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Stress and Wellness: A Comprehensive Guide to Managing Stress and Promoting Well-being, Study notes of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences

Exercise physiology, principles of training, program development and management recommendations, Nutrition basics and weight control: risks and Recommendations; choices and benefits Basic principles of fitness and wellness self- assessment and interpretation

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2016/2017

Uploaded on 03/12/2017

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Chapter 10: Stress and wellness
General adaption syndrome (GAS) A pattern of stress responses consisting of three stages: alarm,
resistance, and exhaustion. A universal and predictable response pattern to all stressors
Eustress: Stress resulting from a pleasant stressor
Distress: stress resulting from an unpleasant stressor
Alarm: sequence of events brought on by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and
the endocrine system- the fight-or-flight- reaction. The body is more susceptible to disease or
injury because it is geared up to deal with crisis. A person may experience headaches, indigestion,
anxiety, and disrupted sleeping and eating patterns.
Resistance or Adaption: continued stress, the body develops a new level of homeostasis in which
it is more resistant to disease and injury than normal.
Exhaustion: mobilization of forces during the alarm reaction and the maintenance of homeostasis
during the resistance stage requires a considerable amount of energy. If a stressor persists, or if
several stressors occur in succession, general exhaustion results… It’s a life threatening type of
physiological exhaustion characterized by such symptoms as distorted perceptions and
disorganized thinking.
Allostatic Load: The long-term wear and tear of the stress response. Long term exposure to such
stress hormones as cortisol has been linked with a variety of health problems. High cortisol levels
are associated with metabolic syndrome, for example, a condition linked to increased risk of heart
disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and osteoporosis.
Depends on factors such as:
Genetics
Life experiences
Emotional and behavioural responses to stressors
High Allostatic Load due to:
Frequent stressors
Poor adaption to common stressors
Inability to shut down the stress response
Imbalances in the stress response different body systems.
Also linked to:
Heart disease
High blood pressure
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Chapter 10: Stress and wellness General adaption syndrome (GAS) A pattern of stress responses consisting of three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. A universal and predictable response pattern to all stressors Eustress: Stress resulting from a pleasant stressor Distress: stress resulting from an unpleasant stressor Alarm: sequence of events brought on by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system- the fight-or-flight- reaction. The body is more susceptible to disease or injury because it is geared up to deal with crisis. A person may experience headaches, indigestion, anxiety, and disrupted sleeping and eating patterns. Resistance or Adaption: continued stress, the body develops a new level of homeostasis in which it is more resistant to disease and injury than normal. Exhaustion: mobilization of forces during the alarm reaction and the maintenance of homeostasis during the resistance stage requires a considerable amount of energy. If a stressor persists, or if several stressors occur in succession, general exhaustion results… It’s a life threatening type of physiological exhaustion characterized by such symptoms as distorted perceptions and disorganized thinking. Allostatic Load: The long-term wear and tear of the stress response. Long term exposure to such stress hormones as cortisol has been linked with a variety of health problems. High cortisol levels are associated with metabolic syndrome, for example, a condition linked to increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and osteoporosis. Depends on factors such as:

  • Genetics
  • Life experiences
  • Emotional and behavioural responses to stressors High Allostatic Load due to:
  • Frequent stressors
  • Poor adaption to common stressors
  • Inability to shut down the stress response
  • Imbalances in the stress response different body systems. Also linked to:
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Obesity
  • Reduced brain and immune system functioning Psychoneuroimmunology: The study of the interactions among the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system. Links between stress and specific conditions
  • Cardiovascular disease: heart rate, blood vessel constriction, etc. “Hot reactors” have exaggerated CV disease risk / responses *
  • Altered functioning of the immune system: colds, asthma, allergies, cancer, herpes, HIV, other chronic diseases
  • Other health problems: digestive, headaches, fatigue, reproductive or psychological problems Common sources of stress
  • Major life changes
  • People with strong support net-work and a stress-resistant personality are less likely to become ill in response to major life changes than people with fewer resources
  • Daily hassles
  • College stressors
  • Academic stressors
  • Interpersonal stressors: Managing relationships while juggling the rigors of university/college life can be daunting, especially if some friends or family are less than supportive
  • Time-related pressures: Can be drastically compounded for students who also have a job and or family responsibilities
  • Financial concerns: Pressure to stay afloat financially competes with academic and other stressors
  • Worries about the future: thinking about a career, choosing a place to live, and leaving the friends and routines of school behind.
  • Job-related stressors: When workers are given the opportunity to shape how their jobs are preformed, stress levels go down ■ Burnout: a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion
  • Interpersonal and social stressors: such as prejudice and discrimination
  • Balance anger and assertiveness
  • Spiritual wellness can promote :
  • Reduced risk of disease and faster recovery, and improved emotional health as well as longer life expectance.
  • Social support
  • Healthy habits
  • Positive attitude
  • Moments of relaxation
  • Awareness and clarification of personal values
  • Paths to spiritual wellness include organized religion, spending time in nature, helping others, art or other creative endeavors, personal relationships
  • Keeping a journal can help deal with stressful events Managing Stress: Time Management
  • Set priorities: divide your tasks into: essential, important, and trivial. Focus on the first two and ignore the third.
  • Schedule tasks for peak efficiency: at the time in which your most productive
  • (^) Set realistic goals: put them in writing
  • Budget enough time: calculate how long it should take you then add a 25% increase buffer
  • Break up long-term goals: Use short amounts of time for projects
  • (^) Visualize achievement of goals:
  • Track tasks you put off
  • Do least favorite tasks first (or most favorite)
  • Consolidate tasks
  • (^) Identify transitional tasks
  • Delegate responsibility
  • Say no when necessary
  • Give yourself a break
  • (^) Avoid personal time sinks
  • Just do it

Managing stress: Cognitive Techniques Manage thinking and assumptions within positive and realistic limits;

  • Modify expectations
  • Engage in “realistic self-talk”
  • (^) Live in the present
  • “Go with the flow”
  • Cultivate your sense of humor – actual physical results of laughing
  • Relaxation response = a physiological state characterized by a feeling of warmth and quiet mental alertness opposite of the flight-or-fight response
  • Relaxation techniques:
  • Progressive relaxation = alternating muscle tension and relaxation
  • Visualization = creating or recreating vivid mental pictures of a place, an experience, an outcome, etc.
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Deep, slow breathing
  • Listening to music
  • Meditation = quieting the mind by focusing on a particular word, object, or process
  • Hatha yoga = a series of physical postures emphasizing balance and breathing control
  • Taijiquan = a martial art designed to balance the body’s chi to promote health and spiritual growth
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Biofeedback = a technique that uses monitoring devices to help a person become conscious of unconscious body processes, such as body temperature or blood pressure, in order to exert some control over them
  • Hypnosis = a technique of mental focusing that affects the body
  • Massage = manipulation of the body’s tissues warmth, touching, soothing, relaxing Getting help
  • Peer counseling and support groups
  • Professional help
  • Is it stress or something more serious?
  • Depression = a mood disorder characterized by loss of interest in usual activities, sadness, hopelessness, loss appetite, disturbed sleep, and other physical symptoms (clinical diagnosis)
  • Severe depression is linked to suicide