Understanding and Coping with Stress

Transcription

1 Understanding and Coping with Stress

2 Learning Intentions 1. Understand the stress response 2. Understand the positive and negative effects of stress 3. Identify the what causes stress 4. Understand the role of stress in learning 5. Understand the relationship between stress and performance 6. Explore 3 approaches to managing stress

3 What are your experiences of stress? Physical effects Increased breathing Heart racing / high blood pressure Tense muscles Fidgeting Increased temperature Loss of appetite Nausea Fatigue Insomnia Social & emotional effects Moody nervousness Emotional (crying, angry etc.) Avoid company Lose interest in things you enjoy Withdrawn Risky / avoidance behaviours Cognitive (thinking) effects Hard to concentrate Cant solve simple problems Poor memory Get fixated on problems (ruminating) Cant do things that you could do previously Procrastinating Give up easily Negative talk Stress is generally considered to be a very negative, even harmful experience but this is not always the case.

4 Lets de-catastrophize. We live our lives on an arousal continuum. Low levels of arousal (e.g. unconscious / asleep) High levels of arousal (anxious /stressed) Our brain controls our level of arousal in response to different situations.

5 The right level of stress for the situation. For familiar or uncomplicated tasks, you tend to perform better with higher levels of arousal. e.g. kicking a football, cleaning the house, For unfamiliar or complex tasks, you tend to perform better with lower levels of arousal. e.g. playing a guitar, solving algebra, EXAMS! Stress becomes a problem when it is inappropriate for the situation too much or too little for the task for an extended duration (e.g. over 2 weeks).

6 The stress response Normal human response to fear It prepares us to face a perceived threat (fight or flight) It is coordinated by the brain and involves cognitive, emotional, physiological and behavioural responses.

7 Emotions drive the stress response Negative emotions cause very specific and efficient responses; they force us to adapt quickly in threatening situations. Anger-attack Fear-escape Disgust-spit Narrow and focus our attention and thoughts. Increase physiological arousal Promote a limited set of specific reactions / behaviours.

8 In the short term, stress is helpful & healthy. Adrenalin & Cortisol more oxygen to the brain Increased blood flow to muscles focus attention and increases memory & recall Motivated to act to meet challenge Increased pain tolerance Reduced fatigue / tiredness Oxytocin relaxes blood vessels and strengthens heart makes you seek support and strengthen close relationships Notice others who need help (increased empathy, and compassion for others) Social contact releases more oxytocin which further buffers against the harmful effects of stress

9 Chronic stress is harmful. Chronic stress occurs when we continue to worry, or if the problem doesn t go away. headaches or insomnia irritability, anxiety, and depression Inability to think clearly or creatively Tight muscles back neck, shoulder pain Exhausted immune system illness & infection Diabetes (too much blood sugar) Upset digestive system (heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea etc.) Overeating or not eating enough High blood pressure & strain on heart (stroke/heart attack) Social withdrawal alcohol or drug abuse

10 Why do we stress? We want the world to make sense to us; to feel comfortable and in control. i.e. there to be coherence between our expected self and our experienced self. When there is incoherence we feel uncomfortable / helpless / powerless and this causes anxiety. Stressful situations do not need to be life-threatening or even negative to cause anxiety. The Stress response is the normal reaction to good and bad situations where not being in control makes us feel anxious.

11 What do students stress about? Tests, exams, assessment tasks, reports and grades New subjects or teachers Subject & career choices If others like them If they will get married Moving away from home Having the right shoes or phone Does my bum look big in this? Not life threatening things just things that we do not feel in full control of.

12 Not just here and now In the past *problems at home *something you regret *past school achievements *letting someone down In the future *possible grades / ATAR *getting a job *moving interstate *relationships *exams *CHANGE!

13 Why is school perceived as threatening? Humans become anxious whenever they do not feel in full control of a situation. School is full of new situations where the student s available resources have not yet developed to meet these demands. resources demands This imbalance in demands and resources creates anxiety and a perception of not being able to cope.

