Adpated from: Matthews, Wayne. The Time-Stress Connection. Balancing Work and Family
Series. Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University Cooperative Extension Service.; Plain Talk About Handling Stress. Rockville, Maryland: National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Walker, Doris "Katey". Stress Management, Manhattan, Kansas, Kansas State University, June, 2001

Walker, Doris K.

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1Stress ManagementKansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension ServiceFactSheetIf you try to manage work, family, and community responsibilities, you know themeaning of stress. Stress occurs when you, who should be thoroughly prepared,can’t quite get a handle on a report you are supposed to present. Or, when you geta call from a committee chairperson asking if you’ve confirmed next month’sspeaker yet, and that person has not returned your many calls.Learning about stress, its impact on your body, and how to deal with its effectscan help you manage all your responsibilities.What Is Stress?Medically speaking, stress is the rate of wear and tear on your body caused byliving. It is the physical, mental and chemical adjustments that your body makesin accordance to the circumstances of your life.In other words, stress is a response to what is happening around you. It is theprocess the body uses to keep balance and sustain life when various demands aremade on you.Some stress is necessary to motivate us and add spice to our lives. But, when thedemands of your life exceed your resources, you experience too much stresswhich may result in damaging effects.Stress can be good, as well as bad for you. It is like electricity. It can warm youand light up your life, or it can give you a fatal charge. Regardless, stress isalways with you.The important concept is learning how your body responds to the demands ofstress. When stress becomes prolonged or particularly frustrating, it becomesharmful — causing distress or “bad stress.”Recognizing the early signs of distress, and doing something about them, canmake an important difference in the quality of your life and your ability tomanage your responsibilities and that of the organizations to which you havevolunteered your time and energy.Sources of StressStress comes from a variety of sources, ranging from a sick spouse to an angry co-worker.The sources of stress can be grouped into four major categories:1. Customary, anticipated life events. These events represent the changes thattake place throughout life: graduating from high school, marriage, returning towork after the birth of a child, telling someone you will chair an importantcommittee, or being tapped to give a talk to a group of people.These events can be influenced, but not totally controlled, by personal decisions.Normally, they cause a positive and stimulating form of stress. Symptoms ofdistress may be experienced when several events cluster into a short time period,or when you resist the changes represented by the events.Making22. Unexpected life events. These events are the tragedies and “shocks” of life:being involved in an accident, being the victim of a crime, the sudden death ofa loved one, etc. An unexpected opportunity can also fall into the “shock”category.These stressors usually occur to you suddenly, without warning, and are not inyour control. The stress symptoms that result are often sudden, and sometimessevere.Normally, however, such symptoms do not become chronic. With the passage oftime, we heal and the symptoms are relieved.3. Progressive, accumulating events. These represent the everyday strains oflife. Especially stressful are the unresolved conflicts in close relationships:ongoing conflicts with a spouse, continuing parent-child friction, long-termcare for a disabled relative, boredom with a career path, taking on too manyoutside activities, constant fighting among factions in an organization to whichyou belong, etc.The symptoms of stress exhaustion resulting from these factors develop slowly.And, because they develop over time, the symptoms are not easily relieved. Theintensity of these pressures often seems to gain momentum, and the “victims”feel increasingly worn out and unable to cope.4. Personal trait stress. This is the self-imposed stress that is caused byperfectionism, insecurity, lack of self-confidence, and feelings of jealousy orinadequacy. It is the only source of stress over which you have significantcontrol.Stress caused by low self-esteem impacts all daily situations and influences allinteractions. Sufferers often become anxious worriers and are plagued by feelingsof fear and disease.These symptoms can be chronic and lifelong unless the source of the stress —negative feelings about oneself — is changed.Health ProblemsA single stressful event, even a really upsetting one, usually will not cause a greatdeal of physical or emotional damage. But when several stressful events occur ina short period of time — called a stress pile-up — any one of a variety ofunhealthy effects can be produced.Damaging stress has been related to asthma, ulcers, cancer, headaches, heartdisease and stroke, rheumatoid arthritis — even to the common cold and otherinfectious diseases.Learning more about stress and developing ways to manage it are positive healthinvestments. There are many things that you can do to defend yourself against theeffects of too much stress.Steps for Reducing StressWhen stress occurs, it is important to recognize and deal with it. Following aresome ways to handle stress. As you begin to understand more about how stressaffects you as an individual, you will invent your own ideas about how to helpease tension.3• Turn to physical activity. When you are nervous, angry or upset, release thepressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, tennis, yoga,swimming, or working in your garden are some of the activities you can try.Physical exercise will relieve that “up tight” feeling, relax you, and may turnyour frowns into smiles.Remember, your body and mind work together. A regular routine of physicalexercise will help to relieve the daily symptoms of stress.