Warm-Up

1. Warm-Up • If you could eliminate just one source of stress in your life what would it be and why? • Is it possible to eliminate this stress or is it out of your control?

2. Stress Day 2…Managing Stress Lesson 6

3. Objectives • Identify techniques for coping with stress and anxiety • Review and demonstrate stress management techniques • Identify personal causes of stress • Demonstrate refusal strategies • Examine how healthful behaviors help reduce stress

4. Identifying Personal Causes • Life events • Getting a drivers license, moving, graduation, marriage, birth, adoption, illness • Do you have control over these? • Physical Stressors • Pollution, injury, lack of rest, drugs, excessive dieting or exercise • Daily Hassles • Time pressures, responsibilities, deadlines, conflicts with family and friends

5. Manage your Stress • Refusal Skills • Sometimes it is possible to avoid a stressful situation all together! • Just say no! • Plan Ahead • Flexible map for you to reach your goals • Figure 8.2 pg 206 • A well thought out plan is your best defense against stress…however, do not be too rigid in your plans or you will stress if things don’t go exactly as planned (flexibility is your friend  )

6. Get Adequate Sleep • Not enough sleep can affect your ability to concentrate • Manage your time so that you can get enough sleep each night (8-9 hours) • Prioritize your tasks • Don’t over commit yourself to activities • Planning ahead will help you to manage your time and be able to get adequate sleep

7. Managing Stress Continued • Get REGULAR physical activity • Release nervous energy • Relaxes you • Improves your body and mind • Eat nutritious food • Important for overall health • Poor eating habits can actually contribute to stress by causing fatigue, weakness, and reduced ability to concentrate • Overeating or under-eating can put the body in physical stress, which can lead to mental/emotional stress • Tips to improve your eating habits: • Eat regular meals • Limit comfort foods • Limit caffeine

8. Managing Stress Continued • AVOID Tobacco, Alcohol, and other drugs • Some people turn to these substances to ‘relieve stress’, however in reality these just physically harm your body and can lead to addiction • This risk behaviors will actually increase your stress in the long run. Don’t turn to a ‘quick fix’ because it will not work!

9. Review • Ways to Manage Stress • Plan Ahead • Get Adequate Sleep • Get Regular Physical Activity • Eat Nutritious Food • Avoid Tobacco, Alcohol, and other drugs • Avoid the stressful situation

10. Stress Management Techniques When stressors can’t be avoided or minimized through the other techniques stress management skills can be used • Skills that help an individual handle stress in a healthful, effective way • Redirect your energy • Work on a project, exercise, find something that works for you to take your mind off the stressful task and apply it to something that interests you • Relax and Laugh • Deep breathing, thinking pleasant thoughts, stretching • Laughing actually lowers blood pressure and makes you feel more relaxed • Keep a positive outlook • The way you think determines how you feel • Seek out support • Confide in someone • Talk about your problems • Seek advice

11. JUST LISTEN! • I’m going to play 3 different songs. All I want you to do while the songs are playing is to listen to them and relax. • After each song I will give you time to write about how the song made you feel. • After to listening to all three songs I want you to compare and contrast the songs. How might these songs help you cope or elicit stress? What do you think the writers were feeling when they wrote the songs?