School of something FACULTY OF OTHER Working with increasing demands Finding and keeping a sense of balance Mindfulness Sally Rose Staff Counselling and.

School of somethingFACULTY OF OTHER

Working with increasing demands

Finding and keeping a sense of balance

Mindfulness

Sally Rose Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service

[email protected]

Work demands and stress

A dynamic interaction between workplace and individual characteristics, demands, control and resources.

Responsibilities at all levels

Demands on our minds

What we expect of our minds today

• Knowledge economy • Demands - Information – Complexity –

Relationships • Spend time on physical health/fitness

but not our minds – Why not?

Balance

?

W WORKABLE RANGE - window of tolerance and effectiveness

Feelings and reactions are tolerable and can be considered

Thinking is more open flexible and creative

We can adapt our responses to fit the situation

We can take perspective and focus on workable and wise action

Workable Range of stress and emotion

Chaos

Rigidity

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service

Workable Ranges stress and emotional reactivity Hyper arousal reactions and habits HIGH ENERGY - Mobilisation CHAOS• frazzled, overwhelm and panic• fractured attention, racing thoughts FIGHT/FLIGHT • agitation, impulsive • anger-rage, frazzled • hyper vigilance

Comfortable, coherent arousal = calm energy

WORKABLE RANGE - window of tolerance and effectiveness

Comfortable, coherent slowness = calm tiredness

Hypo arousal reactions and habits LOW ENERGY – Immobilisation RIGIDITY • passive, lack of feelings, numb• can’t think or critical or pessimistic thoughts • shut down, given in, can’t protest FREEZE


Regulated stress and emotion

Hyper arousal reactions and habits HIGH ENERGY - Mobilisation CHAOS

Comfortable, coherent arousal = Calm Energy


Comfortable, coherent slowness = Calm Tiredness

Hypo arousal reactions and habits LOW ENERGY – Immobilisation RIGIDITY •

time


Dys-regulated stress and emotion Hyper arousal reactions and habits HIGH ENERGY - Mobilisation CHAOS

Comfortable, coherent arousal = calm energy


Comfortable, coherent slowness = calm tiredness

Hypo arousal reactions and habits LOW ENERGY – Immobilisation RIGIDITY

WIRED

WORKABLE RANGE

TIRED

Unworkable dysregulation


How do we know? What can we do about it? When we are in our workable ranges When we are mobilised - charged fragmented - chaotic

When we are immobilised - closed- shut down - rigid

When we are on roller coaster wired and tired

What our minds are usually like

Mindfulness

47% of the time our minds are ………..?

Lost in thought

This means we have little control over our reactions and get caught in trying to solve problems with the wrong tools

Mindfulness

•The awareness that emerges though paying attention on purpose in the present moment and non-judgmentally to things as they are. Jon Kabat-Zinn 1990

•Conscious intentional awareness

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support ServiceMindfulness practice

Attention and Awareness

Arriving in the present moment

Coming to your senses

Dropping out of autopilot

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support ServiceMindfulness practice

Posture – waking up – releasing tensionStabilising attention Being with what is Choosing to respond

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support ServiceShort practices: tune-ins / circuit breakers

Stopp technique •Stop and step back •Take a breath or two•Observe – where is my attention? What am I thinking/feeling? Am I in a workable range? if not how am I? •Pull back - take Perspective •Practice what might help or what you know works for you

Every day activity practiceChoose a simple and time limited everyday activity that you do everyday

Bring the same quality of attention to the direct sensory experience as in other practices

Becoming aware of the patterns of our minds and bodies

Reducing reactions that reinforce stress Stepping away from overthinking and worry – having

a mental break Letting go of tension in the bodyPaying more attention to the need to rest and recover Establishing safety in your body Noticing the good as well as the bad

Breaking reactive cycles, learning to respond to find and maintain balance

Summary

• Working in workable range is important for heath and performance

• Tuning into your body is a good source of information to help regulate stress arousal

• Bringing attention away from your thoughts can help break stress circuits and widen your attentional range

• Choosing to notice neutral and positive sensations and experience will reduce stress reactions

• Regulate first – use thinking skills when more balanced

School of somethingFACULTY OF OTHER

Working with increasing demands

Finding and keeping a sense of balance

Mindfulness

Sally Rose Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service

[email protected]

School of something FACULTY OF OTHER Working with increasing demands Finding and keeping a sense of balance Mindfulness Sally Rose Staff Counselling and.

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