Navigating Through Change Workbook 070716 · § Future focused § Supportive Write down two of the core attributes you see as your strengths. Write down two of the core attributes

ParticipantWorkbook

NavigatingThroughChange

APPsychology&ConsultingServices(2016)©

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TheprogramhasbeendesignedbyAPPsychology&ConsultingServices

ArthurPapagiannis,ManagingDirector

Anyqueriesorrequestsforfurtherinformationshouldbedirectedto:

APPsychology&ConsultingServices404,9-11ClaremontStSouthYarraMelbourne,VictoriaAustralia3141

Email:[email protected]

www.psychology-consulting.com



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SessionOutline

NavigatingThroughChange

START

9:30am

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

GAUGINGEXPECTATIONS Introductions,expectations/wantsofthecourse

MORNINGTEA

11am-11:15am

UnderstandingChange

Work/LifeChallenges

Learningfromyourownexperience

Engaginginthechangeprocess

• UnderstandingChange• Activity:AnIntroductiontoChangeTVExercise

LUNCH

12:00pm-12:45pm

UnderstandingMotivation:ImportancevsConfidence

Activity:AssessingyourImportancevsConfidence

Understandingthechangeprocess

• IntroducetheModelofChange

AFTERNOONTEA

2:00pm-2:15pm

Changequalities

• Activity:Qualitiesofyourfavouriteteacher• UnderstandingResistance

Resilience

• LocusofControl-Assessingyourlocusofcontrol• ManagingStress• Copingstrategiestobetternavigatechange

REFLECTION&ACTIONPLAN

FINISH

4:30pm

ReflectionsandActionPlanning

Closingquestions


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Expectations


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UnderstandingYourResponsetoChangeActivity:Adaptingduringaperiodofchange

Takeamomenttothinkofastressfulsituationyouhadtoovercomeatsomepointinyourlifee.g.restructure,loss,employment

Whatwastheadversesituation?

Whatdidyoudotoovercomethechallengeatthatpointinyourlife?

Whatkeypersonalqualitieshelpedyouovercomethechallenge?

Howhasthechallengeshapedwhoyouaretodayintermsofwhatyoucareabout?Whatyoubelievein?


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KeyLearning’sPleasetakeamomenttoreflectonthekeylearning’s.


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UnderstandingImportanceandConfidenceIntroduction

Inexploringaperson’sreadinesstochange,importanceandconfidencecombinetodecidewhetherornotsomeonemakesachange.Importanceandconfidencecanprovideyouwithinformationabouthowyouviewtheimportanceofchangeandtheextenttowhichyoufeelchangeispossible.

Aswithotherratingscales,thereadinesstochangeruler(figure2)canbeusedtoencourageyoutogivevoicetowhatyouneedtodotocommencechange. Figure2.ImportanceandConfidenceasIngredientsofChange

Figure2.1ImportanceandConfidenceRulers

Continuedonnextpage


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Exploringimportanceandbuildingconfidence

Usefulquestionsforexploringimportance:

1. Whatwouldhavetohappenforittobecomemuchmoreimportantforyoutochange?

2. Whatwouldhavetohappenbeforeyouseriouslyconsiderchanging?

3. Whyhaveyougivenyourselfsuchahighscoreonimportance?

4. Whatwouldneedtohappenforyourimportancescoretomoveupfromxtoy?

5. Whatstopsyoumovingfromxtoy?

6. Whatarethegoodthingsabout(currentbehaviour)?

7. Whataresomeofthethingsyoudon’tlikeabout(currentbehaviour)?

8. Whatconcernsdoyouhaveabout(currentbehaviour)?

9. Ifyouweretochange,whatwoulditbelike?

Buildingconfidence

Usefulquestionsforexploringconfidence:

1. Whatwouldmakeyoumoreconfidentaboutmakingthesechanges?

2. Whyhaveyougivenyourselfsuchahighscoreonconfidence?

3. Howcouldyoumoveuphigher,soyourscoregoesfromxtoy?

4. HowcanIhelpyousucceed?

5. Isthereanythingyoufoundhelpfulinanypreviousattemptstochange?

6. Whathaveyoulearntfromthewaythingswentwrongthelasttimeyoutried?

7. Ifyouweretodecidetochange,whatmightyouroptionsbe?Arethereanywaysthatyouknowaboutthathaveworkedforotherpeople?

8. Whataresomeofthepracticalthingsthatyouneedtodotoachievethisgoal?Doanyofthemsoundachievable?Isthereanythingyoucanthinkofthatwouldhelpyoufeelmoreconfident?

