Stress Mini-UnitStress Mini-Unit

Psychology 12Psychology 12

Ms. RebeccaMs. Rebecca

Do NowDo Now

What are some causes of stress in What are some causes of stress in your life right now?your life right now?

What is Stress?What is Stress?

When your mind When your mind and body get and body get excited because of excited because of what’s happening what’s happening around you.around you.

http://sweetnostalgia.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/stress.jpg

How Stressed are you?How Stressed are you?

Take the test!Take the test! httphttp://://wwwwww..lessons4livinglessons4living..comcom//

stress_teststress_test..htmhtm

Is stress ALWAYS bad?Is stress ALWAYS bad?

NO!NO!

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Stress can actually help Stress can actually help you!you!

Sometimes feeling stressed and Sometimes feeling stressed and challenges can help you get excited challenges can help you get excited about reaching difficult goals. Also about reaching difficult goals. Also stress can help you get out of stress can help you get out of difficult situations. Ex: Fight or flight difficult situations. Ex: Fight or flight response.response.

When is stress bad?When is stress bad?

It can ruin your It can ruin your mood and make it mood and make it hard/impossible to hard/impossible to be happy.be happy.

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Some stress can even cause Some stress can even cause health problems!health problems!

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Why do people get Why do people get stressed?stressed?

Many dif reasons. Here are some common Many dif reasons. Here are some common ones:ones:

-Romantic Relationships-Romantic Relationships -Low self-esteem-Low self-esteem -Family Relationships-Family Relationships -Academic problems, grades-Academic problems, grades -transition to the career world/life changes-transition to the career world/life changes LonelinessLoneliness Money problemsMoney problems

Different levels of stress for Different levels of stress for different peopledifferent people

What is stressful What is stressful for one person may for one person may not be so stressful not be so stressful for another person.for another person.

Ex: Bus ride/ cab in Ex: Bus ride/ cab in heavy trafficheavy traffic

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But there are some common But there are some common things that cause stress for things that cause stress for

most peoplemost people It’s good to know what some It’s good to know what some

common stressors are so ewe can try common stressors are so ewe can try to either avoid those types of to either avoid those types of stresses of figure out healthy ways of stresses of figure out healthy ways of dealing with them.dealing with them.

Common StressorsCommon Stressors

FrustrationFrustration

Daily HasslesDaily Hassles

Life ChangesLife Changes

ConflictConflict

FrustrationFrustration

Happens when you can’t do things Happens when you can’t do things the way you want to. Es: Traffic the way you want to. Es: Traffic causes you to miss an appointment. causes you to miss an appointment. You realize you don’t have enough You realize you don’t have enough money to go on the vacation you money to go on the vacation you want.want.

Frustration CAN lead to serious Frustration CAN lead to serious stress. Ex: you lose your thesis! stress. Ex: you lose your thesis!

Daily HasslesDaily Hassles

Household choresHousehold chores Health issuesHealth issues Time pressures, busy Time pressures, busy

scheduleschedule Feeling lonelyFeeling lonely Environmental issues: Environmental issues:

pollution, crowded, traffic, pollution, crowded, traffic, crime etccrime etc

Financial issues: paying bills, Financial issues: paying bills, savingsaving

Future security: taxes, Future security: taxes, retirement, job securityretirement, job security

All of these things are small All of these things are small by themselves but they can by themselves but they can build up and lead to sadness build up and lead to sadness and worry.and worry.

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Life ChangesLife Changes

Cause stress Cause stress because they because they require you to require you to adjust your life and adjust your life and make changes to make changes to things that were things that were comfortable. Even comfortable. Even good changes like good changes like going to the college going to the college of you dreams can of you dreams can cause stress.cause stress.

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ConflictConflict

Making decisions, Making decisions, having to choose having to choose sides.sides.

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Now that you’ve learned about Now that you’ve learned about causes of stress let’s talk about causes of stress let’s talk about

why it’s badwhy it’s bad Can affect quality of lifeCan affect quality of life Can make you sickCan make you sick Can make you gain weightCan make you gain weight Other health problemsOther health problems

Why does stress cause Medical Why does stress cause Medical problems?problems?

Let’s back up!Let’s back up!

Where does stress Where does stress come from in come from in nature?nature?

Fight or flightFight or flight Stress used to help Stress used to help

us to surviveus to survive

http://www.paniccure.com/images/Fight-or-Flight-72.jpg

httphttp://://killerstresskillerstress..stanfordstanford..eduedu//

httphttp://://killerstresskillerstress..stanfordstanford..eduedu//aboutabout--

robertrobert--sapolskysapolsky Stressed out baboonsStressed out baboons

What type of baboons are stressed?What type of baboons are stressed?

BUTBUT

In nature, stress used to go away In nature, stress used to go away once animals/people were no longer once animals/people were no longer in dangerin danger

In today’s society it doesn’t go away. In today’s society it doesn’t go away. Your body may stay in a heightened Your body may stay in a heightened state which is bad for your heart, state which is bad for your heart, immune system, etc. immune system, etc.

What types of health What types of health problems?problems?

Allergies, hives, heart disease, Allergies, hives, heart disease, lowered immune system.lowered immune system.

