Stress is a biological and psychological response experienced on encountering a

threat. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or
nervous.
A stressor is the stimulus (or threat) that causes stress, e.g., exam, divorce, death
of loved one, moving house, loss of job.
The stress response is also called the fight-or-flight-response. It is an automatic
response that prepares us to deal with danger. It is a state of tension related to your body
attempting to cope with its environment. It is the body’s way of preparing to meet a tough
situation. The stress response involves the nervous system and specific hormones in the
body, and it enhances the ability to perform under pressure as well as avoid danger.

How does this response

work?
When you feel threatened,
your nervous system responds
particularly through the pituitary
gland to release hormones to
trigger the ADRENAL GLANDS to
release the stress hormones:
adrenaline and cortisol. The
presence of these stress hormones
makes your heart pounds faster,
muscles tighten, blood pressure to
rise, breath quickens (oxygen is
needed), and senses to become
sharper. You also have a lot of
energy as the liver converts stored
glycogen into glucose readily
available to be converted to
energy. Thus, you feel you have
the strength and stamina that
speeds up your reaction time and
enhance your focus – preparing
you t either fight or flee from the
dagger at hand.
Stress is necessary to help us function. We humans need some stress in our lives
to get us moving and be motivated to be our best. This is what we call good stress or
sometimes referred to as EUSTRESS. Stress stops being helpful when it starts causing
major damage to your health, mood, productivity, relationships, and your quality of life. It is
when stress is excessive or ongoing and interfering with functioning that it becomes a
problem. This can lead to wearing out the body’s reserves and leaving a person feeling
depleted or overwhelmed, weakening the immune system, and making it harder to cope
with daily demands. This type of stress is bad stress or also known as DISTRESS.
The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You
get used to it. It starts to feel familiar, even normal. You don’t notice how much it’s affecting
you, even as it takes a heavy toll. That is why it is important to be aware of the common
warning signs and symptoms of stress overload.
PHYSICAL
 Low energy
Headaches
Upset stomach,
including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea
Aches, pains, and tense muscles
Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
Insomnia
Frequent colds and infections
Loss of sexual desire and/or ability
Nervousness and shaking, ringing in the ear, cold or sweaty hands and feet
Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
Clenched jaw and grinding teeth
MENTAL
 Constant worrying
 Racing thoughts
 Forgetfulness and disorganization
 Inability to focus
 Poor judgment
 Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side
EMOTIONAL
 Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody  Avoiding
 Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control others
or need to take control Whatever event
 Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind or situation is stressing
 Feeling bad about yourself (low self- esteem), you out, there are ways
lonely, worthless, and depressed of coping with the
problem and regaining your balance. Because of the widespread damage stress can cause,
it is important to know your own limit. But just how much stress is “too much” differs from
person to person. Some people seem to be able to roll with life’s punches, while others tend
to crumble in the face of small obstacles or frustrations.
 Effective stress management helps you
break the hold stress has on your life, so you can
be happier, healthier, and more productive. The
ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for
work, relationships, relaxation, and fun—and the
resilience to hold up under pressure and meet
challenges head on. But stress management is
not one-size-fits-all.
 There are a lot of ways of managing stress, but in this lesson, I would like to
emphasize the importance of engaging to physical activities in dealing with stress.
https://www.facebook.com/WHO/posts/be-active-and-stay- healthy-at-
homehere-are-some-physical-activities-you- can-do-a/3010041152374581

When you are stressed, the last thing you probably feel like doing is getting up and
exercising. But physical activity especially exercise is a huge stress reliever— and you don’t
have to be an athlete or spend hours in a gym to experience the benefits. When stress
affects the brain, the rest of the body feels the impact as well. So, it stands to reason that if
your body feels better, so does your mind. Exercise and other physical activity produce
endorphins—chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers—and improves the ability
to sleep, which in turn reduces stress. Endorphins make you feel good, and it can also
serve as a valuable distraction from your daily worries. Scientists have found that regular
participation in physical activities, especially exercises has been shown to decrease overall
levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self- esteem.
Even five minutes of physical activity can stimulate anti- anxiety effects. The world
health organization (WHO) also recommends being active especially this time of pandemic
where we stay at home.
 3 WAYS DANCING RELIVES STRESS

DANCE AS STRESS MANAGEMENT

Dancing is so much more than moving your feet to that rhythm and swaying to the
music. It is more than just moving your hips and waving your hands. Dancing is a way to
express yourself not only to others but to yourself as well.
By “dancing it out” you’re not only releasing your frustrations and anger but you’re
also releasing the stress and worries with every move you do.
Dancing helps you stay not only physically fit and healthy, it also keeps your mental
and emotional health strong. By dancing your worries away, you are not only relieving the
tension in your body and mind, but you also gain self-esteem, confidence, and a way to
express yourself – emotionally.
1. WHEN THE BODY FEELS GOOD, THE MIND DOES, TOO!
The scientific reason for why dance has the ability to act as a stress reliever
stems from the idea that when the body feels good, the mind does, too. Any type of
physical activity releases neurotransmitters and endorphins which serve to alleviate
stress. Neurotransmitters are chemicals within the brain that help communicate
messages throughout the body. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkiller to reduce
stress and improve the mind’s perception of the world. Thus, after a good workout the
endorphins cause the body to feel calm and optimistic. The endorphins also aid in
 improving the quality of sleep, so that a few sleepless nights due to stress can be
avoided after dancing!
2. DANCE OFFERS A CREATIVE OUTLET FOR PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEIR
PERSONALITIES IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
Your work environment isn’t always to best place to express who you really
are. More often than not, you need to be a more buttoned up version of yourself and
hide much of your inner self. Dancing offers an outlet for people to express who they
are––through music, movement or even costumes! Dancing helps you connect to
who you really are. Leave that suit or pencil skirt at the office and trade it in for
sparkles and spandex!
3. DANCING IMPROVES YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH
From weight loss, to increased flexibility, stronger bones and building muscle
tone, dancing is a total body workout.
Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. It has
a wide range of physical and mental benefits including:
 Improved condition of your heart and lungs
 Increased muscular strength, endurance, and motor fitness
 Increased aerobic fitness
 Improved muscle tone and strength
 Weight management
 Stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
 Better coordination, agility, and flexibility
 Improved balance and spatial awareness
 Increased physical confidence
 Improved mental functioning
 Improved general and psychological well being
 Greater self-confidence and self-esteem
 Better social skills.
And nothing makes you feel less stressed than when you know you’re doing great
things for your physical and mental health.
It’s well known today that stress is a silent killer and causes things from inflammation
in the heart to psychological distress. But you can avoid these terrible effects by taking
simple measures like, well, dancing! So, take a lesson from the Footloose gang and when in
doubt, dance it out!

Being physically active helps manage stress.

Endorphins is a hormone produced by the body when
we are active, which are natural pain killers
REMEMBER!!! and brings a sense of feeling good.