Stress Management How and Why Presentation pulled together

Images of Stress




How do you know you are stressed out, you think it is the day after your most dreaded event until your loving husband informs you that you are a day ahead of yourself and you now have 6 hours less to prepare for the presentation. {LOL}~~

OH well, :D

To start off we are going to talk about how we "Perceive" (See and think of) Stress.
Do you think stress is laughable and alittle misbehaving but mostly non-destructive like "Taz". "Just a part of life that everybody deals with"

OR
It's a very real creature that needs to be watch for, managed and contained so that it does not cause destruction. Does stress really have sharp teeth that can tear things and people apart (including yourself).

Well all of these ailments list stress as a risk factor or contributing factor:
Cardiovascular disease
Ulcers
Digestive disorders
Intestinal disorders
Syncope (dizziness) due to too much adrenaline
Muscle pain and spasms
Neck pain and spasms
Sleep disorders
Psychological disorders
Mood disorders.

Okay what do you think now? Is stress real and a concern or just kind of annoying and a little "bad attitude"?

Okay now we know that what we are dealing with is serious we need a plan.

Ways to handle stress and why (see the handout "Stress and Anger are Connected Why and How to Manage Stress) http://fromtheheart-dotwigg.blogspot.com/2008/11/stress-anger-management-techniques.html

maybe your not convinced that stress is real and needs to be managed yet?

The Top 10 signs You Need To get Your S-T-R-E-S-S Level Under Control (Resource Center, Coachville, Tesdell, Dennis R. International Coach Federation, Personal Development & Self-Care Coach, orignally submitted on 5/28/97. http://topten.org/public/BF/BF33.html , viewed 12/08/08).

1. Irritablitliy and/or lack of patience

2. Poor Concentration-short attention span

3. Sleep disturbance

4. Physical Syptoms of stress (frequesnt headaches, chronic indigestion, nervousness, fatigue, depression, muscle spasms, light headedness, hair loss, biting fingernails, blurred vision, sharp off and on pain in the LEFT side of the upper chest (not where one usually gets pain associated with heart), colitis, hives, or other skin disturbances, canker sores, sensitivity to loud noises, heightened "starle reflex", chronic back-shoulder or neck pain from muscle tension, and frequent colds. SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY STRESS CAN MIMIC MANY Serious diseases.

5. Relationship Problems-Personal and Business.

6. Apathy About Your Life **** (can be a hallmark sign of depression also, and it is also a symptom of someone who has a HUGE stress overload and is "burning out".)

7. Substance Abuse (alcohol, drug, or food)

8. Significant Body Weight Changes. (gain or lose more than 10 pounds in a six month period)

9. Strong-severe Emotional Symptoms (strong emotional changes, extreme anxiety or agitation, aggressive or violent behavior, "withdrawl-isolation" behaviors, suicidal thoughts or attempts, abusive behaviors verbally or physically to ANYONE, consistant or frequent nightmares, and feeling of hopelessness or depression. IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY OF THESE YOUR STRESS LEVELS ARE MUCH TOO HIGH TO HANDLE ON YOUR OWN. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP WITH THESE!!!!!

10. Feedback From Friends OR Family. "You are "uptight"

THERE IS NO SHAME IN ADMITTING TO BEING STRESSED OUT AND DECIDING TO GET HELP WITH IT BEFORE IT DOES DAMAGE. There are many non-pill ways to deal with stress, such as meditiation, relaxation tapes, excercise, and other self-help methods.

Music Therapy: Music and your body: How Music Affects us and Why Music Therapy Promotes Health from About.Com, Stress Management http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/music_therapy.htm

Then we are going to review the stress relievers in the kit from the handout and build our own kit and write a stress plan as a group.

Stress Management Solution and Spiritual Workout

Another Stress Management Solution is prayer. Many debate about the "canned or preset" prayers and their effectiveness. Firstly, it is all about the heart condition, and motive you have when you say it. If you are truly communicating with God, He promises to hear you and answer you. Secondly, canned prayers can be mini-bible studies and really help you grow in faith and understanding.

