Types of stress Sources/symptoms of stress The impact of predisposition Changing levels of stress

Your physical well-being

Re-framing and relaxation

Your mental well-being

Self-management and control

Demands on your time; priorities Your emotional energy The development of bad habits

Stress Management

� Make sure that your physical well-being isbalanced and appropriate by reviewing:– Your diet (regularity and type of

meals)– Your exercise regime– Your habits (smoking, drinking, etc.)

� Moderate each of these according to yourreal needs.

� Recognize that re-framing or re-shaping your perceptions is the bestway to relax and calm yourself.

� Try to relax your body (muscles andbreathing) when you feel stressed.

� Try to relax your mind by idlyimagining/day dreaming.

� Make sure that your mental well-being isbalanced and appropriate by reviewing:

– Your sleep and relaxation habits– Your levels of self-esteem– Your recreational and social

activities� Moderate each of these according to

your real needs.

� Develop or enhance positivefeelings about yourself and yourskills and abilities.

� Draw on the skills you have in order to set realistic standards for yourself.

� Avoid comparing yourself unfavor-ably to others or to other situations.

CONSIDER

ASSESS

LEARN

MONITOR

Without a certain level of stress to motivate and challenge us, life would be boring and unrewarding. However, when stress builds to extreme levels and we are unable to cope, it reduces our physical and mental capacity to enjoy life. We do not need to eliminate stress entirely, but we should maintain it at a level where it can act as a positive force. So muchhuman stress is brought about by our perceptions, but we can change these perceptions and lessen its effects on us. Thisstoryboard uses a four step process to do that: CONSIDER, ASSESS, LEARN, AND MONITOR (shown in the circles tothe right). The steps are easy to remember: they spell the word “CALM”.

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� Recognize that we needpositive stress (Eustress)as a source of motivationand health.

� Understand that negativestress (Distress) usuallyarises from ourperception of our externalworld.

� All levels of stress arealways context-sensitive.

� Distress mainly arisesfrom an inability to copewith long term anxiety.

� Symptoms of stress are:– sleep disturbance– health problems– mood swings– difficulty concentrating– depression and/or

anger– relationship conflict

� Recognize that Type“A,” Type “B,” andType “C” personal-ities are all likely toexperience stressdifferently.

� Perceptions ofindividual influenceand control over yourenvironment willaffect the amount ofstress experienced.

� Deliberately alter yourexpectations to reducelevels of stresssignificantly.

� Become more aware ofyour own emotionalresponses to situations.This normally helps toreduce distress.

� Natural “fight or flight”responses are likely toincrease stress levels.

1. CONSIDER 2. ASSESS 3. LEARN 4. MONITOR

Understand the nature of stress.

Assess yourwell-being.

Learn to controlstress.

Continuallymonitor yourself.

M C M C M C M C

L A L A L A L A

1.

Copyright 1998. Team Publications Pty Ltd. One Page Coach® materials must not be photocopied, changed, or copied in any other way.

2.

3.

4.

� Schedule and organize your time to minimize the stressors that haveto be confronted.

� Establish your personal priorities, and put these first.

� Schedule some time to relax orpursue calm recreation.

� Learn to recognize all stress responses asemotional anxiety that can be controlled.

� Design special mental “short-cut” mechanisms for stress responses (change the context or dosomething that moderates the response)..

� Develop the ability to change your emotionalenergy at will.

– Do not “bottle-up” negative feelings. Talk tosomeone who will listen.

– Do not fill up your life with too much urgentactivity

– Do not miss any opportunity to prepare or planahead.

Managing Pressure and Stress: Template

Copyright © 2002, Team Publications Pty Ltd.

Review:Habits

Urgent activityPoor planning

HOW?

Monitor:Time

ResourcesPriorities

HOW?

Consider:Types of stress

SourcesSymptoms

HOW?

Learn:Re-framingRelaxation

Control

HOW?

Evaluate:TensenessTiredness

Energy levels

HOW?

Assess:Physical well-beingMental well-being

Balance

HOW?

ACTION PLAN

1 How much pressure do you feel or doyou put on yourself? Are you a Type Apersonality, a Type B, or a Type C, andwhat implications does this have for you?

2 How physically fit are you and what canyou do to improve?

3 How healthy is your dietary regime andwhat can you do to make it morebalanced?

4 How well do you look after yourself andyour overall personal well-being?

5 How much do you feel in control of yourlife? How can you increase this level ofcontrol?

6 How well managed and in control is yourwork life? Can you increase your overalllevel of job satisfaction?