STRESS AND HEALTH: BALANCING OPTIONS At your desk and anywhere K. Hathaway, Ph.D., L.P. Health Psychology Center for Spirituality and Healing University.

STRESS AND HEALTH: STRESS AND HEALTH: BALANCING OPTIONSBALANCING OPTIONS

At your desk and anywhere

K. Hathaway, Ph.D., L.P.Health Psychology

Center for Spirituality and HealingUniversity of Minnesota

TO NOTE:TO NOTE:STRESS IS NOT ALL BAD!STRESS IS NOT ALL BAD!

• POSITIVES OF STRESS:– Alertness– Challenge-based – increases self-confidence– Learning occurs and coping improves– Interpersonal problem-solving

COMPONENTS OF COMPONENTS OF STRESS RESPONSESSTRESS RESPONSES

• PHYSICAL– Heart rate, breathing, muscle– Move or freeze, yell or cower

• COGNITIVE– Intense concentration on target (stressor)

• EMOTIONAL– Less access to emotional reactions (except fear and

sometimes anger)

• SOCIAL– More inward-focused, withdrawal from social

interactions

ENVIRONMENT STRESSORS ENVIRONMENT STRESSORS PARTICULAR TO WOMENPARTICULAR TO WOMEN

• Multiple role and related demands• Other’ views of roles and demands• Differences in emotional needs• Less training/modeling in assertiveness• Different physical needs (ergonomics, breaks, etc)• Flexibility needs• Conflict mediation skills• Satisfaction with work community• Physical safety, discrimination, glass ceilings

PHYSICAL STRESS PHYSICAL STRESS RESPONDING IN WOMEN RESPONDING IN WOMEN

• Emotional responsivity differences?

• Cortisol production

• Hormone fluctuations

• Oxytocin and estrogen (different brain responses to stress during ovulation)

• Tend-Befriend (vs Fight-Flight)

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE WORKPLACE BURNOUTWORKPLACE BURNOUT

• Role overload

• Role ambiguity

• Role boredom

• Lack of control (perceived or real)

• Lack of challenge, diversity or sense of purpose

IT’S UP TO…IT’S UP TO…

• Stress management, then, is an individual challenge

• No one solution works for everyone

• The environment may supply the stressor; the individual supplies the coping

COMPONENTS OF STRESS COMPONENTS OF STRESS REDUCTION REDUCTION

• PHYSICAL– Relaxation, BREATHING– Build health status: Increase resistance

• COGNITIVE– Re-framing, re-interpreting– Staying “in the moment”

• EMOTIONAL– Access to feelings– Peace-giving

• SOCIAL– Family and friendship support

BUILDING RESISTANCE (VS BUILDING RESISTANCE (VS MANAGING CRISES)MANAGING CRISES)

• Increase physical strength

• Increase physical adaptability

• Increase energy

• Decrease toxins

• Build antitoxins

• Decrease heart rate, GI distress

PHYSICAL: At Your DeskPHYSICAL: At Your Desk

• STRETCH!• POSTURE CORRECTION• FACIAL MUSCLE RELAXATION• BREATHING• LIGHTING• SOUND• AROMATHERAPY• NUTRITION, WATER

PHYSICAL, Anywhere: PHYSICAL, Anywhere: Take care of Take care of self (treat illness, balance eating, balance sleep, get self (treat illness, balance eating, balance sleep, get

exercise, avoid mood-altering drugs)exercise, avoid mood-altering drugs)

• EXERCISE– Walk at breaks? Lunch?– Less sedentary activity (decrease TV/computer?)

• SLEEP– 8 hours? naps?

• GET OUTSIDE!!– Fresh air, new visual stimuli

• NUTRITION– 4-6 times per day, nutritionally sound– Vitamins?

