Book #4 Information

You Don't Have to be Over Stressed All The Time

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Table of Contents


Preface	xvii
Introduction	xxi
Are We Experiencing a Stress Epidemic?	xxi
The Importance of Stress Management	xxii
The Symbolic Importance of the Tiger as a Potential Stressor	xxiii
Our Modern-Day Society and Its Stressors	xxv
Not All Stress Is Bad	xxvi
Understanding As a Prerequisite To Controlling Stress	xxvii
Preventive Maintenance: Similarities Between a Car and the Human Body	xxx
A Car	xxx
Human Body	xxxi
Major Points of The Book	xxxii

Part One: I = Identifying the Nature, Background and Causes of Stress

Chapters
1. What Do You Know About Stress?	3
The Position Taken Concerning Stress	3
What Is Understood About Stress	4
The Role of Perception	5
- Stress As a Transaction	5
- The E-P-R Process: The Importance of Perception	6
- Factors Influencing Perception	7
Definition of Stress	9
Exercise 1.1: Load Experience	12
Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter	13

2. What Causes Stress?	15
Who and What Stress Affects	15
The Causes of Stress	16
Stressors: Features and Classification	17
- Features of Stressors	17
- Classification of Stressors	19
- The Role of Perception and Subjectivity in Determining Stressors	20
- The Overlapping and Arbitrary Classification of Stressors	21
- What is Associated With These Stressor Categories?	27
Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter	29

3. Personality Stressors	31
The Central and Dominant Roles of Personality Stressors	31
Main Areas of Potential Personality Stressors	32
Personality Traits and Related Behaviors	33
- Perceiving Others and Ourselves	33
- Stress-Related Behaviors	34
+ The “Stomping Bull” Behavior	35
+ The “Only I Can Do It All” Behavior	35
+ The "Always in a Hurry" Behavior	36
+ The "Compulsive Time-Racing" Behavior	36
+ The Aggressive Competitor Behavior	37
Mind Traps	37
- Personal Beliefs	38
- Being a Perfectionist	38
- Having Unrealistic Expectations	39
- Not Being in Control	39
- Keeping Things in Perspective	40
- Having Negative Self-Talk	41
Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter	42

4. Private Stressors	43
Private Life Stressors: Internal and External Conditions	43
Main Areas of Potential Private Life Stressors	44
Home Events	45
- Family Concerns	46
- Financial Concerns	46
Adjusting to Life Events	47
- Pain, Injury and Illness	48
- Measuring Life Changes	48
- Hardy Personalities	49
Daily Hassles	50
- Everyday Nuisances	52
- Home Overload	53
At-Risk Lifestyle Activities	54
- Stimulants	54
+ Drug Misuse	54
+ Alcohol	57
+ Caffeine	58
+ Cigarette or Tobacco Smoking	58
- Nutrition	59
- Sleep	60
- The Sleep-Nutrition Relationship	61
- The Sleep-Stress Relationship	61
+ What is Optimum Sleep?	62
+ What Causes Us Not To Sleep?	64
+ The Combination of Excessive Work, Inadequate Sleep and Diet	64
- Exercise	65
Table 4.1: Livingston’s Life Events’ Index (LLEI)	67
Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter	69

