UnderstandingandManaging
StressGlobal Engagement Center
Takashi Sakai (psychiatrist)

What could cause you stress?
What are your stressors?

StressStringo (Latin)
to put pressure

Stress is a
Health Epidemicof the 21st Century

Stressed Situation

Stress Response

Stress Hormone
https://youtu.be/-bAZ2dsdkVE 2023.5.24

Phase 1: Adrenaline
Phase 2: Cortisol

Fight or FlightZoo. Jeff Pinkner. Josh Appelbaum, Scott Rosenberg, Andre Nemec. CBS, 2015-2017.

Body Response••••••

Increases heart rate
Increases blood pressure
Increases respiration
Inhibits digestionSuppresses the immune system
Suppresses sexual arousal

Mental Response• Increases sensory perception(=Hyperarousal)• Causes insomnia
https://www.bbc.com/news/news
beat-46223386 2023.5.24

Primitive StressModern Stress
https://youtu.be/bkk_U9qpi9w

Same Stress Response

2023.5.24

Amount

Adnan, Adnan. (2021). Investigation of Mathematics Anxiety in Undergraduate Engineering Students.

eustress

distresseustress

eustress

Dealing with
Excessive Amount of StressReduce Your Workload

Divide Your Work

Prioritize Your Workhttps://blog.rescuetime.com/how-to-prioritize/ 2023.5.25Unfortunately...
living in modern society,we cannot avoid being stressed.

How can we understand and manage
the negative effects of stress?

Negative Cycles of StressStressful Events
Overlap
Insomnia

Inefficient Support

Brain
Dysfunction

Anxiety

Negative thinking
tendency
Sense of Lacking Support
Try to Handle Things by Yourself

Feel more stressedStress Cycle of Negative thoughts
Stressful Events
Overlap

Brain
Dysfunction
Negative thinking
tendency

Feel more stressedStress Cycle of Anxiety & Insomnia
Stressful Events
Overlap
Insomnia

Brain
Dysfunction

Anxiety

Stress Cycle of Lacking Support
Stressful Events
Overlap
Inefficient Support

Brain
Dysfunction
Negative thinking
tendency
Sense of Lacking Support
Try to Handle Things by Yourself

Stress Cycle of Negative thoughts
Stressful Events
Overlap

Brain
Dysfunction
Negative thinking
tendency

Feel more stressedYou passed by a friend and said “Hi!”.
Your friend did not reply.
https://petrusfs.com/cermin-diri-2/cerdik-71-80/ 2023.5.25

Negative Cognition• I was ignored• She doesnʼt like me• I may have done something bad andshe is angry• What a misbehavior of her!
• I feel sad and lonely

Alternative Cognition• She couldnʼt catch my voice• She might have been wearing anearphone• She was busy on her way

One Situation,
Multiple Perceptions
https://www.drjimtaylor.com/4.0/change-your-perceptions-to-become-a-more-successful-athlete-and-person/ 2023.5.30
https://www.drjimtaylor.com/4.0/change-your-perceptions-ski-faster/ 2023.5.30

Tendencies to Negative Cognition
Perfectionism

https://www.verywellmind.com/signs-you-may-be-a-perfectionist-3145233 2023.5.30

Tendencies to Negative Cognition“should, have to, must”• Creates a sense of guilt andbecome frustrated to yourself• Creates anger and frustration to others
Change “should, have to, must” to“want to” or “can”“I should speak better Japanese”→ “I want to speak better Japanese”→ “I can speak good Japanese!”Tendencies to Negative Cognition
Overgeneralization• Tends to phrase things as“always”, “everyone”, “never” or “definitely”
I always mess up in an important situation.
Everyone thinks stupid of me.
I will never succeed.

Concretize your experience in past sense.
I messed up in an important situation before.
My brother thought I am stupid.
I once failed before.

Overcoming negative tendencies
1. Identify Your Thinking Patterns
Recognize yourself thinking negatively
Take records of your thoughts

2. Challenge Yourself
Is this negative thought true?
Would someone else think the same?
Do you have enough evidence to think this way?

