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Stress Management Initiatives at Multilink

Introduction

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Significance of stress Management Initiatives

Stress management is an essential step for you to take once you have determined

you are facing stressful situations in your life, regardless of the cause. Although there are

helpful types of stress that enables you to cater this added burst of energy into something

positive and productive, it is not recommended for your body. Long term stress can

specifically produce negative impacts on your health and is recognized to deteriorate your

health faster than some other diseases.

Furthermore, stress can reduce your capacity to perform and function well, either at

school or in the workplace. Therefore, stress isnt something to be dismissed. Aside from

the personal impacts you can e!perience from stress, it also affects how you deal with the

environment and the people in your lives.

". #mproves overall health status.

$. %ou are able to assume a more positive attitude and outlook in life.

&. #t increases productivity since employees are able to focus clearly on tasks.

'. (etter control over emotions .). And more importantly, reduce or eliminate stress in life.

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Stress Management Initiatives at MULTILINK,

Stress is a fact of life, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. %ou cannot

avoid stress, but you can learn to manage it so it doesnt manage you. *hanges in our lives

such as going to college, getting married, changing +obs, or illness is freuent sources of

stress. -eep in mind that changes that cause stress can also benefit you. oving away

from home to attend college, for e!ample, creates personal/development opportunities new

challenges, friends, and living arrangements. That is why its important to know you and

carefully consider the causes of stress. Learning to do this takes time, and although you

cannot avoid stress, the good news is that you can minimize the harmful effects of stress,

such as depression or hypertension. The key is to develop an awareness of how you

interpret, and react to, circumstances. This awareness will help you develop coping

techniues for managing stress.

Although we all talk about stress, it often isnt clear what stress is really about. any

people consider stress to be something that happens to them, an event such as an in+ury or a

+ob loss. 0thers think that stress is what happens to our body, mind, and behaviour in

response to an event 12.g. heart pounding, an!iety, or nail biting3. 4hile stress does involve

events and our response to then, these are not the most important factors. 0ur thoughts

about the situations in which we find ourselves are the critical factor. 4hen something

happens to us, we automatically evaluate the situation mentally. 4e decide if it is

threatening to us, how we need to deal with the situation, and what skills we can use. #f we

decide that the demands of the situation outweigh the skills we have, then we label the

situation as 5stressful6 and react with the classic 5stress response.6 #f we decide that our

coping skills outweigh the demands of the situation, then we dont see it as 5stressful.6

Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry,

or an!ious. 2veryone sees situations differently and has different coping skills. For this

reason, no two people will respond e!actly the same way to a given situation. Additionally,

not all situations that are labelled 5stressful6 are negative. The birth of a child, being

promoted at work, or moving to a new home may not be perceived as threatening.

7owever, we may feel that situations are 5stressful6 because we dont feel fully prepared to

deal with them.

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Stress is a normal part of life. #n small uantities, stress is good8 it can motivate you

and help you become more productive. 7owever, too much stress, or a strong response to

stress can be harmful. 7ow we perceive a stress provoking event and how we react to it

determines its impact on our health. 4e may be motivated and invigorated by the events in

our lives, or we may see some as 5stressful6 and respond in a manner that may have a

negative effect on our physical, mental, and social well/being. #f we always respond in a

negative way, our health and happiness may suffer. (y understanding ourselves and our

reaction to stress/provoking situations, we can learn to handle stress more effectively. #n

the most accurate meaning, stress management is not about learning how to avoid or escape

the pressures and turbulence of modern living8 it is about learning to appreciate how the

body reacts to these pressures, and about learning how to develop skills which enhance the

bodys ad+ustment. To learn stress management is to learn about the mind/body connection

and to the degree to which we can control our health in a positive sense.

Causes of Stress

The most freuent reasons for 5stressing out6 fall into three main categories9

". The unsettling effects of change

$. The feeling that an outside force is challenging or threatening you

&. The feeling that you have lost personal control.

Life events such as marriage, changing +obs, divorce, or the death of a

relative or friend are the most common causes of stress. Although life/threatening

events are less common, they can be the most physiologically and psychologically

acute. They are usually associated with public service career fields in which people

e!perience intense stress levels because of imminent danger and a high degree of

uncertainty:police officer, fire and rescue worker, emergency relief worker, and

the military.

%ou may not plan to enter a high/stress career, but as a college student, you may

find that the demands of college life can create stressful situations. The ;ational

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#nstitute of ental 7ealth 1;#73 notes some of the more common stressors for

college students9

< #ncreased academic demands

< (eing on your own in a new environment

< *hanges in family relations

< Financial responsibilities

< *hanges in your social life

< 2!posure to new people, ideas, and temptations

< Awareness of your se!ual identity and orientation

< =reparing for life after graduation.

Symptoms of Distress

Symptoms of stress fall into three general, but interrelated, categories:

physical, mental, and emotional. >eview this list carefully. #f you find yourself

freuently e!periencing these symptoms, you are likely feeling distressed9

< 7eadaches

< Fatigue

< ?astrointestinal problems

< 7ypertension 1high blood pressure3

< 7eart problems, such as palpitations

< #nability to [email protected] of concentration

< Sleep disturbances, whether its sleeping too much or an inability to sleep

< Sweating [email protected] hands

< An!iety

< Se!ual problems.

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ffects of stress

2ven when you dont realize it, stress can cause or contribute to serious

physical disorders. That can lead to increases in your heart rate, respiration, blood

pressure, and physical demands on your internal organs. (ehavioural changes are

also e!pressions of stress. They can include9

< #rritability

< isruptive eating patterns 1overeating or under eating3

< 7arsh treatment of others

< #ncreased smoking or alcohol consumption

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Significance of stress management initiatives

Stress management is an essential step for you to take once you have determined you

are facing stressful situations in your life, regardless of the cause. Although there are helpful

types of stress that enables you to cater this added burst of energy into something positive and

productive, it is not recommended for your body. Long term stress can specifically produce

negative impacts on your health and is recognized to deteriorate your health faster than some

other diseases. Furthermore, stress can reduce your capacity to perform and function well,

either at school or in the workplace. Therefore, stress isnt something to be dismissed. Aside

from the personal impacts you can e!perience from stress, it also affects how you deal with

the environment and the people in your lives.

4hen it comes to stress management, determining the source of stress is often not

enough. For people