Personal health 2

Stress

Nonspecific response of the body to demands made upon it (negative or positive) that disrupts homeostasis.

Stressor

A specific or nonspecific response to a situation that causes a change.

Eustress

Positive stress, such as a wedding.

Distress

Negative stress that may result in illness over time.

Neutress

Stressors that don’t immediately affect the body but over time may trigger anxiety or sadness (e.g., car accident).

Allostasis

The ability to achieve stability through change.

Allostatic Load

The price the body pays for excessive stress, manifested as symptoms over time.

Adrenal Glands

Glands responsible for releasing epinephrine, cortisol, and other stress hormones.

Physical Stressors

Examples include extreme temperatures, injury, illness, pain, violence, and childbirth.

Environmental Stressors

Examples include pollution, excessive noise, lack of open spaces, and technology.

Stress Response

Internal changes that mobilize the body’s ability to react to anything that disrupts homeostasis.

Homeostasis

The body’s natural state of balance.

GAS Model

Stands for General Adaptation Syndrome; includes stages of Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion.

Fight or Flight Response

The body's primary mobilization response to a perceived threat.

Freezing

A stress response that precedes Fight or Flight, often described as a "deer caught in headlights."

Submission (Dissociation)

A response where the mind goes blank or surrenders when no other option is possible.

Burnout

A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion.

Acute Distress Disorder

A short-term psychological reaction to a traumatic event.

Physiological Symptoms

Includes shaking, sweating, and developing physical ailments.

Emotional Symptoms

Feeling anxious, fearful, angry, or guilty.

Behavioral Symptoms

Crying, overeating, smoking, or addictive/abusive behaviors.

Cognitive Symptoms

Difficulty concentrating, academic decline, and trouble with problem-solving.

Microaggressions

Subtle racial expressions.

Microassaults

Conscious or intentional racial actions.

Microinsult

Verbal and nonverbal communications that convey rudeness and insensitivity.

Microinvalidations

Subtle communications that exclude, negate, or nullify an individual's thoughts or feelings.

Challenge Response Model

Viewing stress as a positive challenge to strengthen the mind-body connection and performance.

Resilience

The ability to adapt to and recover from stress.

Progressive Relaxation

A technique involving progressive contraction and relaxation of muscles.

Visualization

Creating mental pictures to imagine positive outcomes or success.

Biofeedback

An external device that alerts you to physiologic changes to help maintain homeostasis.

Meditation

Quiet breathing techniques used to help reach a state of centeredness.

Mindfulness

A method of stress reduction focusing on being aware of the current state and "being in the moment."

Pomodoro Technique

A specific time-management strategy used to overcome procrastination.

Eisenhower Technique

A prioritization method used to prevent stress and procrastination.

Eat the Frog Technique

A productivity method where you tackle the hardest task first.