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Chapter 2: Stress

Core Concepts in Health 16th ed.

Vocabulary

  1. ==Distress:== brought on by an unpleasant stressor.

  2. ==Eustress:== brought on by a pleasant stressor.

  3. ==Allostatic load:== the long-term wear and tear of the stress response

    1. High allostatic load is linked to a greater risk of disease.
    2. Greater susceptibility to disease after repeated or prolonged stress may be due to the stress response itself rather than depletion of resources.

  4. ==Stressors:== mental states/events/situations that trigger physical, psychological, emotional reactions

  5. ==Nervous system:== the brain, spinal cord, and nerves; handles very short-term stress

  6. ==Endocrine system:== glands, tissues, and cells that help control body functions

    1. Release functions
    2. Helps prepare the body to respond to stress,
    3. Handles both acute and chronic stress

  7. ==Fight-or-flight reaction:== (trigger of physiological changes)

    1. Heart rate & respiration accelerate
    2. Hearing and vision become more acute
    3. Liver releases extra sugar into bloodstream
    4. Perspiration increases
    5. Brain releases endorphins

  8. ==Acute stress:== very short-term (acute) stress. Can cause a rise in immune cells, which enhances the immune response. Nervous system only handles acute stress.

    1. Symptoms resolve in less than a month.

  9. ==Chronic stress:== long-term (chronic) stress. Endocrine system handles both acute and chronic stress.

    1. Causes prolonged secretion of cortisol, which negatively affects the immune system and causes an acceleration of diseases associated with inflammation, including multiple sclerosis, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and clinical depression.

==1. What factors contribute to stress (common sources of stress)?==

  1. Major Life Changes

  2. Daily Hassles

  3. College Stressors

    1. Academic stress
    2. Interpersonal stress
    3. Time pressures
    4. Financial concerns
    5. Worries, especially about the future

  4. Job-Related Stressors

    1. High levels of this can result in burnout: physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion

  5. Social Stressors

    1. Real Social Networks
    2. Digital Social Networks

  6. Environmental Stressors

    1. Natural disasters
    2. Acts of violence
    3. Industrial accidents
    4. Intrusive noises/smells

  7. Internal Stressors

    1. Created by ways we think and perceive things

  8. Traumatic Stressors

    1. Automobile accidents, assaults, and rape

@@2. Strategies to cope with stress (productive and counterproductive)@@

  • @@Productive:@@

  1. Shore up your support system

    1. Foster friendships
    2. Keep your family ties strong
    3. Get involved in a group

  2. Volunteer

    1. But know your limits

  3. Improve your communication skills

    1. Communicate assertively
    2. Avoid suppressing feelings/expressing them aggressively

  4. Develop healthy exercise and eating habits

    1. Regular physical activity can reduce many of the negative effects of stress
    2. Healthful eating gives you energy to use when experiencing stress
    3. Excess stress can negatively affect the way you eat

  5. Identify and moderate individual stressors

  6. Learn mindfulness

    1. Intentional cultivation of attention in a way that is non-judging and non-striving
  • @@Non-productive:@@

  1. Don’t avoid challenging situations

    1. Maintain a stress level that is neither too high nor low

  2. Tobacco use should be avoided

    1. Although nicotine can make one feel relaxed, but it is highly addictive
    2. Negative consequences outweigh the positive benefits

  3. Use of alcohol and other drugs is also counterproductive

    1. Stimulants: amphetamines
    2. Marijuana
    3. Opioids: morphines and heroin
    4. Tranquilizers: Valium and Xanax

  4. Unhealthy eating habits developed as a way of coping

3. Healthy sleep habits

  1. Set a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time.

  2. Create regular bedtime rituals.

  3. Get regular exercise.

  4. Keep a healthy diet.

  5. Limit caffeine and avoid nicotine.

  6. Avoid alcohol.

  7. Keep naps short.

  8. Use your bedroom for sleep only.

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%%4. Time management strategies%%

  • Set priorities, focusing on essential and important tasks.
  • Schedule tasks for times of peak efficiency.
  • Set realistic goals and commit to achieving them by writing them down.
  • Budget enough time to achieve goals by making a reasonable estimate and then adding another 10% to 15%, or even 25%, as a buffer.
  • Break up long-term goals into short-term ones.
  • Visualize the achievement of goals; mentally rehearse the performance of tasks.
  • Keep track of the tasks you put off, in order to analyze your reasons for procrastinating.
  • Consider tackling the least pleasurable tasks first.
  • Consolidate tasks when possible.
  • Identify quick transitional tasks.
  • Delegate responsibility—asking for help as appropriate and necessary.
  • Say “no” when necessary without feeling guilty.
  • Take breaks and allow for real free time to enjoy other activities.
  • Avoid your personal “time sinks,” such as watching TV, surfing the Internet, and talking on the phone.
  • Stop thinking about getting started—just do it!

^^5. How to create a personal plan to manage stress.^^

  1. Define the problem.
  2. Identify the causes.
  3. Consider multiple solutions.
  4. Weigh the pros and cons of possible solutions.
  5. Choose a solution.
  6. Make a list of the tasks involved in your solution.
  7. Carry out the tasks.
  8. Evaluate the outcome and revise if necessary.