5. Psychosocial Stressors	71
The Linking Nature of Psychosocial Stressors	72
Frustrations	73
- Socioeconomic Factors or Poverty	74
- Discrimination	75
- Overcrowding	77
- Structure and Functioning of Organizations	78
- Adaptation To Daily Events	79
Overload	79
- Overload Involving Education	82
- Overload and the Home Environment	83
Underload	84
Acculturation	85
- Immigrants and Acculturative Stress	85
Loneliness and Boredom	88
Festive Occasions	89
Terrorism	90
Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter	93
	95
6. Organizational Stressors	95
Organizational Stressors As External Conditions	96
Main Areas of Potential Organizational Stressors	97
Psychosocial Stressors in the Workplace	98
The Work Environment	99
Stressors Associated With the Work Environment	101
Physical Surroundings	101
Spatial Arrangement	102
Inadequate Lighting	103
Stressors Associated With Work Conditions	105
- Job Overload	106
+ Burnout	107
- Job Underload	108
- Unsafe Working Conditions	110
- Shift Work	110
- Changes in Technology	111
Relationships at Work	114
- Workplace Violence	116
Role Conditions	120
- Role Ambiguity	120
- Role Conflict	121
+ Different Types of Role Conflict	122
- Sexual Harassment	125
Career Development and Change	125
- Underpromotion	126
- Overpromotion	127
- Lack of Job Security	128
Organizational Structure and Climate	129
- Lack of Participation	130
- Bureaucratic Pettiness	130
- Conformity Pressures	131
- Lack of Responsiveness	132
Intrinsic Worker Conflict	133
- Lack of Meaning in the Job	134
- Obsessive Concern for Work	134
- Frustrated Ambitions	135
- Level of Anxiety	136
- Level of Emotionality	138
- Tolerance for Ambiguity	139
Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter	140

