HE242 Stress and Human Health

Which words do we use when we are focusing on what is happening in this moment?

"I am noticing..."

Which of the following would be considered a useful thought to help manage worry?

"Worry isn't the same as planning."

Point of Positive Perception (POPP)

-A point in time when thoughts activate the stress response -Positive thought used the respond to the events -Positive perception to stop the stress response from activating -Success prevention of unhealthy and unproductive stress

Examples of cognitive distortion:

-All-or-nothing thinking -personalizing -discounting the positive -assuming the worst, pessimism, awfulizing

Chronic negative emotions

-affect well-being -increase vulnerability to disease -disrupt normal homestasis

negative emotions

-worry -fear -guilt -anger

The way that you experience stress depends on several components, including your body's capacity for handling its demands. 1. True 2. False

1. True

A normal resting pulse rate is 90 to 100 beats per minute. 1. True 2. False

2. False. Normal is 60 to 100 beats per minute.

The nocebo effect is illustrated by expecting that an experience will make you ____. 1. Fell better, but not getting better 2. ill, and then getting ill 3. feel better and then getting better 4. ill, but not getting ill

2. ill, and then getting ill

The cells of people under high stress aged the equivalent of ____ years more than the cells of people under little stress. 1. 1 to 2 2. 2 to 5 3. 5 to 9 4. 9 to 17

4. 9 to 17

Chronic worriers spend an average of about _____ percent of their time worrying.

50

Cognition

A mental process that consists of thinking and reasoning.

Which stress assessment tool incorporates physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of health for a balanced assessment?

Ardell Wellness Stress Test

In what stage of General Adaptation Syndrome does the body work to achieve homeostasis? 1. Alarm stage 2. Resistance 3. Exhaustion

B. Resistance

Reframing

Changing thoughts that are threatening to thoughts that are non-threatening.

Hardiness Includes:

Commitment, Challenge, and Control

Which event is most stressful on the student stress scale? A. Death of a close friend B. Major personal illness or injury C. Jail term D. Death of a close family member

D. Death of a close family member

Holistic health combines which of the following aspects to develop an optimal healthy individual free from disease and illness. A. Mind B. Body C. Spirit D. Social E. All of the above

E. All of the above

Stress has a tendency to snowball effect in which way(s)? A. Anxiety B. Sleep Disturbances C. Damaged work relationships D. Illness E. All of the above

E. All of the above

Stress vulnerability can be reduced by asking for and giving help to others. The nurturing of supportive relationships is part of which aspect of stress vulnerability factors? A. Genetics B. Coping Style C. Thinking Style D. Environment E. Social Skills

E. Social Skills

Mindful Awareness

Encompasses mind, body, environment and whatever arises in the field of awareness.

Hardy individuals often worry about whether they can cope with stressful life events. True or false?

False

Mindfulness means focusing on the here and now and eliminating all goals from your life. True or False

False

Most young people who volunteered for environmental organizations did so to address social or political problems

False

Stress reduction techniques provide the first important step in developing a plan to reduce and manage stress.

False

The fight-or-flight response depends only on the sympathetic nervous system to be activated.

False. The sympatric nervous system responds after the fight-or-flight response is activated.

Stress always has an impact on physical health, True or False?

False: Stress does not always have an impact on physical health, but it does have a physiological reaction to a stressor whether it is distress or eustress.

Cognitive Appraisal

How we interpret a stressor.

The _____ plays a key role in the stress response because it is the chief region of the brain responsible for integration of sympathetic and parasympathetic activities.

Hypothalamus

Cognitive Distortion

Interpretations become magnified out of proportion to their seriousness.

Mindlessness

Occurs when our thoughts are not in the present moment. We ignore it because our attention is directed elsewhere.

Cognitive _______refers to the mental act of changing the meaning or our interpretation of the environmental stressors in our lives.

Restructuring

Detached Observation

Staying in an observational state of mind without judgment or expectations.

Locus of control

The extent to which we believe we can control events that affect us

Cognitive Restructuring

The mental act of changing our interpretation of events.

Mindfulness

The process of cultivating an appreciation for the fullness of each moment we are alive. It is a tool to unclutter the mind and bring about mental tranquility.

Decreased functioning of the immune system is a result of continued activation of the stress response.

True

Emotional health relates to feelings and the ability to achieve emotional balance, while mental health relates to a state in which the mind is engaged in lively, healthy interactions, internally and externally.

True

Fear is often based on the imaginary potential for pain. True or false?

True

Heart rate is one physiological indicator of stress in the body.

True

Mindfulness teaches us to see things as they really are, not just the way we think they should be.

True

Nearly every stress management technique that is devised specifically to reduce sympathetic nervous activity includes a breathing component.

True

No single stress assessment tool can accurately measure stress for everyone; therefore, a variety of assessments gives the best overall picture of an individual's level of stress.