KeyPoints

ItisusuallyImportancethatreceivesattentioninthechangeprocess-butifyouworktoincreasetheimportanceofchangewithoutincreasingaperson'sconfidenceintheirabilitytodoit-theirsenseofself-efficacy-changecanactuallybeinhibitedbecauseoftheirperceptionofthedegreeofdifficultyinvolved.

Usingtheimportanceandconfidencerulerisakeytoolinelicitingchangetalk.Bythemselves,theimportanceandconfidencequestionshavelimitedusefulness.Thevalueforchangetalkcomeswiththefollowupquestionaboutthenumberthatthepersonchooses:

“Andwhyareyouata______andnot0(oralowernumber)?

Ifyouthinkbacktothepersonalchangesofyourownthatwehaveaskedyoutoconsider-howreadytochangewouldyousayyouwere?Howimportantdidyoudecideitwastomakeachange?

Wouldclarifyingtheimportanceofchangeandyourconfidenceinyourabilitytodoithavebeenuseful?


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AModelofChange

Prochaska&Declementi’stranstheoreticalmodelofchange,alsoknownastheCycleofChangeisamodelofchangethatrecognisesthattheprocessofbehaviourchangeoccursovertime.Peoplecanrangefromhavingnointerestinmakingchange(pre-contemplation),tohavingsomeawarenessormixedfeelingsaboutchange(contemplation),topreparingforchangeandbeginningtomakethechange(planning/action)tomaintainingthebehaviourchanges(maintenance).

TheCycleofChange


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KeyLearning’sPleasetakeamomenttoreflectonthekeylearning’s.


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CoreAttributesofResilientPeople:BuildingonYourStrengths

Selfknowledgeisagoodtooltohelpusseeourstrengths.Weallhaveexamplesofwhenweuseourstrengthswell.

Thereareanumberofcoreattributeslinkedtoresilientpeople.Asyougothroughthesecoreattributes,askyourselfthesequestions:

• WhichwouldIbestrongerin?• Whichwouldbechallenging?

§ Optimisticview§ Selfawareness§ Socialinvolvement§ Embracechange§ Problemsolver§ Flexible§ Collaborativeapproach§ Selfconfident§ Empathic§ Internallocusofcontrol§ Emotionalregulation§ Futurefocused§ Supportive

Writedowntwoofthecoreattributesyouseeasyourstrengths.

Writedowntwoofthecoreattributesyouneedtokeepdevelopingin.

Aftercompletingtheworkshop,lookbackoverthesecoreattributesandgothroughthesequestionsagain.


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LocusofControl

As the environment around you changes, you can either attribute success and failure to things you havecontrolover,or the forcesoutsideyour influence.Whichorientationyouchoosehasbearingonyour longtermlevelofsuccessandoverallpsychologicalwellbeing.

Thisorientation is knownasyour ‘locusof control’. Its studydatesback to the1980’swith JulianRotter’sinvestigationintohowpeople’sbehavioursandattitudesaffectedtheoutcomesoftheirlives.

Locus of control describes the degree towhich individuals perceive that outcomes result from their ownbehaviours,orfromforcesthatareexternaltothemselves.Thisproducesacontinuumwithexternalcontrolatoneendandinternalattheother:

LocusofControl

Peoplewhodevelopaninternallocusofcontrolbelievethattheyareresponsiblefortheirownsuccess.Thosewithanexternallocusofcontrolbelievethatexternalforces,likeluck,determinetheiroutcomes.


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UnderstandingYourOwnLocusofControl

LocusofControlScale(Rotter)

TheLocusofControlquestionnairewasdevelopedbyRotter.Itmeasuresgeneralizedexpectanciesforinternalversusexternalcontrolofreinforcement.Peoplewithaninternallocusofcontrolbelievethattheiractionsdeterminetherewardsthattheyobtain,whilethosewithanexternallocusofcontrolbelievethattheirownbehaviourdoesn’tmattermuchandthattherewardsinlifearegenerallyoutsideoftheircontrol.