Why? Why? Everything your body does is to keep Everything your body does is to keep

you ready to escape danger. No you ready to escape danger. No longer does your body work to try to longer does your body work to try to keep you well.keep you well.

Most common stress related Most common stress related health problemshealth problems

HeadachesHeadaches Heart DiseaseHeart Disease Cancer!Cancer!

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What affects the way you deal What affects the way you deal with stress?with stress?

1. Expectations: 1. Expectations: Believing you can Believing you can handle it.handle it.

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What affects the way you deal What affects the way you deal with stress?with stress?

2. Toughness: 2. Toughness: Commitment. Do Commitment. Do you think that what you think that what you are doing is you are doing is worth the stress worth the stress even if it’s not fun? even if it’s not fun? Do you feel like you Do you feel like you ultimately have ultimately have control control over your over your stresses?stresses?

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What affects the way you deal What affects the way you deal with stress?with stress?

3. Sense of Humor: 3. Sense of Humor: People who can People who can see humor even in see humor even in tough situations tough situations are less stressed.are less stressed.

http://disabilitiesunlimited.org/blogs/media/HumourLaughingKitten.jpg

What affects the way you deal What affects the way you deal with stress?with stress?

Predictability: Predictability: people prepare people prepare themselves for themselves for stress ahead and it stress ahead and it doesn’t hit them as doesn’t hit them as hard.hard.

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What affects the way you deal What affects the way you deal with stress?with stress?

Social Support: Social Support: Friends and family Friends and family can help.can help.

Ex: Old people in Ex: Old people in retirement homes retirement homes with visitors may with visitors may recover faster than recover faster than those all by those all by themselves.themselves.

http://www.gameguru.in/images/wii-bowling-old-people.jpg

Ways of Coping With StressWays of Coping With Stress

Defensive Coping: Defensive Coping: NOT good!NOT good!

Active Coping: Active Coping: good!good!

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Defensive CopingDefensive Coping

Avoid the problem:Avoid the problem: 1. Drugs or Alcohol use1. Drugs or Alcohol use 2. Violence: get in physical fights 2. Violence: get in physical fights

with peoplewith people 3. Withdrawal: Stop hanging out with 3. Withdrawal: Stop hanging out with

people and lose interest in everythingpeople and lose interest in everything 4. Suicide 4. Suicide 5. Defense Mechanisms5. Defense Mechanisms

Active CopingActive Coping

Change stressful thoughts Change stressful thoughts to relaxing of calming to relaxing of calming ones. P. 404ones. P. 404

ExerciseExercise Take Control: Do the Take Control: Do the

things that you can to help things that you can to help the situation. Example: If the situation. Example: If you’re stressed about you’re stressed about making the basketball making the basketball team, focus your energy team, focus your energy towards practicing instead towards practicing instead of just getting stressed of just getting stressed about try-outs.about try-outs.

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Now that you’ve learned some Now that you’ve learned some basics about stressbasics about stress

Let’s see what the internet has to Let’s see what the internet has to say about it! say about it!

Try to find a website with tips on how Try to find a website with tips on how to deal with stress. to deal with stress.

A good site about dealing with A good site about dealing with stressstress

httphttp://://wwwwww..studygsstudygs..netnet//stressstress..htmhtm

Stress ReflectionStress Reflection

Answer the following questions to turn in before you leave!Answer the following questions to turn in before you leave! 1. Why do people get stressed? List 2 common things that 1. Why do people get stressed? List 2 common things that

cause stress.cause stress. 2. Why do YOU get stressed? What specifically makes YOU 2. Why do YOU get stressed? What specifically makes YOU

stress out?stress out? 3. What is a GOOD way to deal with stress?3. What is a GOOD way to deal with stress? 4. What is a BAD way to deal with stress?4. What is a BAD way to deal with stress? 5. What type of people are the best at dealing with stress? 5. What type of people are the best at dealing with stress?

People who are social or people that are not social?People who are social or people that are not social? 6. What have you learned today that you think you will use 6. What have you learned today that you think you will use

to help you better handle stress in your life? to help you better handle stress in your life?

Wrap Up for Psychology Wrap Up for Psychology ClassClass

In the beginning of this class we talked In the beginning of this class we talked about why it is valuable to study about why it is valuable to study Psychology. Reminder: The goal of Psychology. Reminder: The goal of psychology is to try to understand why psychology is to try to understand why people think feel and act they way people think feel and act they way they do. With this knowledge we can they do. With this knowledge we can help ourselves and others to try to live help ourselves and others to try to live a healthy and happy life.a healthy and happy life.

In your own words answer the In your own words answer the following questions:following questions:

1. Do you think this class was valuable to 1. Do you think this class was valuable to you? you?

2. Do you think you can use what you 2. Do you think you can use what you have learned in this class in your future? have learned in this class in your future?

3. What would you have liked to be 3. What would you have liked to be different about this class? What would different about this class? What would have made learning easier for you?have made learning easier for you?

4. What was your favorite unit in this class 4. What was your favorite unit in this class and why?and why?

5. What do you think is the most 5. What do you think is the most important reason to study Psychology?important reason to study Psychology?