Transcript Stress
Catch-up plan for this “self-taught” unit: 1. Chapter review…due today at end of period 2. Packet questions…due tomorrow 3. Chapter 13 quiz on Mon 4. Research project (only one of the school year) Topic: Any behavioral research study that you find interesting…can be from the past or something current. Your choice: a. 6-8 page written paper b. 12-15 slide powerpoint presented to the class. Due the day after midterm and worth ¼ of second marking period grade. Stress There can be many things that bring on or cause stress… “How did you do on your SATs?” “You know, most of your friends did better than that and the colleges that you’re looking at really want much higher scores.” “You can’t sleep so much…you need to stay up late to study for those four tests tomorrow and you have to be up on time to get to your first period class because the teacher is a real #%* about lateness.” “I was only absent for two days, but I missed four tests and every teacher says I have to make up their test today.” My parents are on my case about my… friends boy/girlfriend college applications money for college job Graduation…then reality begins to set in… The bad news is that the end of high school does not mean the end of stress… What do these people have in common? Stress There can be many things that bring on or cause stress… Would you just stop TALKING, Mr. Warmkessel!!! Stress; the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it. •Can be positive (getting married, new job, going to college, etc), but many are negative. •Stress activates the autonomic nervous system rapidly (sympathetic branch…fight or flight) •Stress also activates the hypothalamuspituitary-adrenal cortex axis more slowly. •Both systems have an effect on health and wellbeing and strengthen the immune response. The Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenal Cortex Axis (HPA axis) Activation of the hypothalamus induces the anterior pituitary to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol. Cortisol elevates blood sugar and enhances metabolism. Cortisol helps the body fight a difficult situation and in the short term is beneficial. Prolonged elevations of cortisol can affect the immune system and become harmful to long term health. •Living near Three Mile Island after the accident •A landfill or toxic waste dump near your house •A loved one develops a chronic illness •Can’t pay the bills every month…risk losing house People who continued living nearby during the year after the accident had: •Lower than normal levels of T cells •Lower than normal levels of B cells •Lower than normal levels of natural killer cells •Complained of emotional distress •Showed impaired performance on a proof-reading task Prolonged cortisol directs energy toward increasing blood sugar and metabolism, but therefore, AWAY from making new proteins (like the proteins of the immune system). Other studies: •9 months of cold, darkness, and social isolation in Antarctica reduced T cell functioning to about half of normal levels •Natural killer cells are suppressed in women whose husbands are dying of cancer or whose husbands recently died, and in medical students going through an exam period. •People with long term stress (more than a month) caught colds much easier than people who had no stress or only recent stress. Stress is particularly destructive in people who resign themselves to it. (learned helplessness) When people try to attack their problems and gain some control over them, the immune system is stronger and health is better. High cortisol levels increase the vulnerability of neurons in the hippocampus (learning and memory) …toxins and overstimulation can kill those neurons instead of just weakening them temporarily. Aged people with the highest cortisol levels tend to be those with the smallest hippocampi and greatest memory problems. Stress and Health link: http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/stress.html#gend erresponses If stress isn’t going to change, the way you deal with it might have to. Everything that happens can be put into two categories… 1. Things that you have control over. 2. Things that you have no control over. You can make a decision to be a happier person by accepting these things and not letting them bother you. Life will not always be fair! It’s okay! In day to day activities… Don’t let yourself get drawn into arguments. Keep your voice calm and your mind will follow. Have “slippery shoulders” Don’t carry things around with you emotionally (Monk carrying woman over stream) Both good and bad things in life will pass…life would not be interesting if every day were sunny. You wouldn’t appreciate the sunny days eventually and you wouldn’t learn how to look for the good in the rainy, cloudy days. Ask yourself, “What will be important on your death-bed?” That someone gave you the finger at a red light? Put your stress in perspective…Africa Force yourself to smile and laugh…it will change your mood by releasing endorphins and serotonin! Smiling also boosts your immune system making you healthier! Every day… Make time for yourself first!!! Everything else in the world can wait! Try one or more of the following… Meditate, listen to classical music Get enough sleep Eat right…enough, but not too much…not as many fats that can make you feel sluggish Talk about things with people you trust Listen to people Read Give back…get a purpose in life other than yourself Appreciate solitude, quiet (late night, early morning, sailing, hiking) You only live once…why not enjoy EVERY moment? No one can make you stressed without your consent. It’s not what happens to us in life…it’s how we react to it that matters. Secrets of happy people http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009 /09/9-secrets-of-truly-happypeople.html