Ahighscoreindicatesaninternallocusofcontrolwhilealowscoreindicatesexternalcontrol

Instructions:

Eachnumbereditembelowhasan‘a’and‘b’statement.Selecteither‘a’or‘b’dependingonwhichitemmostaccuratelyreflectsyourview.

Item1.

a.______Childrengetintotroublebecausetheirparentspunishthemtoomuch.

b.______Thetroublewithmostchildrennowadaysisthattheirparentsaretooeasywiththem.

Item2.

a.______Manyoftheunhappythingsinpeople'slivesarepartlyduetobadluck.

b.______People'smisfortunesresultfromthemistakestheymake.

Item3.

a._____Oneofthemajorreasonswhywehavewarsisbecausepeopledon'ttakeenoughinterestinpolitics.

b._____Therewillalwaysbewars,nomatterhowhardpeopletrytopreventthem.

Item4.

a.______Inthelongrunpeoplegettherespecttheydeserveinthisworld.

b.______Unfortunately,anindividual'sworthoftenpassesunrecognizednomatterhowhardhetries.

Item5.

a._____Theideathatteachersareunfairtostudentsisnonsense.

b._____Moststudentsdon'trealizetheextenttowhichtheirgradesareinfluencedbyaccidentalhappenings.


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Item6.

a.______Withouttherightbreaksonecannotbeaneffectiveleader.

b.______Capablepeoplewhofailtobecomeleadershavenottakenadvantageoftheiropportunities.

Item7.

a.______Nomatterhowhardyoutrysomepeoplejustdon'tlikeyou.

b.______Peoplewhocan'tgetotherstolikethemdon'tunderstandhowtogetalongwithothers.

Item8.

a._____Heredityplaysthemajorroleindeterminingone'spersonality.

b.______Itisone'sexperiencesinlifewhichdeterminewhatthey'relike.

Item9.

a.______Ihaveoftenfoundthatwhatisgoingtohappenwillhappen.

b.______Trustingtofatehasneverturnedoutaswellformeasmakingadecisiontotakeadefinitecourseofaction.

Item10.

a._______Inthecaseofthewellpreparedstudentthereisrarelyifeversuchathingasanunfairtest.

b._______Manytimesexamquestionstendtobesounrelatedtocourseworkthatstudyinginreallyuseless.

Item11.

a._______Becomingasuccessisamatterofhardwork,luckhaslittleornothingtodowithit.

b._______Gettingagoodjobdependsmainlyonbeingintherightplaceattherighttime.

Item12.

a._______Theaveragecitizencanhaveaninfluenceingovernmentdecisions.

b._______Thisworldisrunbythefewpeopleinpower,andthereisnotmuchthelittleguycandoaboutit.

Item13.

a._______WhenImakeplans,IamalmostcertainthatIcanmakethemwork.

b.________Itisnotalwayswisetoplantoofaraheadbecausemanythingsturnouttobeamatterofgoodorbadfortuneanyhow.


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Item14.

a.________Therearecertainpeoplewhoarejustnogood.

b.________Thereissomegoodineverybody.

Item15.

a.________InmycasegettingwhatIwanthaslittleornothingtodowithluck.

b.________Manytimeswemightjustaswelldecidewhattodobyflippingacoin.

Item16.

a._______Whogetstobethebossoftendependsonwhowasluckyenoughtobeintherightplacefirst.

b.________Gettingpeopletodotherightthingdependsuponability,luckhaslittleornothingtodowithit.

Item17.

a.________Asfarasworldaffairsareconcerned,mostofusarethevictimsofforceswecanneitherunderstand,norcontrol.

b.________Bytakinganactivepartinpoliticalandsocialaffairsthepeoplecancontrolworldevents.

Item18.

a._______Mostpeopledon'trealizetheextenttowhichtheirlivesarecontrolledbyaccidentalhappenings.

b.________Therereallyisnosuchthingas"luck."

Item19.

a._______Oneshouldalwaysbewillingtoadmitmistakes.

b._______Itisusuallybesttocoverupone'smistakes.

