I am SO stressed!

1. What do you mean by this? Is it the same for everyone? I am SO stressed! How do you feel?

2. Stress Questionnaire • Answer the questions honestly (Q20 will give you a giggle….) • Add up your score. • Check your stress levels. • Do you think your answers would be the same in the summer holidays? Why/Why not? • Is this measure reliable/valid?

3. Children don't need stress relief because their lives aren't stressful like adults' lives. • False • Stress can make your hair fall out (It can cause your hair to stop growing) • True • Stress can cause serious illness like diabetes and heart disease • True • Parents naturally experience less stress than those without kids, as kids relieve stress with their love and support • False • Stress can contribute to weight gain. (Production of cortisol can effect metabolism, cravings, blood sugar levels and fat storage) • True • In terms of social support, it's better to have a greater number of friends, even if some of these friends are competitive with you or emotionally distant. • False • Unless you really don't enjoy animals, pets can lower your blood pressure as effectively as medication. (Mood improvement, exercise, social support, loneliness) • True • You actually can become 'worried sick’. • True • Stress is linked with psychosomatic illness, which is when you think you're sick, but you really aren't. • False

4. There is agreement among medical professionals that stress causes ulcers. • False • If you get too stressed, you can catch a cold. • True • As a rule, people in management positions experience more stress than those under them because they have more responsibility. • False • Some types of stress are actually good for you. (eustress – not chronic stress) • True • Those with more money are generally happier and experience less financial stress. • False • Stress directly causes premature gray hair. • False • Some people are more susceptible to stress than others. • True • There is a link between stress and infertility. (sperm and dysf) • True • Stress can lower your sex drive. • True • Stress causes adult acne. • True • Working long hours is the main cause of burnout. (other factors) • False

5. Is stress a problem? • The total number of cases of stress in 2010/11 was 400 000 out of a total of 1 152 000 for all work-related illnesses. This is significantly lower than the number in 2001/02. • The number of new cases of work-related stress has reduced to 211 000 from 233 000 in 2009/10 (change not statistically significant). • The industries that reported the highest rates of work-related stress in the last three years were health, social work, education and public administration. • The occupations that reported the highest rates of work-related stress in the last three years were health and social service managers, teachers and social welfare associate professionals. • What conclusions can you come to from these statistics?

7. So What is Stress? • Occurs when the demands placed on the body exceed its ability to cope • This becomes a threat to the person • Is related to the fight flight system • When you perceive a threat adrenaline is release • This increase heart rate and blood flow to your muscles • You can then run or fight • Problem for us is that neither running or fighting can be done • So we are stressed because we cannot do what our body wants us to do • If this goes on for a long time we get exhausted