Building Stress Resilience: in Uncertain Times

1. Building Stress Resilience: in Uncertain Times Jim Kendall, LCSW, CEAP

2. Bounce Back Construction

3. Stress Re·sil·ience Pronunciation: ri-'zil-y&n(t)sFunction: nounDate: 1824 • 1 : the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress • 2 : an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

4. Stress is all around • Workplace stress • Heavy Demands • Dealing with Loss • Limited control • Personal stresses • Depression • Anxiety • Family pressures • Relationship conflicts • Addiction • Loss • Other significant problems like everyone else.

5. The issue is not the amount of stress you have but rather how well you can cope with it.

6. Stress Is: • - the body’s natural response to demands, challenges, and change. • perceived as mental strain, urgency or pressure. • both positive “eu-stress” and negative “distress” • linked to illnesses and diseases that impacts us both physically and emotionally.

7. Stress: “The critical ingredient to any success.”Taylor Swift, Musician

8. Stress Is… • Dr. Hans Selye originally wrote in German: the word for stress is Belastung which can more easily be translated as strain as caused by a load or burden. Seyle, H. (1956). The Stress of Life. New York: McGraw-Hill

9. Living with Uncertainty is a Stressor

10. Plan for Challenging Times Worry and focus about the things that you can Control.

11. Stress Response Can Save Your Live -Can Take Your Life. • Physical Stressors • Running from a lion who is wanting you to be his dinner. • Trying to catch your dinner for own survival. • Emotional Stressors • Worry about life events • Assigning meaning to situations Robert Sapolsky, PhD, Stanford University

12. The Stress Response in Action • Fight • Flight • Freeze Run Faster….Jump Higher

13. Stress Response • A Stressor is anything that throws your body out of “allostatic” balance (the optimal points for various functions). • The body’s attempts to survive through the following processes: • Secretion or inhibition of hormones • Activation of the nervous system • Other physiological changes Robert Sapolsky, PhD, Stanford University

14. Activate Emergency Systems • Energy Mobilization • Puts fuel (glucose) in the bloodstream • Delivers it fast to rapidly increased heart rate and blood flow

15. Activate Emergency Plan • Suppression of “non-essential services” (Suspend long term building projects) • Growth • Immune system • Reproduction • Digestion • Sharpens cognition and alertness (Increases dopamine) Allows us to survivethe next few minutes

16. Physical signs of stress • Headache • Weight gain/weight loss • Increased blood pressure • Problems with sleep • Fatigue • Digestive problems

17. Emotional Signs of Stress • Irritability • Depression • Anxiety attacks • Emotional paralysis • Scattered and Forgetful • Isolation

18. Risk of Developing Physical Problems • Shock Alone • Another rat (displacement) • Wood block (hobby) • Warning Signal (predictability) • Lever to press (perceived control) • Perception (50 to 25) vs (10 to 25) • Friends (social support) “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” Robert Sapolsky, PhD

19. Critical Components for Stress • Lack of Predictability • Lack of Control • Lack of Outlets for Frustration • Limited Social Support • Lack of Perceived of Life Improvement

20. Internal Forces

21. One Event Activated by our perception

22. Different ResponsesFiltered through our interpretation of an event Events interpreted as a challenge, a threat, or a negative condition will activate the stress response.

23. External Forces

24. Triggered by the Outside World • We respond to the perceptions of external events • Demands: Work, family, school, relationships, children, spouses, traffic, noise, etc • Challenges: Learning, taking on new responsibilities, increased workload • Changes: The unique events that threaten our equilibrium (illness, family changes, financial setbacks, terrorism, war, etc)

25. “Stress is the Spice of Life.”- Hans Selye

26. Best Stress Management Advice Have a Life (Passion) Outside of Your Work

27. Laugh and Smile! Embrace an optimistic outlook on life. You do have control over your attitude. Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life Knopf Publishing, Martin Seligman, PhD 1991

29. The only way to counteract the severe consequences of sleepiness is to sleep. NASA-National Aeronautics and Space Administration

30. Enjoy some Quiet Time … The more quiet time one takes, the less likely one is to perceive that he/she is under much stress or burned out. VUMC Faculty and Physician Stress Survey /Work/Life Connections-EAP 2003

31. “Me time” …enjoy time for You.

32. Mindfulness Learning to enjoy each moment

33. Exercise…30 minutes daily YOU: On a Walk: Michael F. Roizen MD and Mehmet Oz, MD, Simon & Schuster 1995

34. …and strive to have a healthy diet Eat healthy snacks 5 a Day…CDC

35. Spend your time, money and attention according to what's important. Life MattersA. Roger Merrill and Rebecca Merrill, 2003

36. Regularly Give and Receive Affection THANKS or GOOD JOBis always appreciated!

37. Nurture your social life

38. Seek a pleasing level of satisfaction with your love life. Gabbe S, Melville J, Madel L, Walker, E , “Burnout in chairs of obstetrics and gynecology: diagnosis, treatment and prevention.” 2005

39. Organize your time effectively Getting Things Done-The Art of Stress-Free Living, David Allen, Penguin Books, 2001

40. Before you work your self up… decide how important it is. Is it really within your control anyway?

41. Coping“Stressages”

42. Work/Life Connections-EAP… like a travel agent for ‘psychological support ’ services Promoting Problem Solving and Stress Resilience Stress Depression Workplace Issues Addictions Financial Problems Relationship Concerns Eldercare Parenting Assessment Brief Counseling Performance Coaching Referrals for Community Resources

43. Our mission is to support health and productivity.