True

People spend almost half of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they are doing.

True

People who are exposed to extremely stressful events as children tend to be particularly vulnerable to stress as adults.

True

Research shows that regular, moderate-intensity exercise can help buffer the adverse effects of stress on our well-being.

True

Stress can have both a positive and a negative impact on your life.

True

The parasympathetic nervous system functions to return the body to a state of homeostasis after the fight-or-flight response has been activated.

True

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for initiating the fight-or-flight response.

True

You only need to think you are in danger for the stress response to activate.

True

Most worries never happen True or false?

True. Most things we worry about are out of our control and most worries never happen.

Somaticizing

Turning mental stress into a physical issue

External locus of control

What happens is unrelated to our behavior.

Power language

a way of speaking that helps you boost your sense of control by merely changing the words you use,

The purpose of relaxation techniques is to ____.

activate parasympathetic nervous system activity

You are driving down the highway when your tire suddenly has a blowout. What immediate reaction are you most likely to experience?

acute stress

The first step for overcoming fear is _____.

admit you are afraid

During which stage of the general adaptation syndrome are several body systems activated to prepare the body for action?

alarm stage

According to Viktor Frankl, the one thing that can never be taken away is the last of the human freedoms, the freedom to choose one's _____ in any set of circumstances.

attitude

Breathing is controlled by the brain as part of which system?

autonomic nervous system

A type of meditation that focuses primarily on the inhalation and exhalation rather than a mantra is known as _____.

breathing meditation

The leading cause of death in the U.S. is _____.

cardiovascular disease

Chronic worry and stress

compromises: -immune system -nervous system -hormone system

A quality of mindfulness that involves staying in an observational state of mind without judgment or expectations is also known as _____.

detached observation

What large, umbrella-shaped sheet of muscle separates the contents of the chest from the contents of the abdomen and plays a key role in the process of breathing?

diaphragm

To practice being more mindful, it can be helpful to take "mindfulness breaks" in which you _____.

do nothing but engage yourself in a certain place and time

Inadequate oxygen due to restricted breathing could lead to _____.

drowsiness

Which dimension of health involves experiencing and appreciating a wide range of feelings and an ability to express these feelings in a healthy manner?

emotional health

Internationally-recognized pharmacologist Candace Pert believed that the mind and the body are linked by the _____.

emotions

Research has shown that certain types of meditation may increase the human capacity for ____.

empathy

Jim shares a house with four other college seniors. His nerves are frayed by the constant loud music, an endless flow of visitors, and the sink overflowing with dirty dishes. Which stress vulnerability factor does this most closely describe?

environment

During which stage of the general adaptation syndrome does the body no longer function normally due to chronic activation of the stress response?

exhaustion stage

A person can be stressed and relaxed at the same time.

false

Anger is created out of fear True or false?

false.

Accepting situations we cannot control is also known as _____.

going with the flow

An essential first step in developing a plan to reduce stress is to

identify the sources of your stress

Physiological changes that result from sympathetic nervous system activation include _____.

increased heart rate

Chronically high cortisol levels lead to a number of health effects including _____.

insulin resistance

It is estimated that in reality most Americans are in actual danger _____ percent of the time.

less than 1

A mental device used as a point of focus during meditation, such as a repeated word, sound, or phrase, is known as a _____.

mantra

Eliza has just received a letter of rejection from her first choice law school. As she meditates, she experiences intensely and then releases her dreams and her anger. Which quality of mindfulness is she experiencing?

non-attachment

The POPP formula for prevention of stress stands for _____.

point of positive perception

A way of speaking that helps you boost your feelings of control simply by changing the words you use is called _____.

power language

The impact of long-term stress on the immune system is _____.

profound

Conditions that have a mind and body component are called _____.

psychosomatic

Cognitive restructuring is sometimes referred to as _____.

reframing

Internal locus of control

seeing ourselves as responsible for outcomes and actions.

The exhausting attempts to concentrate on several thoughts at once can lead to _____.

sensory overload

One study found that students who were more stressed while they were sleeping experienced heart rate variability patterns _____.

similar to those of people with insomnia

Which dimension of health is most related to the ability to express care and concern for others?

social health

cognitive dissonance

stress caused by two contradictory feelings that occur at the same time

The Yerkes-Dodson Principle states that ____.

stress levels that are either too high or too low can diminish performance

The single purpose for the stress response in humans is to _____.

survive physical danger

In nearly all situations, the stress you are feeling begins with a(n) _____.

thought

Inner mindfulness meditation is also known as _____.

thought-watching

Which sensation is common during relaxation?

tingling

Cognitive distortion occurs when thoughts are magnified out of proportion to their seriousness, resulting in excess stress.

true

In today's world, stress is best described as coming from ______.

within the individual

What best describes the object(s) of your focus when completing A Simple Mindful Exercise?

your body, mind, and environment