Item20.

a.________Itishardtoknowwhetherornotapersonreallylikesyou.

b.________Howmanyfriendsyouhavedependsuponhowniceapersonyouare.

Item21.

a.________Inthelongrunthebadthingsthathappentousarebalancedbythegoodones.

b._______Mostmisfortunesaretheresultoflackofability,ignorance,laziness,orallthree.


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Item22.

a.________Withenougheffortwecanwipeoutpoliticalcorruption.

b.________Itisdifficultforpeopletohavemuchcontroloverthethingspoliticiansdoinoffice.

Item23.

a.________SometimesIcan'tunderstandhowteachersarriveatthegradestheygive.

b.________Thereisadirectconnectionbetweenhowhard1studyandthegradesIget.

Item24.

a._________Agoodleaderexpectspeopletodecideforthemselveswhattheyshoulddo.

b._________Agoodleadermakesitcleartoeverybodywhattheirjobsare.

Item25.

a.________ManytimesIfeelthatIhavelittleinfluenceoverthethingsthathappentome.

b.________Itisimpossibleformetobelievethatchanceorluckplaysanimportantroleinmylife.

Item26.

a.________Peoplearelonelybecausetheydon'ttrytobefriendly.

b._______There'snotmuchuseintryingtoohardtopleasepeople,iftheylikeyou,theylikeyou.

Item27.

a.________Thereistoomuchemphasisonathleticsinhighschool.

b.________Teamsportsareanexcellentwaytobuildcharacter.

Item28.

a.________Whathappenstomeismyowndoing.

b.________SometimesIfeelthatIdon'thaveenoughcontroloverthedirectionmylifeistaking.

Item29.

a._______MostofthetimeIcan'tunderstandwhypoliticiansbehavethewaytheydo.

b._______Inthelongrunthepeopleareresponsibleforbadgovernmentonanationalaswellasonalocallevel.


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LocusofControlScoringSheet

Notethereare6filleritems(1,8,14,19,24,27).23scoringitems.

Score1pointforeachofthefollowing:

• 2b____• 3a____• 4a____• 5a____• 6b____• 7b____• 9b____• 10a____• 11a____• 12a____• 13a____• 15a____• 16b____• 17b____• 18b____• 20b____• 21b____• 22a____• 23b____• 25b____• 26a____• 28a____• 29b____

TOTALSCORE:_______________

ExternalLocusofControl=lowscore(0-7)

MidRangeLocusofControl=Midrange(8-16)

InternalLocusofcontrol=highscore(17-23)

Locus of Control refers to theextent towhich individualsbelieve that they can control events that affectthem. Individualswithahigh internal locusof control believe that events result primarily from theirownbehavior and actions. Those with a high external locus of control believe that powerful others, fate, orchanceprimarilydetermineevents.Thosewithahighinternal locusofcontrolhavebettercontroloftheirbehavior and tend to exhibit more political behaviors than externals and are more likely to attempt toinfluenceotherpeople;theyaremore likelytoassumethattheireffortswillbesuccessful.Theyaremoreactiveinseekinginformationandknowledgeconcerningtheirsituationthandoexternals.Thepropensitytoengageinpoliticalbehaviorisstrongerforindividualswhohaveahighinternallocusofcontrolthanforthosewhohaveahighexternallocusofcontrol.


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BenefitsofanInternalLocusofControl

Ingeneral,peoplewithaninternallocusofcontrol:

• Engageinactivitiesthatwillimprovetheirsituation.

• Emphasizestrivingforachievement.

• Workhardtodeveloptheirknowledge,skillsandabilities.

• Areinquisitive,andtrytofigureoutwhythingsturnedoutthewaytheydid.

• Takenoteofinformationthattheycanusetocreatepositiveoutcomesinthefuture.

• Haveamoreparticipativemanagementstyle.

ManagingDrawbacksofaStrongInternalLocusofControl

Peoplewithaninternallocusofcontrolaregenerallymoresuccessful,forverygoodreasons.

