Stress -- A Conceptual Understanding
- Explain the concepts
of stress in physiological terms describing arousal.
- Excitement
-- emotional reactionwhich elevates cognitive and physiological activity
levels
- Stimuli Ñ Demands
upon the system for physical or cognitive productivity.
- Identify examples of
eustress and distress citing Selye's theory.
- Eustress = Positive
exhilarating challenging experiences of success followed by higher expectations
- Distress = Disappointment,
failure, threat, embarrassment and other negative experiences
- Explain the difference
between stress management and stress reduction.
- Stress Reduction
= eliminating the source of stress making changes, taking action.
- Stress Management
= coping, recovery, re-interpretation, reframing cognitive restructuring.
- Discriminate between
stress, stressor, stress reaction, and strain.
- Stress = General
concept describing a "load" on the system, usually external, with humans
it is internal.
- Stressor = a specific
problem, issue, challenge, personal conflict (External/internal)
- Stress Reaction =
an individual response to a given stressor (physiological, behavioral, emotional,
cognitive, signs and symptoms)
- Strain = the prolonged
impact of a the stressor on the system (overload), fatigue, precursor to
illness
- Define the term stress
reactivity noting cardiovascular research.
- Hot reactor testing
reveals unique physiological profiles of heart and vessel responses.
- Monitor HR, BP, cardiac
output and peripheral resistance during a stress test
- Standardized challenge
(mental arithmetic, video game) progressively increasing demands and frustrations.
- Those at risk show
exaggerated responses to a minimum stress load (over-reactive emotionally)
- Research on the risk
associated with reactivity is marginally supportive ( not all studies show
reactivity to be a risk factor)
- Define the term stress
stereotypy as determined by stress profiling
- Stress stereotypy:
unique individual response pattern comparable to fingerprinting.
- Some are vascular
responders (Heart rate, Blood pressure, hypertension)
- Some are skeletal
muscle responders (EMG Ñ measures muscle tension)
- Some respond peripherally
(cold, sweaty hands). Blushing or blanching too.
- Everyone has some
variation in proportion of these responses.
- Responses may vary
according to intensity of stress and due to personal vulnerability
- Explain the potential
benefits of stress management training for the individual.
- Learn to recognize
and respond to early warning signs of overload and burnout (headache and
fatigue)
- Learn new models
of effective stress management and pick those right for you ( lifestyle,
symptoms)
- Become aware of the
immediate physical signs of stress (cold, sweaty hands, nervous tense)
- Recognize and respond
to emotionally distressing events in your life(change exposure if possible)
- Learn to recognize
speech patterns that reflect "tension"(rapid, accelerating, staccato, couplets)
- Develop more efficient
and relaxing breathing patterns to reduce tension (abdominal beathing)
- Discover ways to
use these warning signs as signals to change work or leisure circumstances
to reduce stressors
- Identify realistic
goals/benefits of stress management training for organizations.
- reduced turnover
(loss of valuable employees costs a great deal of time and money to replace)
- reduced sick leave,
workers compensation and medical costs
- increased morale
and decreased conflict, dissatisfaction
- enhanced performance,
reduced errors, mistakes, accidents
- Explain the limitations
of stress management, noting research issues documenting its effectiveness.
- no guarantee that
health risks are reduced, however many infectious and chronic diseases can
be prevented
- no guarantee that
medical illness can be cured.(spontaneous remission may be related to stress)
- no guarantee everyone
responds well to training. (personality, background, habits may obviate
success)
- potential risk of
avoiding other psychological issues.(stress symptoms may be early manifestations
of more serious psychological problems like anxious depression)
- History of stress management
training.Describe the historical development of stress management training,
including the contributions of individuals such as Cannon, Selye, Mason and
Lazarus.
- Walter Cannon: "Flight-or-Flight"
- Hans Selye: "General
Adaptation Syndrome" (arousal, resistance, exhaustion)
- John Mason: Challenged
"Non-Specific" response & Demonstrated unique specific responses to
stress
- Richard Lazarus:
"Appraisal and Coping" (primary and secondary appraisal)
- Identify physical signs
and symptoms of stress, including but not limited to: increased heart rate;
pounding heart; elevated blood pressure; sweaty palms; tightness of the chest,
neck, jaw and back muscles; headache; diarrhea; constipation; urinary hesitancy;
trembling, twitching; stuttering and other speech difficulties; nausea; vomiting;
sleep disturbances; fatigue; shallow breathing; dryness of the mouth or throat;
susceptibility to minor illness, cold hands, itching; being easily startled;
chronic pain and dysponesis.
- Identify emotional
signs and symptoms of stress, including but not limited to:irritability, angry
outbursts, hostility, depression, jealously, restlessness, withdrawal, anxiousness,
diminished initiative, feelings of unreality or overalertness, reduction of
personal involvement with others, lack of interest, tendency to cry, being
critical of others, self-deprecation, nightmares, impatience, decreased perception
of positive experience opportunities, narrowed focus, obsessive rumination,
reduced self-esteem, insomnia, changes in eating habits and weakened positive
emotional response reflexes.
- Identify cognitive/perceptual
signs and symptoms of stress, including but not limited to:forgetfulness,
preoccupation, blocking, blurred vision, errors in judging distance, diminished
or exaggerated fantasy life, reduced creativity, lack of concentration, diminished
productivity, lack of attention to detail, orientation to the past, decreased
psychomotor reactivity and coordination, attention deficit, disorganization
of thought, negative self-esteem, diminished sense of meaning in life, lack
of control/need for too much control, negative self-statements and negative
evaluation of experiences
- Identify behavioral
signs and symptoms of stress, including but not limited to:increased smoking,
aggressive behaviors (such as driving), increased alcohol or drug use, carelessness,
under-eating, over-eating, withdrawal, listlessness, hostility, accident-proneness,
nervous laughter, compulsive behavior and impatience.
- Stress vs. mental and/or
physical illnessDistinguish between stress symptoms and those symptoms which
may indicate serious underlying physical or mental illness requiring referral
to appropriate clinical professionals.
- Red flags that indicate
chronic symptoms (clinical experience needed)
- Check whether medical
clearance has been obtained (consult your doctor)
- Know your limitations
as an educator (caution, caution, caution)
- Use experience to
guide judgment about contra-indications (reasons not to use it)
- Recognize cultural,
age-dependent and gender- dependent factors influencing susceptibility to
stress.
- Cultural: self-esteem,
values, introversion/extroversion
- Age-dependent: children's
susceptibility, elderly persons at risk
- Males: heart disease,
stoicism, anger/hostility
- Women: cancer, susceptibility
to immune system disorders