My favorite prayer is the "Serenity Prayer" {no comments :) }

These words have so much inspiration and well.. no commentary or explanations on this one :); just the prayer and the site I like that explains the prayer's meaning and history. One change that I made to mine, is replacing "HAPPY" with "Joyful", these are two very different things, and Jesus provides Joy and Happiness happens.. or not.. Joy is as available as Christ, you just have to choose it.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time;Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with HimForever in the next. Amen.

http://www.allaboutprayer.org/serenity-prayer.htm

Stress Management- Solutions in the Word

STRESSED is a frazzled feeling of being at ones overload point. It can include feelings of anger, frustration, anxiety, depression, and confusion/inability to concentrate.
God is not the author of confusion, but of peace 1 Corinthians 14:33


Stress is an end result of many processes (thoughts and feelings). Some people are aware of all their processes and the effects and others are not or "CHOOSE" to not acknowledge them.
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. Proverbs 17:22


Stress is not a result of either choice, it is because of the reactions to situations, thoughts and feelings.
Be not grieved and depressed, for the Joy of the Lord is your strength and Stronghold. Nehemiah 8:10


Some stress is helpful and healthy, like an energy or adreniline rush, but too much of anything or things handled in a negative way can be damaging.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12

Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4


80% of stress is unmet expectations. We are expecting all the time. We are stress more than if we are more "unexpectant". Flexibility is a great thing to help reduce stress. Planning and preparation are good things but, they must not be used like insurance policies or to become the thing we expect.



Make plans but hold them loosely.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:6

Prayer, helps clue us in as to what God's plan is... if we "submit" to God's plan everything seems to go alot easier. When we sync our thoughts will God and delete conflicts, and reset our expectations we are able to "renew our mind" and become better equipped to handle things that will come today. We gain the wisdom to plan and prepare for today and allow tomorrow to be another plan.



Getting in the Word, is a great stress plan. It helps us think differently, we reset priorities and goals which changes our expectations and behaviors.

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phillippians 4:7



Stress is not the problem, it is what you do with it. If you do not deal with stress it grows and can become other issues, like anger, depressive mood, and other bad judgments and behaviors that become the problem.

Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not yourself--it tends only to evildoing. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait and hope and look for the Lord shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:8-9



Stress is a foothold, which we are warned against allowing, because they will cause us to fall.
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

Joy is a Gift from God and a choice- Jeremiah 8:10..for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Jesus is the only real source of our Joy. (1 Peter 1:8-9) Luke 1:47; 10:20
Obedience to Him-having a relationship with God. Pouring over the word, praising, praying.
Your Choice!!!!!!!!!!!! Choose feeling stressed, anger, loney or Choose CHRIST, COMFORT, HEALING, JOY, PEACE,

Phil 1:18, Hab 3:18 "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation"


Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Ephesians 3:20

Stress (Anger) Management Techniques

Okay, we are making progress! I have finished fine tuning my class project, and here it is. feedback would be most appreciated. These are the "take home" sheets from a "Group Presentation" I will be doing. We will review the information, look at "MY" kit and then build a kit as a group. This information will be the participants to take home and use on their own.


{You can click on the questions below, copy and paste this into your comment or email :) }


Questions to help evaluate the information and delivery


1. Is this clear, do you understand the information presented? Why or why not?


2. Is this enough information or too much information? Why


3. Do you agree with the information presented ? Why or Why not


4. Did you already know this information? How?


5. Would you consider using this technique? Why or Why not?


Other comments:

Thank you for participating!

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Stress and Anger have a connection and are a big part of most peoples lives. Some people are aware (painfully at times) of their reactions to stress and anger and others do not acknowledge them but do deal with these factors. Planning and fore thought on complex and emotional issues can really help make the experience less "STRESSful" and problematic for all.


The Sheets that will be given out during the "Group Presentation/Session"

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Stress and Anger are connected
Why and How to Manage Stress
By Dot Wiggins

Which comes first the rage or the flawed perception? If anger comes from unmet expectations and expectations originate in the brain, is the solution for anger outbursts in the brain too?