7. Environmental Stressors	143
Environmental Stressors as External Conditions

7. Environmental Stressors 143

☐ Environmental Stressors As External Conditions 143

☐ Psychosoial Stressors in the Environment 144

☐ Main Areas of Potential Environmental Stressors 145

☐ Bio-Environmental Conditions 146

☒ Noise 146

☒ Lighting 149

☒ Climatic Conditions 150

☒ Air Travel 151

☒ Bio-Ecological Conditions and Air Travel 152

▬ Time Cycles 153

▬ Jet Lag 153

☒ Commuting and Traffic Congestion 156

☒ Environmental Threats 157

☐ Sociocultural Conditions 158

☒ Neighborhood Conditions 159

▬ Overcrowding 159

▬ Fear of Crime or Victimization 160

▬ Socioeconomic Factors 160

▬ Discrimination 162

☒ Urban Overload 163

☒ Road Rage 164

▬ Contributing Factors To Road Rage 165

☒ Air Rage 167

▬ Concerned Voices 168

▬ Contributing Problems To Air Rage 169

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 171

8. The Variable Conditions of Stressors 173

☐ Kinds of Stressors 174

☐ Number of Stressors 175

☐ Duration of Stressors 176

☐ Frequency of Stressors 177

☐ Experience With Stressors 178

☐ What Stressors Do You Personally Experience? 179

✍ Exercise: What Daily Stressors Do You Experience? 180

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 198

Part Two: R = Recognizing the Signs

and Reactions to Stress 199

9. The First Stage of the Stress Process - Onset 201

☐ Stress Viewed As a Stimulus 202

☐ Stress Viewed As a Response 203

☐ Stress Viewed As a Transaction 203

☐ Beginning the Stress Process 205

☐ Three Main Types of Stress 205

☒ Good Stress 206

☒ Normal Stress 207

☒ Bad Stress 208

▬ Various Types of Bad Stress 210

▬ Acute Stress 210

▬ Episodic Stress 211

▬ Cataclysmic Stress 211

▬ Chronic Stress 212

▬ Post-Traumatic Stress 213

▬ Critical Incident Stress 215

▬ The Interrelated of the Bad Stresses 216

☐ The Relationship Between Stress and Performance 217

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 218

10 The Second Stage of the Stress Process - Reaction 219

☐ The Non-Specific Response of Stress 219

☐ The Fight-or-Flight Response 220

☐ The Physiology of the Fight-or-Flight Response 221

☒ The Endocrine System 222

☒ The Autonomic Nervous System 225

☐ Fight and Flight - The Case of Ancient and

Modern Man 227

☐ General Adaptation Syndrome or GAS 230

☒ The Alarm Reaction Phase 231

☒ The Resistance Phase 232

☒ The Exhaustion Phase 232

☒ A Final Note on the Three Phases of the GAS 233

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 236

11. The Third Stage of the Stress Process - Outcome 237

☐ Categorizing Stress Effects or Outcomes 238

☐ Behavior Effects 239

☒ Drinking of Alcohol 239

☒ Excessive Coffee Drinking 239

☒ Frequent Use of Cigarettes 240

☒ Absenteeism 241

☒ Insomnia 241

☒ Eating Problems 242

☒ Accident Proneness 243

☒ Sexual Problems 243

☒ Suicide 244

☐ Cognitive Effects 244

☒ Poor Self-Concept 244

☒ Perfectionism 245

☒ Worrying 245

☐ Emotional Effects 245

☒ Burnout 246

☒ Anxiety and Fear 246

☒ Depression 247

☒

☐ Physical Effects 247

☒ Backaches 247

☒ Headaches 248

☒ Allergies and Asthma 249

☒ Arthritis 250

☒ Diabetes 251

☒ Ulcers 252

☒ Hypertension, Heart Disease and Stroke 253

☒ Cancer 254

☒ Other Physical-related Outcomes 256

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 258

✍ Exercise: What Are Your Health-Related Experiences? 259

Part Three: M = Managing Stress

Using a Combination of Strategies 267

12. The Dynamics of Stress Management 269

☐ Stress management is Really About Having Balance 269

☐ The Importance of Change For Stress Management 270

☐ Required Skills For Stress Management 272

☒ Awareness Skills 273

☒ Acceptance Skills 274

☒ Coping Skills 274

☒ Action Skills 275

☐ The Importance of the I-R-M Approach to Stress 276

☒ Step #1: I - Identifying Your Stressors 277

☒ Step #2: R - Recognizing Your Stress Signals 277

☒ Step #3: M - Managing Your Stress Using

Selected Strategies 279

☐ Strategies For Managing Stress: Your Personal

Plan of Action (PPOA) 280

☐ The Relationship Between Stress Management

Strategies and Stressors 281

☐ The Inter-relationship of the Stress Management

Strategies 283

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 286

13. Cognitive Restructuring 287

☐ What is Cognitive Restructuring? 287

☒ Reframing 289

☐ The E-P-R Model of Stress 289

☒ Restructuring Your Perceptions 290

☐ The Knowledge-Perception Relationship and Stressors 290

☒ What is it About the “Event” That Really

You? 291

☒ Is the Stressor really Worth getting All

“Stirred” Up About? 291

☒ Can the Stressor Be Avoided? 292

☒ If the Stressors Cannot Be Changed, Are

There Any Alternatives To It? 293

✍ Exercise 13.1: Evaluation Report 294

☒ Is the Stressors Controllable? 298

