the stress series ebook.docx(2) · 2014-10-21 · the fight or flight system is initiated to deal...

MINDWAYS Solutions Publication ©copyright 2014

QUIT Stressing

A Practical Guide to Managing Stress


The Stress Series

I. The Causes

II. The Physiology behind stress

III. The Hormone component

IV. The Psychology

V. The QUIT Approach

VI. Resource Links For Small Business


I. The Stress Series – The Causes

What is stress? That might be the first place to start even though it seems quite elementary.

Merriam Webster's definition is the following -

A constraining force or influence; a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls

on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part; especially : the

intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch

Now that we're all the same page literally, we can talk about what causes this mental tension

that is derived from the challenging situations that occur in our lives. How is your stress? Have

you taken the time to assess the stress in your life, both good and bad? Is there actually such a

thing as good stress? Yes, sorry to be the bearer of this news if you were unaware. We all need

that little nudge sometimes in our lives to ensure we keep moving toward personal

growth. That nudge is the good stress in our lives. Some examples I can think of immediately

are job performance reviews, annual physicals, and difficult conversations with the people

important in our lives. You may have others or may not completely agree with mine, but I

chose these three because the cover moving ahead positively in our careers, our health, and in

our personal relationships. Without this nudging or "Good" stress we become complacent in

these areas which will lead to bad stress.

How much stress do you currently have in your life? Here is a link to a form that will help

identify the stressors in your life, and provide an evaluation of what level you're currently

experiencing at this moment in your life.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_82.htm

"The Social Readjustment Rating Scale", Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe, Journal of

Psychosomatic Research, Volume 11, Issue 2, August 1967, Pages 213-218, Copyright © 1967

Published by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce granted by the

publisher.

This chart will let you know if circumstances in your life put you into a low, moderate, or high

level of stress that you puts you at risk for personal health concerns. Some things may be in

your control, while others just occur without warning. I hope this gets you to start looking at

your life, and helps you identify challenges in your life that are the causes of your stress.


II. The Physiology of Stress

How does stress causes physical effects on parts of the body? When your stress level continues

to grows, the risk for something detrimental happening to your body increases dramatically.

There is an actual physiological cascade of responses that occur to try to stabilize the body’s

stress to prevent the undo harm from occurring.

The entire process starts in your brain:

� The stressful situation is evaluated by our perception and memory.

� The hypothalamus in our brain is activated when it's considered stressful.

� The fight or flight system is initiated to deal with the stressful situation by engaging the

pituitary gland and adrenal medulla.

� The pituitary then releases a chemical called ACTH which is used to stimulate the adrenal

glands to release cortisol.

� Cortisol enables the body to maintain a steady supply of blood sugar to the body while

maintaining a stable blood pressure. Maintaining a steady blood sugar level allows the

body to cope with the stress encountered, and return to a normal state of emotional and

physical balance.


III. Understanding Hormone Function

Hypothalamus - Makes hormones with the help of the pituitary (master gland). The front part

of the pituitary in called the anterior and sends hormones into the blood stream. Next is the

back portion of the pituitary called the posterior that interacts with the body's tissue. The

following hormones are the ones that get released, and what they do to the body:

TRH-- Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone - controls energy and appetite.

PRH-- Prolactin Releasing Hormone - makes breast milk

PIH-- Prolactin Release-Inhibiting Hormone - stops milk production

CRH-- Corticotropin Releasing Hormone - This hormone affects ACTH release from the anterior

pituitary - controls fluid levels in the body and blood pressure.

GnRH-- Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone - makes the sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone,

testosterone and two involved in making and fertilizing an egg - LH / FSH

GHRH-- Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone - helps the body develop and grow

.

SS-- Somatostatin - controls the bodies release of enzymes used in digestion.

When a stressful event occurs it can trigger a cascade of chemical reactions where all these

hormones listed above can be released appropriately or inappropriately, and cause effects on

the human body. Here is what happens to our bodies:

Brain - headaches, feeling of despair, decreased energy, sadness, nervousness, anger, irritable,

loss of appetite, decreased ability to focus and remember events, insomnia, panic attacks which

can lead to anxiety disorders

Skin - acne or blemishes

Muscles/Joints - aches, pain, and tension through the neck, shoulders, and back. Stress also

can affect the density of our bones.

Heart - increased heart rate / blood pressure, and increased cholesterol

Stomach - nausea, diarrhea, increased acid production, and weight gain by affecting hormones

that make us hungry or feel full.

Pancreas - increased risk of diabetes with abnormal blood sugar levels.

Immune System - decreased ability to fight off illness.


IV. The Psychological Component of Stress - It feels like my world is crumbling?

Now that you have a better idea of the physical effects of stress I encourage you to monitor

how your body responds to the stress in your life. The next section will delve into how we

respond to stress, and then follow up with ways to manage the stress in our lives that creates

positive changes.