However therecanbetimeswhenhavinganexternal locusofcontrolcanbeanadvantage,particularly insituationswherepeopleneedtobeconsiderateandmoreeasy-going.Peoplewithastronginternallocusofcontroltendtobeveryachievement-oriented,andthiscanleavepeoplearoundthemfeeling"trampled"or"bruised." And with a very strong internal locus of control, there is also a tendency to want to controleverything,andthiscanleadtodifficultiesintakingdirection.

Ifyouhaveastronginternallocusofcontrol,makesureyoupayattentiontothefeelingsofpeoplearoundyou–otherwiseyou'llseemarrogant,andpeoplemaynotwanttoworkwithyou.

Also,makesurethatyoumanagerisksproperly.Randomeventsdooccurforallsortsofreasons.Whileyoucanmanagemanyofthesewithenoughdeterminationandhardwork,someyoucan't.

TipsforDevelopinganInternalLocusofControl

Recognizethebasicfactthatyoualwayshaveachoice.Makingnochoiceisactuallyachoiceinandofitself,andit'syourchoicetoallowotherpeopleoreventsdecideforyou.

Setgoalsforyourselfandnotehow,byworkingtowardstheseandachievingthese,youarecontrollingwhathappensinyourlife.Asyoudothis,you'llfindthatyourselfconfidencequicklybuilds.

Developyourdecisionmakingandproblemsolvingskillssothatyoucanfeelmoreconfident,andincontrolofwhathappens.Withthesetools,you'llfindthatyoucanunderstandandnavigatethroughsituationsthatwouldotherwisedamageyou.


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Pay attention to your self talk.When you hear yourself saying things like, "I have no choice" or "There'snothingIcando",stepbackandremindyourselfthatyoudo,infact,havesomedegreeofcontrol.It'syourchoicewhetheryouexerciseitornot.

KeyPoints

Your locusofcontrol saysa lotabouthowyouviewtheworldandyour role indetermining thecourseofyourlife.

Whenyoubelieveyouhavethepowertocontrolyourowndestinyanddetermineyourowndirection,youhaveastronginternallocusofcontrol.Inmostcases,thisisanimportantattitudetohaveifyouwanttobesuccessful.

Peoplewithaninternallocusofcontroltendtoworkharderandperseverelongerinordertogetwhattheywant. This is not to say that having an external locus of control is always bad: There are some situationswhere thisapproachcanworkwell.Thekey foryourownpersonaldevelopment is tounderstandingyournaturaltendencyandthenadaptingittothesituationsyouarefacedwith.

Notes:


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UnderstandingYourselfConnectingwithyourself-Becomingawareofyourself-talkandtakingcontrol

UsingSelf-Talk

Connectingwithyourselfmaybeoneofthemosteffectivestrategiesforchallengingstressandwinning.Aswegrowupandlearnabouttheworldaroundus,wedevelopautomaticthoughtstohelpussortthroughourperceptionsandexperience.Iftheseautomaticthoughtsarehealthyandconstructive,wecopewithourlifeinpositiveways.

However,chronicworriersoftensubjectthemselvestonegativeautomaticthoughtsthatcontributetotheirworryandstress.

Erodingthedestructivepowerofnegativethoughts

Negativeselftalk,whatyousaytoyourself,contributesdirectlytoyourstress.Selftalkisrelatedtoyourinternalassumptionsandbeliefs,andistypicallyautomatic,familiar,andunconscious.Forexample,ourbodiescan'tsortouttheexperiencewehavefromeventsweimagine.Asweimagineabadoutcome-say,beingfiredfromajob-ourbodiesreacttothethoughtasthoughitwerehappening.Allthephysicalreactionsthatwouldoccurinadangeroussituationwilloccurinanimaginedone,too.

Also,wetalktoourselvesconstantly,andifthosemessagesarenegativeandcritical(“HowcouldIdosuchafoolishthing!”)ornamecalling(“I’manidiot!”)-westarttobelievethem.Finally,werarelystoptoconsiderwhatwearesayingtoourselves.Wedon’tcounterthecriticisms,forexample,withunderstandingorforgiveness.Inotherwords,wedon’ttestourownassumptions.Becausewedon'tcounternegativethoughts-suchas,“IknowIwon’tgetthatpayraise”-thosethoughtscanbecomeself-fulfilling.