• Locate the source of your stress. You need to look inside yourself, as well asoutside. Remember, spending too much time analyzing your feelings maymake them look bigger than they really are. This, in itself, can make you moretense.• Share your concerns with others. It may help to talk to someone. Perhaps afriend, family member, teacher or counselor can help you see the problem in adifferent light.If you feel your problem is serious, you can seek professional help from apsychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. Knowing when to ask for help mayavoid more serious problems later.• Know your limits. If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be changedat the moment, do not fight the situation. Learn to accept what you cannotrealistically change.Sometimes it will be appropriate to take action and remove the stress. But, forother times you may need to change your attitude and live with the situation.Whatever decision you make, do not waste time wondering whether or not youhave made the right one.• Take care of yourself. You are important. Get enough rest and eat well. If youare irritable and tense from lack of sleep, or if you are not eating correctly, youwill have less ability to deal with stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keepsyou from sleeping or eating, you should ask your doctor for help. Try to:•  Eat regular meals and snacks.•  Reduce or eliminate caffeine.•  Consume more water.•  Exercise regularly.•  Limit your intake of alcohol and other addictive drugs.• Make time for fun. Balance work and community service with recreation byscheduling time strictly for yourself. Do something you really enjoy, whether itis bird watching, fishing, bowling, needlework, woodworking, etc.You need to participate in some type of recreation that relaxes you and also bringsdeep enjoyment. This helps you face your daily frustrations more calmly.Play can be just as important to your well-being as work; you need a break fromyour daily routine to just relax and have fun.• Check off your tasks. Trying to take care of everything at once can seemoverwhelming. As a result, you may not accomplish anything.4Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do, and do them one at a time.Remember to do the most important tasks first, and check them off as they arecompleted.Also consider delegating tasks that can be done by other people. Remember —YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO DO EVERYTHING!!!• Don’t always insist on being “right.” Do other people upset you — particularlywhen they do not do things your way?• Try cooperation instead of confrontation. It is better than fighting and insist ongetting your own way.  A little give and take on both sides will reduce thestrain and make everyone feel more comfortable.• Get away from it for a while. When tensions mount and make you tooemotional to think clearly or to make wise decisions, you should take a “time-out.”There are many ways of doing this — going into the next room for a few minutes,counting to fifty, or putting the decision aside until later. Often problems have away of solving themselves when we leave them for awhile.• Create a quiet scene. You may not be able to run away, but you can “dream theimpossible dream.” A quiet scene painted mentally can take you out of theturmoil of a stressful situation. Read a good book or play beautiful music tocreate a sense of peace and tranquility.• Avoid self-medication. If you load up on tranquilizers in every stressfulsituation, you will never be able to solve your problems. Knowing how tohandle tension-producing times comes only with practice.Practice comes only from dealing with the problem, not from taking a pill andignoring it. Contact your physician if you feel you cannot cope.• Learn to relax — SMILE! There are times when putting on a happy face, eventhough you do not feel like it, will ease tension and will begin to make you feelmuch more relaxed. If the smile can turn into a hearty laugh, tension will flyout of the window.Part of the secret is to not take ourselves too seriously. The other part is to assumethe attitude that, “this too shall pass.”5Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension ServiceEP-105 JUNE 2001It is the policy of Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service that all personsshall have equal opportunity and access to its educational programs, services, activities, and materials without regard to race,color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability. Kansas State University is an equal opportunity organization. Issued infurtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State University, CountyExtension Councils, Extension Districts, and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating, Marc A. Johnson, Director.ConclusionThere is nothing you can do to totally eliminate stress from your life — you wouldnot want that. Stress is important when it is under control. It keeps you alert andkeeps you from being bored. However, when stress starts to have a negative effecton your life, it is important to determine the source of your stress and considerways to lessen the impact on you.Adapted from:Matthews, Wayne. The Time-Stress Connection. Balancing Work and FamilySeries. Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University Cooperative ExtensionService.Plain Talk About Handling Stress. Rockville, Maryland: National Institute ofMental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Stress management

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