✍ Exercise 13.2: Identifying Your Uncontrollable and

Controllable Stressors 300

☐ Assess Your Self-Perceptions 302

☐ Clarify Your Goals and Related Activities 302

☐ Set Realistic Goals 303

☐ Sort Out Your Priorities 305

☐ Accept What You Cannot Change and/or Control 306

☐ Think “Could” Not “Should” 306

☐ Refrain From Having Distorted and Negative

Thinking 307

☐ Engage in Positive Thinking and Expressions

- Affirmations 308

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 310

14. Psychosocial Adjustment 311

☐ Remember To Laugh a Bit 312

☐ Talk Things Out and Share Your Stress 312

☐ Lean On a Friendly Shoulder 313

☐ You Don’t Have to Be Right All the Time 314

☐ Spend Needed Time With Family and have Fun 314

☐ Be a Participant in On-Going Activities and Help

Others in Need 315

☐ Learn To Say “NO” 315

☐ Avoid Loneliness 317

☐ Try To Improve Your Communication 318

☐ Consider Getting a Pet 318

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 320

15. Lifestyle Adjustments 321

☐ Know Your Body Clock and Biological Prime Time 322

☐ Discover Your Tolerance level For Stress 322

☐ Strive To Acquire a Healthy Body 323

☒ Having Sufficient Sleep 324

☒ Eating An Adequate Diet 325

☒ The Food Pyramid With Its Five Designated

Food Groups 327

▬ Grain Group 327

▬ Vegetable Group 328

▬ Fruits Group 328

▬ Milk Group 329

▬ Meat and bean Group 330

☒ Tips For When You Are Eating 331

☒ Tips On Nutrition To Lessen Stress 331

☒ Becoming An Educated Shopper 332

☒ Food Intake Patterns Based On the Food

Pyramid 333

☒ Pseudostressors 335

☒ Getting Appropriate Exercise 337

▬ Main Types of Exercises 338

▬ Aerobic Exercises 339

▬ Aerobic Dancing 339

▬ Swimming 341

▬ Bicycling 341

▬ Jogging 341

▬ Hiking 342

▬ Jumping Rope 342

▬ Anaerobic Exercises 343

☒ Avoid the Use of Alcohol and Drugs 345

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 347

16. Situational Adjustments 349

☐ React Only When It is Important - The Case of

Road Rage 350

☒ Suggested Tips To Avoid Road Rage 351

☐ Change Your Pace When Events Overwhelm You 351

☐ Try To Have patience 352

☐ Learn To Control Your Anger 352

☐ Keep a Journal 353

☐ Improve Study Habits 354

☒ Studying Time 355

☒ Attitudes, values, behavior (Action) and

Time Management 355

☒ Attitudes 356

☒ Values 357

☐ Time Management 358

☒ Problems 359

☒ Setting Goals and Priorities 359

☒ Managing Yourself in relation To Time 359

▬ Step#1: Having a Change in Attitude 360

▬ Step#2: Defining and Setting Realistic

Goals 361

▬ Step#4: Planning and Scheduling

Activities 362

▬ Step#5: Taking Action 364

☐ Test Taking 366

☒ Test Anxiety 368

☒ Panic Attacks 367

☐ Dealing With Stress At Your Computer 369

☐ When Should You Seek Professional Help? 370

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 372

17. Relaxation Experiences 375

☐ Misconceptions About relaxation Involving

Selected Activities 376

☒ Leisure Time Activities Are Always Relaxing 376

☒ Sleeping Is Always Relaxing 377

☒ Watching television and Movie Shows Is

Always Relaxing 377

☒ Engaging In a Sporting Event Is Always

Relaxing 378

☒ Vacations Are Always Relaxing 379

☒ Smoking Helps You To Relax 380

☒ Tranquilizing Drugs Help You To Relax 381

☐ General Methods of Relaxation 381

☒ Engaging in Non-Stressful Outdoor Activities 382

▬ Getting Away From It All 382

▬ Be Creative In Doing Boring Activities 383

☒ Engaging in Non-Indoor Activities 383

▬ The Power of Warm Water 383

▬ Physical Activity: Stretching and

Swimming 384

☐ Systematic Methods of Relaxation 386

☒ Deep Breathing 387

▬ Procedure 388

☒ Meditation 388

▬ Procedure 388

☒ Positive Imagery 389

▬ Procedure 389

☒ Massage Therapy 390

▬ Procedure 391

☒ Progressive Relaxation 393

▬ Procedure 393

☒ Biofeedback 393

▬ Procedure 394

☒ The Technique of ReZeroing 395

▬ Procedure 396

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 397

18. Wrap-Up and Where To Go From Here 399

☐ Stress and Those At-Risk 400

☐ Approaches To Stress Taken in the Book 400

☒ The Stress-Tiger Analogy 401

☐ The Transactional Nature of Stress and the

E + P = R Formulation 402

☐ Specific Approaches To Control Stress in the

At-Risk and Over Stressed Population 404

☒ Personal Plan of Action (PPOA) 404

☛ Summary Outline of Key Headings in the Chapter 406

Appendix 409

☐ Stress Diary 410

☐ Listing Concerns and Responses to Symptoms of Stress 415

☐ Life Planning Guide 417

☐ Word Find For Stress Management 422

☐ Livingston’s Stress Pledge For Better Health 424

☐ The Impact of Colors on the Mind 425

☐ 101 Stress Management Tips For Workers 427

☐ Livingston’s General Life Stress Index (LGLSI) 428

☐ Some Important Online Resources 432

☐ References 433

☐ Index 438

☐ Note Sheets 4

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