses include Negative self talk Restlessness Inability to concentrate,Negative Self Talk,words our inner dialogue uses when we think can increase our stress levels by limiting our potential Can color our experience in a negative light When you tell yourself something is difficult or
5、unfair, it becomes more stressful to deal with than if you tell yourself its a challenge, or even a test Patterns of negative self-talk typically begin in childhood the negative self-talk habit may have been coloring thinking for years,Promoting Positive Self Talk,Notice your patterns: The first ste
6、p toward change is to become more aware of the problem. You may not realize how often you say negative things in your head, or how much it affects you Journal Writing: keeping a journal can be an effective tool for examining your inner process. Thought-Stopping: As you notice yourself saying somethi
7、ng negative in your mind, try to alter your thought mid-stream my saying to yourself “Stop”.,What causes stress?,Academic pressure Frustration Perception of lack of time to meet demands Difficulty making decisions Social pressures,What causes stress? Stress building beliefs,Perfectionism Feeling a c
8、onstant pressure to achieve Self criticism Inability to feel a sense of accomplishment or achievement,What causes stress? Stress building beliefs,Control Have to be in control at all times Worry about how other perceive you when you are nervous Feel that a lack of control is a sign of weakness/failu
9、re,What causes stress? Stress building beliefs,People Pleasing Self esteem depends on others opinion of you Better at caring for others than yourself Repress negative feelings to avoid displeasing others,What causes stress? Stress building beliefs,Competence Feel as though you cannot do as good a jo
10、b as others Feel that your judgement is poor Feel you lack common sense,Managing Stress,Lead a balanced life, dont overdo studies or recreation Understand and accept personal strengths and weaknesses Take frequent breaks during study periods Expand your support network Exercise regularly Learn and p
11、ractice relaxation skills,Managing stress,“Living a stress-free life is not a reasonable goal. The goal is to deal with it actively and effectively.”- David Spiegel, Ph.D.,Managing stress Anticipatory Planning,Set realistic long and short term goals Maintenance time Break up large tasks into smaller
12、 chunks Take breaks! Give yourself rewards!,Managing stress Time Management,Monitor yourself Schedule tasks Build in breaks and reward time Build in maintenance time OVERESTIMATE the time needed for each task! Get down and just do it!,Managing stress Anxiety Reduction,Take charge of your situation G
13、et good sleep Exercise regularly Relaxation techniques Quiet time Talk to your friends Get consultation if you need help with work,Managing stress Positive Thinking,Dont deny your anxiety Review your accomplishments Remember you have overcome hurdles before Dont get caught up in negative thinking Po
14、sitive imagery Focus on small achievable goals Congratulate yourself for small steps Nobodys perfect, youre doing just fine!,Managing stress Attitude Check!,Attitude affects how successful you are at completing your goals and how you feel!Are you willing to learn? Do you try your best when studying?
15、 Do you demonstrate enthusiasm? Do you welcome challenges? Do you have a sense of humor?,7 Steps to a New Attitude,Be confident Be positive Be punctual Be patient,Believe in yourself Set goals for yourself Get fun out of life,Managing Stress Relaxation,Deep Breathing Exercises Lie down or sit in a c
16、omfortable chair Your body should be as relaxed as possible Close your eyes and scan your body for tension Pay attention to your breathing Place one hand on the part of your chest or abdomen that seems to raise and fall with each breath,Managing Stress Relaxation,Deep Breathing Exercises 6. Breathe
17、through your nose 7. Notice if your chest is moving in harmony with you abdomen 8. Now place one hand on your abdomen and one on your chest 9. Inhale deeply and slowly through your mouth 10. Relax as you focus on the sound and feeling of long, slow, deep breaths,Managing Exam Anxiety,Stay on a regul
18、ar schedule of reviewing, eating, sleeping and relaxing Try to start this pattern several days if not weeks before the exam Dont try to study 24 hours per day Dont force yourself to study beyond your normal limits of concentration Short, regular study periods are more productive than lengthy single
19、sessions,Managing Exam Anxiety,Eat a well balanced diet Drink lots of fluids Dont use drugs or alcohol Be reasonable and conservative about the demands you place on yourself,Alcohol and Stress,Alcohol can have negative effects on performance,Heavy Drinking,Impaired transfer of information from short
20、 to long term memory Attention span shortened up to 48 hours of drinking Disrupts sleep cycle, including REM sleep you may feel tired even after 7-8 hours sleep Hangovers arent fun,What does that mean?,Information learned before drinking is harder to remember Harder to pay attention on work Alcohol-
21、induced sleep problems may decrease learning abilitiesSo. Drink responsibly and in moderation and balance academic and social lives,Moderate Drinking,Moderate drinking (1 or 2 drinks) can impair learning and healthAlcohol consumed up to 6 hours before bedtime can affect sleep patterns,Alcohol and Sl
22、eep,A drink or two before bed may help you fall asleep, BUT as the alcohol is metabolized during the night, sleep is lighter and more disturbedThe more you drink, the faster you fall asleep, but the more disturbed the sleepSleep disturbances lead to fatigue during the day,Sleep Do you need more rest
23、?,It takes you at least an hour to fall asleep each night You struggle to get out of bed when your alarm sounds You worry about getting enough sleep most nights If you wake up during the night you cant get back to sleep You use sleeping pills or alcohol to help you sleep You feel exhausted You sleep
24、 in or take naps to compensate for lack of sleep You get drowsy during the day,How to improve sleeping,Know and get the sleep your body needs (sleep without an alarm to determine your bodys needs) Keep a regular sleep schedule Exercise regularly Avoid caffeine and alcohol Wake up early Relax and unwind the last hour before bed Deal with worries before bed by reviewing concerns and considering possible solutions,