“That which angers you controls you”. “That which controls your mind controls your behavior”.

Know thyself! A maxim as pernicious as it is ugly. Whoever observes himself arrests his own development. A caterpillar that wanted to know himself well would never become a butterfly..... Andre Gide

Some helpful resources:
UGH! UGH! One must do SOME self-observation; that helps with our development into butterflyness. (ABC’s of Self Help, http://www.helpself.com/index.html ; 11/25/08)
E-IQ Test, http://www.helpself.com/iq-test.htm

Emotional Health = Mental Health, The following excerpt is from the self helppsychology book, Be Your Own Therapist., Thayer White MA MFT Licensed Psychotherapist, http://www.psychologyhelp.com/emot91.htm; 11/25/08

Emotionally healthy adults, with respect to anger, are comfortable with anger and hatred, their own and others (Be your own therapist, Thayer White MA MFT Licensed Psychoterapist, http://www.psychologyhelp.com/emot92.htm ; 11/25/08

Anger Tip. There are few "always" in therapy. Here is one of them: anger (including irritation, rage, hatred, etc.) is always based upon unfulfilled expectations. If I can let go of my expectations, I will not feel angry. (Be Your Own Therapist, Thayer White MA MFT Lincensed Psychotherapist, http://www.psychologyhelp.com/emot92.htm ; 11/25/08

Creative Stress Management Activities and Multi-Tasking Stress Stress Relievers
Unconventional Stress-Relievers, Scott, Elizabeth, M.S., About.com
November 1, 2007; http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/unconventional.htm

Self consideration, awareness and evaluation of feelings, thoughts and behaviors can be pivotal in retraining oneself to make better and more beneficial decisions. Positive thinking has a direct effect on behavior and in turn effects relationships, and feelings about accomplishments and can reduce stress. How Does Positive Thinking Impact Your Stress Level?
Scott, Elizabeth , M.S., About.com, September 21, 2008; http://stress.about.com/od/lowstresslifestyle/f/positive_think.htm

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(Second Page)

Stress comes in many forms and so does relief. Mix and match stress relief items, change them and keep things available, like a “Tool kit” for when stress enters your day.

Stress Tool kit Items:

In constructing your stress program, start with the tools to relieve your stress. What “healthy” things make you happy, relaxed, inspired, and rejuvenated? When stressed, decision-making can be impaired and poor judgment and lack of thought can cause unwanted consequences. We want to have a plan and tools available, so when stress hits it is relieved in a positive and healthy manner. Avoiding “false relievers” like alcohol, drugs, risky behavior, impulsive purchases, and unhealthy physical activities.

Music, Aroma therapy, Visualization cues, toys and other “handy activities”, humor and laughter inducing items, exercise, massage items, journal, religious materials, consultation with a positive influence, counseling.

Make your kit something reasonable and portable so you can carry it with you. Update it as appropriate so you will have relevant aids to help reduce the stress effectively and efficiently. Have a back up plan for “crisis” events or for long-term stress events. Write your plan out and let someone know where it is, so in the event you are in need of consoling or gentle reminders to use your plan they can help you.

Picture of "My" Kit.



Stress Plan:

How will you use your kit? Which items for which situations?

Does the location of the stressful event matter?

Having a preplanned action plan to manage your stress will help make it a successful experience. Knowing what you will do to return yourself to the “normal” “Positive” and effective thinking individual you are before the stress will help in your consistency and motivation to handle the stress effectively and not deny or ignore it until it becomes a different issue, usually Anger or worse.

When stressed about ______________________________________ I will __________________. If I am still on edge and unable to concentrate, I will do
____________________________________________. If I need to talk to someone I will call ___________________ at ______________________, or ____________________ at _______________________. If a serious or extremely upsetting event comes up I will __________________________________ and call ____________________________________ at ___________________________.


I have practiced this plan and it was successful for _____________________________ on _________________________________________. I have reviewed this plan with __________________________

and they know where I keep my “kit” and how I execute my plan.