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Key Elements Of A Stress Management Program

Decent Essays

1. Three things are necessary for stress to occur: a stressor, a perception of stress, and a stress response. The three main elements of a stress management program include the elimination/modification/reduction of the number of stressors, an alteration of our perceptions, and the reduction/modification/control of the stress response.

2. Often, when we think of stress, we automatically think of the bad kind. In all reality, stress isn’t always a bad thing; it is just the body’s response to changes that create some demands in our lives. There are many different positive stressors that are short-term and motivate us as we work to improve our performance in our day-to-day lives. It is important to note that these positive stressors have the potential to cause some distress at a certain point. There is a peak at which stress switches from eustress to distress. Eustress or “good stress” increases performance up to the peak. Once the peak is reached, distress or “bad stress” kicks in and performance declines. When that certain amount of stress is reached and the tipping point occurs, we may need to use various stress management strategies to help us get back on the right track and alleviate some of this distress we are feeling.

3. Stress, to a certain degree, is a necessity in our lives. It gives us precious, powerful fight-or-flight hormones that have the ability to keep us safe in times of danger. Along with that, small amounts of stress often help us perform tasks more

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