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1 Stress

The document discusses the concept of stress, differentiating between good stress, which prepares individuals for action, and bad stress, which can lead to health issues. It outlines various stressors, symptoms, and the importance of managing stress through techniques such as meditation, exercise, and effective coping strategies. Additionally, it emphasizes the need to identify stressors, set limits, and plan to reduce stress in personal and professional environments.

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hlonolofatsomolapo37
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6 views

1 Stress

The document discusses the concept of stress, differentiating between good stress, which prepares individuals for action, and bad stress, which can lead to health issues. It outlines various stressors, symptoms, and the importance of managing stress through techniques such as meditation, exercise, and effective coping strategies. Additionally, it emphasizes the need to identify stressors, set limits, and plan to reduce stress in personal and professional environments.

Uploaded by

hlonolofatsomolapo37
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Development of the self in society

1. Life skills required to adapt to change as part of healthy life style


Choices: Identify, assess and manage stress.

• What is stress?
Stress is what we feel in situations we find difficult, challenging or even
frightening. When we feel we can’t cope with the situation.

• What is good stress?


Stress that makes you ready for action as it gives you adrenalin and
energy. E.g. When you have to stand in front of the class and speak. It is
for a short term and you can have sweaty palms and a dry mouthy or
butterflies in your tummy.

• What is bad stress?


If the stress is more than you can cope with, it is unhealthy. You may
become ill, unhappy and depressed. You are not able to do your task as
well as you could. You will have headaches or will not be able to sleep.

• What is a stressor?
A stressor is anything, event or person that causes stress. It is the things
that trigger stress

• Symptoms of stress:

- Short term effects: Faster breathing/faster heart rate/dry mouth


Sweaty palms/tension in your neck/butterflies in your tummy

- Long term effects: High blood pressure/headaches/ulcers/allergies


etc.
• Types of stressors:

- Physical: caused by physical harm, such as violence and


sexual abuse.
- Environmental: caused by factors like extreme weather or
pollution.
- Personality bases: people who are more prone to stress than
others.
- Social: caused by the people around you e.g. peer
pressure.
- Emotional: caused by your emotions e.g. relationship
problems.

• Why is it important to manage stress?


- Your body produce cortisol and adrenalin. These are 2 stress
hormones.
- Cortisol is the hormone produced by fear, results in anxiety.
- Adrenalin- is the hormone that prepares the body to react physically
to a threat.
- If you fail to manage your stress your body can produce too much of
the hormones for too long. The stress will damage your body and
change to chronic diseases like high blood pressure.

• Factors that lead to stress in the work place:

- Poor management/poor planning by


- Supervisors or managers.
- Lack of skills from other workers.
- Poor work relations between management and workers
- Poor relations between workers
- Poor work environment
- Incompetent workers
- Jealousy
- Autocracy by management
- Tasks are demanding
- Poor attitude of seniors (no support )
- Poor resources to do proper job
- Poor work ethics by workers
- Understaffed
- Poor benefits
- Low salary
• How to manage stress : Behaviours, techniques, strategies and
examples of ways in which stress can be managed

- Meditation is a one of the natural methods of relieving stress. Simple


deep breathing exercises can assist tremendously in relieving stress.
Meditation helps to calm the mind.
- Exercise and eat healthy foods regularly. Eat healthy foods and
exercise at least 3 times a week.
- Avoid excess caffeine intake which can increase feelings of anxiety and
agitation.
- Don't use illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
- Learn relaxation exercises (abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation
techniques).
- Learn practical and effective coping skills. For example, break a large
task into smaller, more attainable tasks.
- Learn to feel good about doing a competent job rather than demanding
perfection from yourself and others.
- Develop assertiveness training skills. For example, state feelings in
polite, firm, and not overly aggressive or passive ways ("I feel angry
when you yell at me" "Please stop yelling"). Rehearse and practice
situations which cause stress. One example is taking a speech class, if
talking in front of a class makes you anxious.
- Decrease negative self talk. Challenge negative thoughts about
yourself with alternative neutral or positive thoughts. "My life will never
get better" can be transformed into "I may feel hopeless now, but my life
will probably get better if I work at it and get some help."
- Take a break from stressful situations. Activities like listening to music,
talking to a friend, drawing, writing, or spending time with a pet can
reduce stress.
- Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way...
- A stress journal can help you identify the regular stressors in your life
and the way you deal with them. Each time you feel stressed; keep
track of it in your journal. As you keep a daily log, you will begin to see
patterns and common themes. Write down:
➢ Analyse your stress:
What caused your stress (make a guess if you’re unsure)?
How you felt, both physically and emotionally.
How you acted in response.
What you did to make yourself feel better.
- Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation
that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the
number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.
- Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in
your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added
responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more
than you can handle is a sure recipe for stress and can lead to burn out.
- Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes
stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the
amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship
entirely.
- Plan: Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes
you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but
less-travelled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do
your grocery shopping online.
- Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and
daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between
the “should” and the “must.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the
bottom of the list or eliminate them.

Activity 4 Page 14

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