Identifyingandavoidingcommonmindtraps

Automaticthoughtsoftenfallintocategoriescalledmindtraps.Thesemindtrapsareirrationalbeliefsthatcanleadyouastrayfromaclearandrealisticperceptionofyourworld.Identifyingtheonesyouuseandarecomfortablewithwillhelpyouchallengethem.Considerhowyourautomaticthinkingmightfallintothetrapslistedinthetable,“AboutMindTraps.”


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PuttingSelf-TalkintoAction

Belowisanexampleofhowselftalkcanimpactonbehaviour

(A)

ADVERSESITUATION

(B)

BELIEFS&IMMEDIATETHOUGHTS(SelfTalk)

DESCRIBEFEELING/S

(C)

CONSEQUENCE

BEHAVIOUR(Whatdidyoudo?)

DescribeSituation

Ihavetoomanycompetingdemandsmakingitdifficulttojuggleeverythinginmyrole

Listyourimmediatethoughts

• Howcouldtheydothis?• Theorganisationisalwaysmakingus

domore• Thisisgoingtohaveabigimpacton

myabilitytogetthingsdone• Noconsiderationforus• Ineedresourcing• Push,pushpushandexpectmore

eachtime• Theyjustexpectmore• Idon’tknowhowIwillcope.

AddFeeling/s

Stressed

Howintensewasthefeelingonscaleof0-10

Rated8

Listanybehaviouralresponses

• Myproductivityandengagementgoesdown

• Idon’tdoanything,toohardimmobilised

• Isolatemyself• Gohomeworrying

Challengeabovethoughtprocesswithmoreadaptivethoughtsandidentifyanymindtraps:

(B)

CHALLENGETHEABOVEBELIEFS&IMMEDIATETHOUGHTS(SelfTalk)

DESCRIBEFEELING/S

(C)

CONSEQUENCE


ChallengethoughtsaboveandIncludemindtrapremedies

• WhatcanIdotobettermanagethesituation• WhocanIdiscussthiswithtoworkthroughanyissues• Whocansupportmethroughthis• Maybethebusinessisalsobeingpressured• Everyoneisfeelingthepressure

AddFeeling/s

Lessstressed


Rated6outof10

Listanybehaviouralresponses/consequences

• Setupmeetingwithmymanagertoworkthroughmyissues

• Workthroughandproblemsolvemyconcerns

• Seeksupport


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AboutMindTraps

MINDTRAPS WHATTHEYARE

“Should”statements

“Ishoulddothis.Imustdothat.”Youmotivateyourselfwith“should”andthenfeelguilty

Allornothingthinking “Onemistake,andtotalfailurewillresult.”Youseethingsinextremesofblackandwhite,allbadorallgood.

Overgeneralisations “Thisalwayshappens.”Yousetapatternofinevitabilitytoaneventthathappensonceortwice.

MentalFiltering “Thisonemistakeruinseverything.”Youseeonlythenegativesidetoaneventandignorethepositiveone.

Rejectionofpositiveexperiences “Theteamcomplimentedmyworkjusttobepolite.”Youacceptonlythenegativemessages

Jumpingtoconclusions “Ourdepartmentisbeingrestructured.IknowI’llbefired.“Withoutbotheringtogetthefacts,youassumetheworst

Emotionalreasoning “Ifeellikealoser,soImustbealoser.”Youassumenegativefeelingsrepresentreality.

Labeling “I’mstupidandirresponsibletobelateforthatmeeting!”Youlabelyourselfnegatively.

Personalising “TheproposalwasrejectedbecauseIwasontheteam.”Youassigncauseandblametoyourselfinappropriately.

Challengingself-talkminddistortions

Onceyoucanidentifymindtrapsthatyoueasilyfallinto,begintochallengethem,onebyone.Thetable,“MindTrapRemedies”offerspossibleremediesforcommonmindtraps


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MindTrapRemedies

MINDTRAPS REMEDIES

“Should”statements

Usetheverb“Iwouldlike”insteadof“should”.Giveyourselfsomeflexibilityindecidingwhatyouwanttodo.

