MODULE 9

• Stress


  Any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. It is your body's response to anything that requires attention or action.
• Everyone experiences stress to some degree
• Stress (in psychology)


  A feeling of emotional strain and pressure. A type of psychological pain.
• Small amounts of stress may be desired, beneficial, and even healthy
• Strategies to manage stress


  • Changing the situation
  • Changing the way you respond to the situation
• Developing a clear understanding of how stress impacts your physical and mental health is important
• Your mental and physical health affects your stress level
• Short-term stress


  Can lead to a variety of symptoms
• Chronic stress


  Can take a serious toll on the body over time and have long-lasting health effects
• Signs that you might be experiencing too much stress

  • Psychological signs (difficulty concentrating, worrying, anxiety, trouble remembering)
  • Emotional signs (being angry, irritated, moody, or frustrated)
  • Physical signs (high blood pressure, changes in weight, frequent colds or infections, changes in the menstrual cycle and libido)
• Stress


  A feeling of emotional strain and pressure
• Chronic stress can take a serious toll on the body over time and have long-lasting health effects
• Signs of stress

  • Psychological signs (difficulty concentrating, worrying, anxiety, trouble remembering)
  • Emotional signs (angry, irritated, moody, frustrated)
  • Physical signs (high blood pressure, changes in weight, frequent colds/infections, changes in menstrual cycle and libido)
  • Behavioral signs (poor self-care, not having time for things you enjoy, relying on drugs/alcohol to cope)
• Stressors


  Situations and pressures that cause stress
• Common external causes of stress

  • Major life changes
  • Work or school
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Financial problems
  • Being too busy
  • Children and family
• Common internal causes of stress

  • Pessimism
  • Inability to accept uncertainty
  • Rigid thinking, lack of flexibility
  • Negative self-talk
  • Unrealistic expectations/perfectionism
  • All-or-nothing attitude
• Good stress


  Short-lived, positive stressors that help you get through tough situations
• Bad stress


  Negative feelings like worry, anger, fear, frustration that are not good for you and can cause serious problems over the long-term
• Common effects of stress

  • On your body (headache, muscle tension/pain, chest pain, fatigue, stomach upset, sleep problems)
  • On your mood (anxiety, lack of motivation/focus, irritability/anger, sadness/depression)
  • On your behavior (overeating/undereating, angry outbursts, drug/alcohol misuse, social withdrawal, exercising less often)
• Long-term stress can have damaging effects on your physical, mental, and emotional health, especially if it becomes chronic
• Physical effects of long-term stress

  • Headache
  • Trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much
  • Muscle pain or tension
  • Digestive issues
  • High blood pressure
• Emotional effects of long-term stress

  • Feeling you can't get things done
  • Moodiness
  • Anxiety
  • Restlessness
  • Lack of motivation
  • Irritability
  • Sadness or depression
• Stress overload


  When you feel like you just can't cope with the stress anymore and may need to seek help from a specialist
• Signs of stress overload

  • Panic attacks
  • Worrying all the time
  • Feeling under constant pressure
  • Drinking/doing drugs to deal with stress
  • Overeating
  • Smoking
  • Depression
  • Withdrawal from family and friends
• Happiness meter


  A scale of 1 to 10 used to rate your level of happiness, considering the level of stress you've been through
• In today's fast-paced world, chronic stress is common, but your mind and body can pay a high price. Learn to recognize overwhelming stress—and what you can do about it.