John

A man in his twenties who had just transitioned out of the military into a sales role with a large

corporate company. His new job required extensive travel, and was extremely

autonomous. Once a quarter his boss would visit from another state, but that was all the

interaction he had with any team members from his company.

During his military career John worked in a cohesive unit that depended on each other to

accomplish tasks and missions. He was a great performer, and moved up the ranks

quickly. Now he was a civilian with a great job, excellent perks, and the freedom to run his own

schedule. It sounded great, but as the novelty wore off after the first 6 months, year, and at

two years John began experiencing increasing anxiety and stress over his dissatisfaction and

looming sales quotas.

His demeanor began to change around his close family and friends. He was irritated when

people spoke about how much they loved their work, or were experiencing successes in their

lives. His job seemed like a chain around his neck. He was losing sleep, gaining weight,

becoming more complacent with making sales calls each day, and finally decided to just stay at

home.

Over the next few weeks John dodged work, and didn't leave home much. John didn't know

what to do because he felt trapped and ashamed about his feelings and behavior. He had

made the decision to quit and move on, but before that happened another company sales rep

reported his actions to John's boss. It would finally be over thought John who felt a sense of

freedom at thought of being fired. The following day John called his boss and quit after

apologizing for his shameful behavior. He explained to his boss that he didn't realize his

military transition would be so stressful, and said he'd felt paralyzed for months. John finally

took back control of his life, and stopped the stress that had been destroying his life.


V. The QUIT Transformation

Has stress ever consumed your life, and left you feeling paralyzed and helpless? Stress can be a

powerful and destructive force in lives if it's not managed properly. I want to share some tips

for identifying and managing the stress in our lives by using our QUIT philosophy. We at

MINDWAYS Solutions came up with what we believe are the core principles to achieve positive

change and quality of life. We use our QUIT method to accomplish change in our quit smoking

program where we also cover the elements of stress management related to the quit process:

• Q - quantify your risks – Are you managing your life effectively to handle this stress in a

healthy manner? Do have a means to deal with stress when it arises with a healthy

response? Is it affecting your health, mood, or relationships? Conduct a personal

inventory to evaluate if there is anything you can to do to better manage your life.

• U - understand your story - If you are currently dealing with stress in your life it’s

important to identify a timeline. When did the stress start in your life? What were the

precursors to the onset of the stress? When did you it start becoming an issue? Try to

use the timeline to create a cause and effect algorithm for yourself.

• I - initiate action - Once you’ve evaluated these aspects of your life it’s time to take

some action. Create a schedule in your life to be proactive daily on managing stress

prior to it becoming a problem. Remember that stress can be beneficial to motivate us

to personally grow. Here are some practical steps you can take to help manage your

stress:

� Complete personal inventories or assessments about challenges in your life

� Keep a journal to capture life events and how you respond to incoming events

� Continue to expand your personal growth through exposing yourself to

inspirational content

� Surround yourself with positive people who provide a positive and supportive

influence

� Reward yourself with enjoyable activities or personal hobbies to create a

work/life balance make some goals for yourself about the type of impact you

want to make in the world

� Get adequate amount of sleep - recommended is eight hours to maintain mental

focus


� Eat healthy foods from the identified necessary food groups - enjoy

a treat in moderation

� Be active by implementing exercise into your daily life

� Use positive phrases to tell yourself that you can accomplish your goals

• T - transform your future - Change your thinking by developing a strong mental response

to stress in your life. Here are a few ideas:

After that initial 15 minutes take some time to focus your mind – listen to a tape,

read a book, or listen to some soothing music. Take the time to decide how you’ll

handle the day instead of the day handling you.

Make some goals for yourself of some things you would like to accomplish in your

life – can be attitudes, career, or activities. Start small, but write it down where you

can look at it each day.

Finally, it’s important to remind yourself about the unique gifts you have to offer the

world – tell yourself 3 things you like about yourself, and 3 things you’re grateful for

in your life. It has been proven that positive thinking can provide both mind and

body benefits when practiced regularly.

Now it's time to be proactive in your response to the stress by creating habits that support your

ability to effectively handle stressful events in your life. I hope you found this brief review of

stress helpful. Here are the takeaways that I believe sum up our Stress series:

• Know what stress is - both the good that motivates you in life, and the bad that can

create turmoil

• Take time to understand how you respond to stress presently, and historically

• Make a change - that takes action - give yourself a plan and start moving forward

• Create a better life for yourself by maintaining consistent healthy behaviors and

attitudes that impact your body and mind.


VI. Resources to help with manage your life

Help with Personal Finance

Research Market Trends

Vegan/Vegetarian Options

A Paleo Option that Achieves Results

Fat Loss Routine to Jump start Your Fitness

Get More Things Done Today - Help ending procrastination

The Entrepreneur's Guide to Success

the stress series ebook.docx(2) · 2014-10-21 · the fight or flight system is initiated to deal...

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