Allornothingthinking Don’tmakeblackorwhitejudgements.Thinkoftheinbetweenpointsorpercentagese.g.40%-70%

Overgeneralisations Examinetheevidence.Issomethingalwaystrue?Orhasithappenedtwotimesoutofthepastfive.

MentalFiltering Lookforthepositivesideaswellasthenegative.Focusonsolvingtheproblem.

Rejectionofpositiveexperiences Acknowledgeandaccepttherealityofpositiveexperiencesorevents

Jumpingtoconclusions Getthefactsfirst.Seeiftheevidencesupportsyourconclusion.

Emotionalreasoning Stepawayfromjustyouremotions,andtrytolookatyourselfasothersseeyou.

Labeling Describethebehaviournotyourself.Ifyoumakeamistake’don’tblameyourself

Personalising Makeyourselfprovethatyouareresponsibleforthesituation.Whatistheevidence?

Choosingpositiveself-talk

Choosingpositiveselftalkoverexistingmindtrapsisn’teasy.Howeveradoptingpositiveoutlookiscriticaladaptingtoadversityandavoidingworkplacestress.Toreprogramyourself-talk,startslowly.Considerhowyoucanreframethewayyouperceiveevents.Reframingisawayofrestatingself-talkintopositiveaffirmations.


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Nowthinkofareallifesituationyoucanapplythisto:

Whathappened,whatwereyouthinking,whatdidyoufeelanddo(A,B,C’)

(A)

ADVERSESITUATION

(B)

BELIEFS&IMMEDIATETHOUGHTS(SelfTalk)

DESCRIBEFEELING/S

(C)

CONSEQUENCE


DescribeSituation

Listyourimmediatethoughts

AddFeeling/s


Listanybehaviouralresponses

Challengeabovethoughtprocesswithmoreadaptivethoughtsandidentifyanymindtraps:

(B)

CHALLENGETHEABOVEBELIEFS&IMMEDIATETHOUGHTS(SelfTalk)

DESCRIBEFEELING/S

(C)

CONSEQUENCE


ChallengethoughtsaboveandIncludemindtrapremedies

AddFeeling/s


Listanybehaviouralresponses/consequences


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UnderstandingWorkplaceStressToday’sworkplacesarefast-pacedandofteninvolvemanagingcompetingdemandsunderpressure.Forthatreason,itisimportantthatyouarewellsupportedatalltimesandthatyoutakestepstocareforyouroverallmentalhealth.Especiallyifyourworkinvolvesdealingwithchallengingsituationsonaregularbasis.

WorkplaceStressPeopleexperiencestresswhentheyperceivethatthereisanimbalancebetweenthedemandsmadeofthem,andtheresourcestheyhaveavailabletocopewiththosedemands.

Inshort,it’swhatwefeelwhenwethinkwe’velostcontrolofevents.

Whilestressisanaturalreactionthateveryoneexperiencesfromtimetotime,itusuallypassesoncethestressfulsituationpasses,orthe‘stressor’isremoved.Forexample,lackofcontroloverwork,unsuitabledemandsbeingmade,lackofsupportfromcolleaguesandmanagement.

Shorttermstress-Forinstancewhenmeetingadeadline–isn’tusuallyaproblem.Itcanhelppeopleperformtothebestoftheirability.Stressbecomesarisktohealthsafetywhenitisdrawnout.

Youmayobservearangeofsignsandsymptomsofwork-relatedstress.

Thesefallinto4broadsymptomsasfollows:

Behaviouralsymptoms:

• Anincreaseinsickdaysorabsenteeism• Aggression• Diminishedinitiative• Adropinworkperformance• Problemswithinterpersonalrelationships• Moodswingsandirritability• Lowertoleranceoffrustrationandimpatience• Disinterest• Isolation.

Psychologicalsymptoms:

• Depression• Anxiety• Discouragement• Irritability• Pessimism• Feelingofbeingoverwhelmedandunabletocope• Reducedabilitytoconcentrateormakedecisions.

