Chandana J.

Hewawasam
Project Scientist
Coordinating Secretariat of Science, Technology & Innovation
Sri Lanka

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WHAT IS STRESS ?
Stress is the bodys response to any physical
or emotional changes in life.
This response includes the release of a hormone, adrenaline, in the
body. Adrenaline causes an increase in heart rate, breathing and in
blood sugar levels. It also diverts the blood flow from your
digestive system to your muscles (e.g. Leg muscles)
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How stress affects us differently ?

1.Tension, anxiety
(nervousness), worry, or fear of
the unknown and things we cant
control.
Can you imagine such a situation?

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How stress affects us differently con?

2.Natural, physical
and emotional
reaction to a
challenge.
Can you imagine such a
situation in your life?
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How stress affects us differently con

3.Positive when kept in balance

Can you imagine such a

situation in your life ?

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Common Courses of Stress

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Common Courses of Stress

1.Causes of Stress at Home
Death of spouse, family, near relative or friend.
Injury or illness of any family member.
Marriage of self or son or daughter or brother or sister.
Separation or divorce from partner.
Pregnancy or birth of a new baby.
Children's behavior or disobedience.
Children's educational performance.
Not sufficient money to raise your standard of living.

Loss of money in burglary, pick-pocketed or share market.

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Common Courses of Stress Con.

2.Causes of Stress at work
To meet out the demands of the job.
Your relationship with colleagues.
To control staff under you.

To train your staff and take work from them.

Support you receive from your boss, colleagues and juniors.
Excessive work pressure.

To meet out deadlines.

To give new results.
To produce new publications if you are in research area.

Working overtime and on holidays.

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Common Courses of Stress Con.

3.Negative Self- Talk

Pessimistic thinking
Self criticism
Over analyzing
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Common Courses of Stress Con.

4.Mind Traps
Unrealistic expectations
Taking things personally
All or nothing thinking

Exaggeration
Rigid thinking
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Common Courses of Stress Con.

5.Some Other causes of stress
Somebody misunderstands you.
Setback to your position in society

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All stressors are not equal..

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All stressors are not equal..con

There is no single level of

stress that is optimal for all
people. Some are more
sensitive owing to experiences
in childhood, the influence of
teachers, parents and religion
etc.
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Different Signs of Stress

Physical Signs of Stress
Emotional Signs of Stress
Mental Signs of Stress
Behavioral Signs of Stress

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Acute

Chronic

Challengers

Type of Stresses
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Type of Stresses

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Challengers

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Acute (Short Term) Stress

Prepare you for Flight or Flight

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Acute (Short Term) Stress.Con

Acute stress is usually for short time and
may be due to work pressure, meeting
deadlines pressure or minor accident, over
exertion, increased physical activity,
searching something but you misplaced it,
or similar things.
Symptoms of this type of tension are
headaches, back pain, stomach problems,
rapid heartbeat, muscle aches or body pain
etc.

Worst Case Scenario

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Chronic Stress .Con

This type of stress is the most serious of
all the stress types. Chronic stress is a
prolonged stress that exists for weeks,
months, or even years. This stress is due to
poverty, broken or stressed families and
marriages, chronic illness and successive
failures in life. People suffering from this
type of stress get used to it and may even
not realize that they are under chronic
stress. It is very harmful to their health

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Chronic Stress .Con

In chronic stress situations, sufferers
enter the exhaustion phase:
emotional, physical and mental
resources suffer heavily, the body
experiences adrenal exhaustion
leading to decreased stress
tolerance, progressive mental and
physical exhaustion, illness and
collapse.

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When People get

stressed, ???????????

Pathways create
between stress
and disease

Pathways between stress and disease

Appetite changes - too much or too little

Eating disorders - anorexia, bulimia

Increased intake of alcohol & other drugs

Increased smoking
Restlessness

Fidgeting
Nail biting

Hypochondria
Deterioration of personal hygiene and appearance

Stress Related Illnesses

Stress is not the same as ill-health, but has
been related to such illnesses as;
Cardiovascular disease
Immune system disease
Asthma

Diabetes

Stress Related IllnessesCon

Digestive disorders

Ulcers
Skin complaints - psoriasis

Headaches and migraines

Pre-menstrual syndrome
Depression

What we can do to manage stress.?

We can change our likelihood (chance) to
be exposed to a stressor or
-We can change what we think about the
stressor or
-We can change the way we think about
our coping resources.
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Problem focused coping mechanism

&
Emotion focused coping mechanism

The best copper is the individual

who know when to use what type
of copping.
-Jason Satterfield

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Be Assertive
Assertiveness is about self confidence which
means having a positive attitude towards
yourself and others.

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Be Assertive.. Con
Assertiveness helps to manage stressful
situations, and will , in time, help to reduce
their frequency.
Lack of assertiveness often shows low self esteem and low self - confidence. The key to
assertiveness is verbal and non - verbal
communication. Extending our range of
communication skills will improve our
assertiveness.
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Being Assertive
Being assertive involves standing up
for your personal rights and expressing
your thoughts, feelings and beliefs
directly, honestly and spontaneously in
ways that dont infringe the rights of
others.
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Assertive People
Respect themselves and others
Take responsibility for actions and
choices
Ask openly for what they want

Disappointed if want denied

Self - confidence remains intact

Not reliant on the approval of others

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Assertive Skills
Establish good eye contact / dont stare
Stand or sit comfortably - dont fidget

Talk in a firm, steady voice

Use body language

I think / I feel
What do you think? How do you feel ?

Concise and to the point

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Benefits
Higher self-esteem
Less self-conscious

Less anxious
Manage stress more successfully

Appreciate yourself and others more

easily
Feeling of self-control
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Get Organised
Poor organisation is one of the most
common causes of stress. Structured
approaches offer security against out
of the blue problems. Prioritising
objectives, duties and activities makes
them manageable and achievable.
Dont overload your mind.
Organisation will help avoid personal
and professional chaos.

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Time Management

Make a list
What MUST be done

What SHOULD be done

What would you LIKE to do

Cut out time wasting

Learn to drop unimportant activities

Say no or delegate
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Time Management
Plan your day
Set achievable goals

Dont waste time making excuses

for not doing something
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Ventilation
A problem shared is a problem halved
Develop a support network through
friends or colleagues to talk with. Its not
always events that are stressful but how
we perceive them.
Writing a diary or notes may help
release feelings but do not re-read what
has been written.
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Humour
Good stress - reducer
Applies at home and work
Relieves muscular tension
Improves breathing
Pumps endorphins into the
bloodstream - the bodys natural
painkillers
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Diversion and Distraction

Take time out
Get away from things that bother
you
Doesnt solve the problem
Reduce stress level

Calm down
Think logically

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Interdependency of thoughts,
feelings and behaviors
(Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

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Now the time for Relaxation

..

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Now the time for Relaxation ..

4hr (((( Sound healing )))) Meditative Music = Drug For the Ears, peace for
mind_body_spirit.mp4

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Thank You
&
Have A Good Week End

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