14 Learning requires a level of anxiety. Adolescents have not fully developed their physical, psychological and social resources. It is normal for students to find themselves in new situations where the demands of school and life exceed their resources. The imbalance causes anxiety and the stress response is triggered. The brain adapts by building new neural resources (learning) to reduce the imbalance and hence anxiety. Anxiety prompts learning.

15 The fear of not being in control creates anxiety. Stress is a response to one s own thinking. All new experiences involve an imbalance in demands and resources anxiety is normal and needed to stimulate learning and adapt to new situations.

16 Change your thinking, language and behaviour Expect anxiety as a necessary part of school and life. Recognise that it is the mismatch between demands of and resources that causes the stress. (not the demands of the situation alone) Take action to address the imbalance when presented with a stressful situation (rather than avoiding it or getting cranky) Intentionally build your resources. Be positive in your thinking and language.

17 3 APPROACHES TO managing stress 1. Frame anxiety in a positive way 2. Take active steps to build resources 3. Manage the stress response

18 1. Frame anxiety in a positive way How stress affects us depends on how we see the situation not necessarily how it really is. You can see things as *threatening and beyond your control (negative emotions) Or *opportunities for growth and new possibilities (positive emotions).

19 Some interesting readings Mindset by Carol Dweck Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman

20 Bad is stronger than good Humans have a negativity bias We look for bad things We pay greater attention to bad things We react more strongly to bad things The effects of bad experiences last longer.

21 The power of positive emotions Positive emotions broaden our thoughts & actions they enable us to see possibilities and build resources to overcome challenges. Psychological Optimistic thinking Courage Creativity Perseverance Motivation Positive language Problem solving skills Goal setting & planning skills Social Positive relationships (teachers, students & parents) Support & encouragement Safety & security Physical Healthy diet Stable sleep patterns Regular exercise Positive emotions actively undo the effects of negative emotions. (you can t be happy and anxious at the same time)!

22 Positivity By Barbara Frederickson

23 Cultivate positive emotions. Be intentional with your language (avoid fixed, negative labelling I suck at Maths ). Be intentionally positive in your outlook and behaviour: practice gratitude! Actively maintain social involvement Maintain a routine of structured daily activities (a sense of achievement and progress builds selfefficacy and optimism).

24 Spend time with friends Listen to music Go for a walk Enjoy a nice meal Play with the dog Relax / meditate / pray Reminisce on things that you really enjoyed (savour the past) Remind yourself of your achievements Slow down and be grateful for your life (savour the present) Keep a gratitude journal Do something nice for someone / volunteer Think about good things that will happen in the future (savour the future)

25 Finding ways to make you feel positive is not difficult Taking it seriously and being disciplined to do these things is!

26 2. Take active steps to build resources Don t wait for stress to catch you out Avoid stressors by planning ahead (health, relaxation, studies etc.). Develop problem solving strategies (goal setting & prioritizing, break big tasks down into manageable chunks etc.) Seek advice/support about how to change your situation (e.g. your parents, teachers & House Coordinators etc.) Choose your relationships wisely (spend time with those who are positive and will encourage and support your goals avoid those who don t.)

27 3. Manage the stress response Avoid and reduce the physiological aspects of the stress response. Maintain regular & healthy sleep patterns. Maintain a healthy diet. Exercise regularly. Use relaxation strategies. Be educated about stress e.g. beyondblue

28 Dealing with distress. Get physically active Distract your mind by doing enjoyable activities Talk over the problem with a trusted person Use relaxation strategies. Remind yourself of how you have overcome previous challenges. Focus on your strengths as resources to overcome challenges. Avoid stimulants (e.g. caffeine raises your level of arousal).

29 Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.

30 FEAR has two meanings. Forget Everything and Run Or Face Everything and Rise. The choice is yours.