3. Replace Your Thoughts
Speak to yourself positively“Iʼm ready to give a great presentation.”

Stress Cycle of Anxiety & Insomnia
Stressful Events
OverlapInsomnia

Brain
DysfunctionAnxiety

Anxiety
Anticipation of a future concern

Enable us to prepare
for future concerns

・Cause unpleasantphysical symptoms
・Lead to avoidant behavior

Tame your anxiety
Not only a troublesome feeling
A fundamental and helpful
emotion for survival“Prepare or else
you will encounter danger”
Donʼt instantly try to remove
your anxiety
Tame your anxiety
Alter it to motivation
https://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/moriyama-print/dpos101.html 2023.5.30

Tips to tame your anxiety
Realize that anxiety isa fundamental/helpful emotion
Anxiety leads us to havea narrow “spot-like” perception
Re-evaluate your situation
Try to obtain a broader perception(Also challenge your negative
tendencies if you have any)

Stress Cycle of Anxiety & Insomnia
Stressful Events
Overlap
Insomnia

Brain
Dysfunction

Anxiety

From my point of view as a psychiatrist,
having a good and stable sleep isextremely important to maintain your brain function

Basics on
sleeping

https://www.hotoku.or.jp/support/Sleep has certain depths
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jay
hem/1045709386 2023.6.1

Image of Sleep Cycle<Night>Sleep

REM Sleep<Morning>
Awake

Approx. 90 min.

Non-REM Sleep

Depth of Sleep

Easy to wake up
at this point

Quoted from the Kanazawa Medical School University Web Site (Altered)

REM sleep (shallow sleep)
Non-REM sleep (deep sleep)

90 minutes cycleNon-REM sleep-brain restseen right after sleep onset
becomes shallower after each cycle
the brain activity decreases
the body slightly rests(during this period you roll over)Growth hormone is secreted
during non-REM sleep
https://www.babydestination.com/acid-reflux-causes-symptoms-home-remedies-babies 2023.6.1

Lacking sleep damages our skin
Growth hormone repairs various tissues

REM-sleep-bodily restRapid Eye Movement
the brain is active
you see dreams
body muscle is loosening
old hag syndrome can occur

REM sleep enhances
memory function

Image of Sleep Cycle<Night>Sleep

REM Sleep<Morning>
Awake

Approx. 90 min.

Non-REM Sleep

Depth of Sleep

Easy to wake up
at this point

Quoted from the Kanazawa Medical School University Web Site (Altered)Inner Body ClockHow many inner bodyclocks do we have?

All the 60 trillion cells
in our human body has
a biological clock

The image is removed due to the copyrights.
[L'Heure de tous in France]thTime calibration
signalWave tower

Nerve center ofthe body clock

Atomic wave clock

Biological clockin each cell

Nerve center of thebody clocksuprachiasmatic nucleus
The nucleus that is above
the optic nerve intersection

The body clock nerve
center has a relation
with visual perception

The time repair
mechanism is dependent
to morning sunlightTips for good sleep

Regular mealsAvoid eating large meals
late at nightRegular exercise
Aerobic exercise in theevening is the bestBe exposed to sunlightfor at least 30min
after you wake up

Darker and warmer
lighting at nighthttps://www.motom-jp.com/2020/10/27/ホテル⾵の照明計画とは？おしゃれなお部屋は照/2023.7.10

Donʼt try to sleep early,
just try to wake up earlyDonʼt stick to a certain sleeping time
Donʼt keep yourself awake in bed
Simply go to bed when you are sleepy
Bed or futon should only be used forsleeping and sexual activities

Avoid taking stimulants at night
4 hours

1 hourAlcohol makes you
sleepless
It could help you fall asleep(knocking yourself down)
but the quality of sleep worsens

Stress Cycle of Lacking Support
Stressful EventsOverlap
Inefficient Support

Brain
Dysfunction
Negative thinking
tendency
Sense of Lacking Support
Try to Handle Things by Yourself

What are thecharacteristics ofpeople withaddiction?

Difficulty relying
on people
https://es.aleteia.org/2021/09/21/salvate-no-sigas-ofendiendo-a-dios/ 2023.7.10

How addiction develops
Having problems↓
Difficulty relying on peopleTrying to handle things by themselves↓
Cannot handle the problem by themselves
Difficulty increases↓
Start relying on substances/gambling etc.

What does being independent mean?
Handling things by yourself?
Relying on only one single
person/substance...?

Independence

Being independent means“having social skills to rely on
many people/things properly”

Stress Cycle of Lacking Support
Stressful Events
Overlap
Inefficient Support

Brain
Dysfunction
Negative thinking
tendency
Sense of Lacking Support
Try to Handle Things by Yourself

Rely on people youcan trust

http://sakainaoki.blogspot.com/2012/01/blog-post_19.html 2023.7.10

Positively, share yourdifficulties with yourfriends and families

Cutting the Negative Cycle
Stressful Events
Overlap

Prioritize

Insomnia
Inefficient Support

Enhance
Good Sleep
RestRelax

Relying on
peopleSense of Lacking Support
Try to Handle Things by Yourself

Brain
Dysfunction
Negative thinking
tendency

Anxiety
Cognitive
Training

Feel more stressed