Dealing with Stress Notes

REVIEW:
What is a stressor?

What are the two types of
stress?

If I come down with a cold
and it is interfering with my
performance, what type of
stressor is that?

What are three things that
happen to you during the
Alarm stage of GAS
(General Adaptation
Syndrome)?

If I never deal with my
stress (and it just keeps
piling up!) what stage do I
move into? What can
happen to me?

Dealing with Stress
**RESILIENCY: The ability to recover
from illness, hardship, and other stressors.
De-stress yourself and Increase your
resiliency in these ways:

Tip #1: TAKE CARE OF
YOURSELF
A: Exercise Regularly
•Reduces tension
•Releases happy endorphins
•Makes you feel better about
yourself
•Reduces tension headaches

Tip #1: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF cont.
B: Get Enough Rest
•At least 9 HOURS of sleep!
•Not enough sleep = exhaustion = inability to
deal with stress and stressful situations
presented on a daily basis
Activity 2: 1 minute “nap”

Tip #1: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF cont.
C: Eat Right
•Provides the nutrition and energy you
need to deal with daily demands
•Eating properly keeps your immune
system functioning
Activity: healthy snack time

Tip #2: LEARN TO RELAX
A: Breathing Exercises
•Provides more oxygen to the brain
•Calming effect
•Increased oxygen keeps body functioning at a
higher level
•Breathe! Take time (up to 15 minutes) to just
breathe
Activity: Deep breathing: 1 minute

Tip #2: LEARN TO RELAX cont.
B:Tension - Releasing Exercises
•Tension is often held in the muscles
during stress
•By contracting and then releasing
various muscle groups, tension (and
stress) is released
•Start at the top of the body (eyes,
mouth) and move down (calf, toes)
Activity: Progressive muscle relaxation

Tip #2: LEARN TO RELAX cont.
C: Alternative Exercises
•Anything that relaxes YOU: dancing,
singing, reading, music, painting, etc.
Activity: Art Therapy in notebook

TIP #3 CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE
A: Use positive self talk
•Say or think positive thoughts about yourself
•Increasing your confidence will cause a decrease your
stress
B: Be confident About Yourself:
•Use prior situations to build confidence
•The better you feel about yourself, the more positive your
perception of the situation will be
C: Don’t Worry about Things that are out of your control!
•Focus on what you can do about the situation-make the best
of it
Activity: Write down 5 things you like about yourself. Share
them!

TIP #4 MANAGE YOUR TIME:
A: Make a list
•most important at the top, least important at the bottom and
CHECK off the things you finish!
•Accomplishing even little things helps to relieve stress
B: Know your limits:
•Stop saying yes-only fill your plate with things you can handle
C: Make a schedule:
•Prioritize-big things first
•make time for fun
•Be realistic
•Stick to your schedule
Activity: Write out a list of all the things you have to do today—
put a box beside each item and check them off!

Remember, don’t worry about the
things you cannot control… and DO
make sure you control your:
BEHAVIOR! (examples: who you hang
out with, choices you make, whether
or not you study, etc.)