Physicalsymptoms:

• Fatigue• Musculartension• Headaches• Heartpalpitations• Sleepingdifficulties,suchasinsomnia• Gastrointestinalupsets,suchasdiarrhoeaorconstipation


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Someofthefactorsthatcommonlycausework-relatedstressinclude:

• Longhours• Heavyworkloadandtaskresponsibilities• Changeswithintheworkenvironment• Tightdeadlines• Changestoduties• Jobandroleinsecurity• Lackofautonomy• Insufficientskillsforthejob• Over-supervision• Inadequateworkingenvironment• Lackofproperresourcesorequipment• Harassmentordiscrimination• Poorworkplacerelationships• Potentiallytraumaticevents,suchasadeathintheworkplace.

It’simportanttounderstandthefactorsthataremostlikelytotriggerstressinyouandrecognisethesignsandsymptomsbybeingawareofanychangesinyourperformanceorbehaviour.

Beingabletorecognisewhenstressisaffectingyoumeansyou’rebetterabletotakeactiontoaddressthesituation.

Herearesometipstohelpyoubettermanagestressatwork:

• Identifywarningsignsearly• Manageboundaries• ConflictManagement• Manageyourself–talk• Identifyyourtriggers• Affirmation• Relaxationandmeditation• Learntomanageyouremotions• Healthyeatingandexercise• Gettingplentyorrestandsleep• Utilisefriends,familyandcolleaguesforsupport


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Notes:


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BecomingAwareofyourOptimumPerformance


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Exercise:PlanningforStressAwareness

Whatareyourmostcommonstressreactions?

Thinkbacktoatimewhenyouexperiencedthisstressreaction?Whatconditionsorsituationtriggeredit?

IncreasingtheArena

Inthefuture,howwouldothersknowthatyouarehavingthisstressreaction?Whatspecificbehavioursserveasyourindicators?

PlanningforStress

Whatthingscouldyouputinplacetoalleviatethestressreactionandrefocus?

Whenothersobservethisstressreaction(andyoumaynotbeawareofit),whatdoyouwantthemtodo?Howwouldyouwantthemtocommunicatewithyoutomitigateit?


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Notes:


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SelfCareandGettingHelpSelfCare-LookingAfterYourselfIt is importantthatyoutakestepstocareforyourselftohelpmaintainyourpsychologicalhealth.Herearesomewaysonbuildingresilience,managingyourrole,andcaringforyourself.

CaringforYourself

Youwillbemorepreparedtodealwithpsychologicalchallengesbytakingstepstolookafteryourmentalhealth,including:

þ Understandasmuchasyoucanabouttheissueofconcernþ Manageyourboundariesandbeclearonyourroleþ Identifytriggerfactorsandknowwhenyouaremostvulnerableþ Developskillstoeffectivelydealwithconflict,communication,andproblem-solvingþ Managesleepandstressþ Maintainahealthylifestylewithexercise,nutrition,balanceþ Talktoyourfriendsandfamilyabouthowyoufeelþ Engageinnormaldailyactivitiesasmuchaspossibleþ Seeksupportfromcolleaguesþ Userelaxationexercisesþ Accesssupportfrominternalworkplaceservices,oradoctor.

GettingHelp

þ Seekhelpearlyþ VisityourlocalGPþ SeekInternalSupportServicesþ DeakinEmployeeAsssistanceProgram

GettingHelpAdditionalsupportservices:

þ Beyondblue:www.beyondblue.org.auþ BlackDogInstitute:blackdoginstitute.org.auþ MensLineAustralia:1300789978orwww.mensline.org.auþ Sane:1800187263orwww.sane.orgþ Lifeline:131114orlifeline.org.a


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PersonalResilienceActionPlanWhatskillsdoyoualreadyhavethatyoucanuse:

WhatareaofdevelopmentamIgoingtoworkoninrelationtomanagingstressbetter:

ThespecificthingsIamplanningtodotoaccomplishmygoalsare:

Specificaction When?

1.

2.

3.

Otherpeoplethatcansupportmewithmydevelopment:

Person Howtheywillhelp

Whataresomeofthepossibleobstaclestomygoal,andhowmightIhandleanyobstacles?

Possibleobstaclestochange HowIwillrespondto

totheobstacle

Howwillyouknowyourplanisworking,whatresultswillyousee?


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Notes:

Navigating Through Change Workbook 070716 · § Future focused § Supportive Write down two of the core attributes you see as your strengths. Write down two of the core attributes

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