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Dr. Muhd. Najib Mohd. Alwi
najib@kck.usm.my
What is stress?
A certain amount of stress is perfectly
normal and in fact – necessary to ensure
we are motivated enough and remain
focussed to fulfil tasks in hand
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UNDERSTIMULATION OPTIMUM OVER-
ZONE STIMULATION ZONE STIMULATION
ZONE
P
CREATIVITY
E
R RATIONAL PROBLEM
F SOLVING
O
R PROGRESS
M IRRATIONAL
A CHANGE PROBLEM SOLVING
BOREDOM EHXAUSTION
N FATIGUE ILLNESS
C SATISFACTION
FRUSTRATION LOW SELF-ESTEEM
E DISSATISFACTION
Lifeline
Death from Death from
Lack of Stress
Stress
STRESS
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However, usually STRESS is meant in the
negative way : experiencing of unpleasant
or uncomfortable feelings
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Two components of stress:
External component : stressor
Situations, tasks, problems, hassles that causes
stress
Internal component : inner reaction
Different people react differently to the same
stressor
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Another form of stress is “self-inflicted”
because of demands put on oneself
E.g. “I MUST get A in every exam”
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Management of Stress
Involves:
Working with ourselves (internal component)
Working with events and demands facing us
(external component)
In most situations, both components of
stress need to be worked at to relieve
stress
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Recognizing Stress
Human mind has the ability to interpret
situations and thus provides an infinite
variety of reaction to stress
Our responses to stress:
Physical
Psychological
Behavioural
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Physical Response To Stress
Body response to alarm:
Rapid pulse
Sweating
Palpitation
Tightened stomach Prime us to deal with
Tense arm, leg muscles danger, challenge or
other real or imagined
Shortness of breath demands
Gritted teeth
Clenched jaw
Inability to sit still
Racing thoughts
Compelling emotions 9
Psychological Responses Stress
Inability to concentrate
Loss of self-confidence
Irritability
Insatiable cravings
Worry or anxiety
Irrational fear or outright panic
Difficulty in making simple decisions
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Behavioural Responses To Stress
Excessive smoking
Increased use of medication
Nervous tics / mannerism
Absent-mindedness
Accident-proneness
Hair-pulling, nail-biting, foot-tapping etc.
/ eating / sleep
Drug misuse
Reckless driving
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Stress Management: Basic
Requirements
Awareness
Levels of stress
Presence of stress
Attributes in character that is stress-related
Causes of stress and ways of managing it
Self-acceptance
What you are today is the result of all your life experience
Change is always possible
Important changes don’t happen in an instant
Don’t judge yourself harshly
Accept what you are and who you are
Responsibility
Change begins with you, it’s your own responsibility
You can instigate the necessary changes
Coping skills
Learn adaptive coping skills 12
Strategies
4 basic strategies that you can use to manage
stress:
Build up general health: proper nutrition, rest,
exercise
Change the situation: source of stress
Change your mind: perceptions of and thoughts
about the stressors
Learn to substitute: relaxation responses for stress
responses
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Tips on Managing Stress
Stressful Situation Analysis
1. What happened? Results were shocking!!!
(When, where, who, what, why?)
2. What was your immediate Panic!
reaction?
3. What did you say to yourself? This is impossible! I never failed
ever in my life!!!!!
4. How did you feel when it was FILL HERE ONLY AFTER YOU
over? MANAGED TO RESOLVE THE
STRESS
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Tips on Managing Stress
Positive Self-Statements
What is it I have to do?
Don’t worry. Worry won’t help anything.
I can meet this challenge.
Relax; I’m in control. Take a slow, deep
breath. That’s it…
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Tips on Managing Stress
Proper breathing:
Practice abdominal breathing (resting 6 -
10/min) and minimize chest breathing (resting
10 – 16/min)
Learn breathing / relaxation exercise, do it
regularly
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Tips on Managing Stress
Decreasing Mental Agitation / Worrying
Techniques:
CLEARING
THOUGHT-STOPPING
CREATIVE WORRYING
PROBLEM SOLVING
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Tips on Managing Stress
CLEARING:
Ensures completion of encountered tasks OR
develop a plan for incomplete tasks
STEPS:
Making a list : daily listing of events
Ongoing practice : leave the completed tasks, clear mind
daily / weekly
Maintenance of clearing
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Tips on Managing Stress
THOUGHT-STOPPING:
We are continuously bugged by noise – externally
and internally. Some people have too much internal
noise (worries, doubts etc.)
Thought-stopping can slow down the internal
conversation you carry with yourself.
Cycle:
NEGATIVE THOUGHT say, visualise STOP! inhale,
exhale and say CALM think of a PLEASANT THOUGHT
This exercise may have to be repeated several times until the
negative thoughts disappeared
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Tips on Managing Stress
CREATIVE WORRYING:
There are two kinds of worrying: useless
worrying and constructive thinking / problem
solving (effective worrying)
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Tips on Managing Stress
CREATIVE WORRYING:
Spend about 30 minutes a day, create a
WORRY LIST (5 minutes).
Look at minor worries first, omit those that can be
dismissed by direct action. These are concerns not
worries.
10 minutes: spend on useless worrying
2 minutes of physical relaxation and breathing
exercise
15 minutes: problem solving
Stop on time, continue another day if necessary
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Basic Problem Solving
Steps:
1. Relax: single-breath relaxation, say “I am
calm”
2. Define the problem
3. Generate alternative solutions
4. Evaluate the alternatives
5. Implement the solutions
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Additional Skills
Goal-Setting
Define goals
Visualisation (with relaxation)
Planning life goals
Time Management
Prepare a time budget
Review time log
Review goals and priorities
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When to Seek Help
When everything else doesn’t work
It’s never too early to ask for help
Look around you, help your friends too
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Conclusion
Stress management is important in our
day to day activity
It is easy to learn BUT perseverance is
difficult
Practice makes perfect
Don’t be shy to ask for help
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