STRESS MANAGEMENT ORIENTATION PROGRAM

Stress Management Orientation Program
By: Rhea Grace Camton
II – John Chrysostom

Last November 13, 2009 at 3:00 pm, an orientation program was conducted at the CCC Plenary Hall. It was attended by the Grade School and High School Faculty of Cainta Catholic College. Mr. Erlon Cunanan, the guest speaker for the afternoon, lectured about the deadly stressors (causes of stress) and preventive measures that will help us conquer stress.

Atty. Logan did a short introduction before the orientation. She talked about the counseling services the school guidance office offers. By next week, the Ateneo De Manila University will give one on one counseling services for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. After the introduction, Mr. Cunanan took over. He discussed about stress, the stressors and how to manage it. “Stress is a reason why we age so easily. Stress is the mother to all kinds of diseases.” Stress is now a major health hazard that needs to be properly addressed. Stress is almost everywhere. It is something that nobody can escape. All people – young or old – are exposed to stress. Like Mr. Cunanan said, “Kakambal ito ng buhay.” Prolonged exposure of our body to stress can lead to various diseases or worse – it may even lead to sudden death. It is very essential for us to be aware of the stressors and find ways on how to deal with them.

There major stressors are divided into two groups: the (1) Occupational and the (2) Personal Stressors. Occupational stressors are stress factors caused by a person’s workplace. Stress may come from piles of paper/computer works, dealing with people and managing people. People exposed to occupational stressors, especially those who are too much exposed to the computer are advised to take a 10 minute break every 60 minutes. Too much radiation could cause several diseases, like Bell’s palsy. Personal stressors include money problems, frustration, hatred, grievances, despair, health and family problems, and problems dealing with the feeling of worry, fear, anger, envy and jealousy. These two stressors bring major problems and complications in our body. A person with elevated stress level experiences deterioration of the nervous system, hardening of the arteries, weakening of the immune system, elevation of blood pressure, back pain, headache, migraine, allergies, skin disorders, memory impairment, insomnia, eating disorders and more.

We sure did familiarized ourselves about stress and its’ causes. But the question is, “How are we going to manage stress?” Stress management can be practiced through two ways: (1) Through Major Antidotes and (2) Through a Massage Therapy. There are plenty of stress antidotes. These include the following: (1) Unwind. Find a means of relaxation that you can enjoy. You can do a malling therapy. Nothing is better than going out with your friends after a day of hard work. If it doesn’t fit you, you may simply do a music therapy. Music is proven to lower the blood pressure. It also relaxes the cells of our body. It also prevents depression. Or, you can also try a movie therapy.
(2) Engage in an exercise/sport that you like. Older folks take up ballroom dancing and aerobics. If you’re a bit younger, you may take tyro boxing or martial arts. (3) Always take a week-planned vacation. You can leave the stressful city life and enjoy a day or two out of town. (4) Schedule a quiet time and feel the joy of living. It’s very relaxing to just simply stare at the beauty of nature. A walk all alone by yourself will also help.
(4) Write! Putting all your thoughts and daily experiences on a journal or diary will make you less feel less stressed out. Plus, it enhances your writing skills at the same time.
(5) Get in touch with old friends. You may reach them by means of text messages, through the internet or visit them personally. (6) Pray all the time. The most powerful way of reducing and overcoming stress is by means of prayer. Through prayer, one may seek peace, strength, happiness and consolation from the Lord. Praying earnestly will lighten all your loads. Prayer can take away all your worries. (7) Throw away anger. Forgive and forget. Attitude is the only important factor in handling all sorts of problems. You can’t change the person, but you can always change your attitude towards that person.

Aside from all these antidotes, there is one effective way to make all our days a happy one. No stress at all. How? Smile! J Tell people you love them. Do this effective way to jumpstart your day. Program your mind, look into the mirror and say, “Today, I’ll be a blessing to all.” Practice kindness throughout the day. Instead of blabbering about the wrong things done, why don’t you try looking at things positively? Be a positive thinker and appreciate people; appreciate even the tiniest things they do.

Another way to manage stress is through a massage therapy. A massage therapy makes use of an acupuncture ball massager. The balls are rolled on the acupuncture points all over our body. The balls may be used for people aged 3 onwards. During the orientation, Mr. Cunanan did a demo on how these balls work. After the demo, a draw was held. Mr. Joel Javiniar and Mrs. Cecilia Vinluan led the draw. Eight lucky people were given these acupuncture balls for free. The winners are as follows:

Ms. Zapanta
Ms. Bautista
Ms. Buenavente
Sr. Myrna
Ms. Arisfe
Ms. Agcaoili
Ms. Villiones
Mr. Rodrigo Osorio

After the draw, Mrs. Vinluan gave the closing remarks. She thanked everyone, especially Mr. Cunanan for imparting knowledge to the school faculty. A certificate of recognition was also given to Mr. Cunanan. The orientation program was adjourned at 5:00 pm in the afternoon.