Stress Management Worksheet

1. Stress vs. Stressor
   1. Stressors: triggers outside of you
   2. Stress: the way you respond/react to the triggers
2. What is Stress?
   1. A basic human survival mechanism left over from our primordial 'roots' when we could best respond to dangers by either fighting or fleeing
   2. The body's non-specific (physical and biochemical) responses to stressors
   3. Long-term consequences of being 'too stressed for too long"
      1. Digestion
      2. Reprcduction
      3. Inhibited growth
      4. Inhibited tissue repair
      5. Gastrointestinal problems
      6. Hean disease
      7. Kidney disease
   4. Any change requiring you to adapt
   5. Unavoidable and Necessary
   6. Stress can be Positive
      
      1. A source of high energy and increased awareness
      2. Some stress actually improves performance, but too much impedes performance
3. Ok, you're stressed right now... What do you DO?
   
   Listen to music Rock in a rocking chair Play with your pet Weed a garden Scream into a pillow Take a bath Watch a movie Paint Pray/meditate Go for a walk Call somebody Repot a plant Put a puzzle together Walk around the mall Throw ice at a tree Beat a drum Cook Tear up a phone book Scream out loud Play an instrument Search the internet Do your nails Write a poem Organize CDs Rearrange furniture Wander around a bookstore Play racquetball Take pictures of nature Light scented candles Beat a pillow Shoot hoops Hit a punching bag Build something Yoga Take a nap
   uncheck all
4. Stress-Reducing Techniques
   1. BREATHE
      1. When you're stressed, you tend to breathe from your chest in short, shallow breaths. Take a break, get quiet somewhere and breathe deeply, from your diaphragm
      2. Use bubbles to practice good and healthy breathing: they help you control your breathing, and you can't stay mad while you blow a bubble!
      3. Practice blowing bubbles right now with your workshop favors

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