COGNITIVE: At Your DeskCOGNITIVE: At Your Desk• INCREASE “I CAN” SENSE OF CONTROL; DECREASE “I

CAN’T” STATEMENTS• DECREASE “WOULD’VE,” “COULD’VE,” “SHOULD’VE”• PLAN, RE-ORGANIZE, PRIORITIZE• DECREASE JUDGMENT, INCREASE ACCEPTANCE

• INCREASE PERMISSION FOR OPTIONS• INCREASE PLASTICITY IN THINKING• DECREASE ALL OR NOTHING• ELIMINATE THE WORD “BUT”

• MAKE VALUE-BASED DECISIONS

• “For a mind burdened with fear, with conformity, with the thinker, there can be no understanding of that which may be called the original…”

• J. Krishnamurti, On Fear

COGNITIVE: AnywhereCOGNITIVE: Anywhere• Work on ACCEPTANCE (this is not the

same as judging it to be good)– There has never been a time without war,

without hunger, without suffering– Our colleagues are not perfect either– Life is busy, confusing and distracting

• ADMIT OWN INFLUENCE • Unglue opinions from facts• Make VALUE-BASED decisions

COGNITIVE: AnywhereCOGNITIVE: Anywhere

• ATTENTION AND INTENTION =MINDFULNESS– Observe self, observe thoughts – Be aware of sensation (body posture,

washing dishes)

EMOTIONAL: At Your DeskEMOTIONAL: At Your Desk• PRACTICE OPTIMISM• FIND SMALL WAYS TO INCREASE JOY (PICTURES,

TEAS, ETC.)• ACCESS MEMORIES – ESPECIALLY OF TIME IN

NATURE• PRACTICE GRATITUDE• PRACTICE KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY• BE MINDFUL: PRACTICE STAYING IN THE MOMENT• IDENTIFY FEELINGS WITHOUT JUDGMENT• PRACTICE JOY

“We consider bibles and religions divine…; I say they have all grown out of you, and may grow out of you still;

It is not they who give the life – it is you who give the life.

Will you seek afar off? You surely come back at last, in things best known to you, finding the best, or as good as the best –

Happiness, knowledge, not another place, but this place – not for another hour, but for this hour” Walt Whitman

EMOTIONAL: AnywhereEMOTIONAL: Anywhere• IMAGINE PEACE

– Remember that the body and the spirit do not know the difference between what is imagined and what is real….

• FOCUS MORE ON CREATIVITY, LESS ON PRODUCTIVITY

• INCREASE SOCIAL SUPPORT• PRACTICE KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY• ATTEND TO “PURPOSE”• HAVE MORE FUN!!!!! LAUGHTER IS A GREAT

STRESS REDUCER

PULLING IT TOGETHER: PULLING IT TOGETHER: LIFE DE-STRESS SKILLSLIFE DE-STRESS SKILLS

• Build mastery and competence with new work and social skills

• Focus on what works

• Play by the rules

• Attend to relationships

• Approach things you are afraid of

• Learn distress tolerance

DISTRESS TOLERANCE DISTRESS TOLERANCE SKILLSSKILLS

• Activities: Hobbies, play games, walk, sports

• Contribute: Volunteer, make something for some one else

• Comparison: Compare self to less fortunate – or don’t compare at all…

• Distraction: Count to 10

• Self-soothe: Use five senses

SUM: STRESS MANAGEMENT SUM: STRESS MANAGEMENT OPTIONSOPTIONS

• THINK ABOUT BALANCE

• STRESS MANAGEMENT MUST HAVE A PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL COMPONENT– Additional benefits from breathing!!!

• NO TIME PARAMETERS

• VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

• BE MINDFUL, BE PRESENT

OPTIONS FOR STRESS OPTIONS FOR STRESS REDUCTIONREDUCTION

• Relaxation exercise• Yoga• Meditation• Self-hypnosis• Daily rituals: Prayer,

candle-lighting, water rituals

• Music, sound• Laughter• Volunteering

• Light treatments• Time in nature – nature

images• Story-telling or story-

listening• Mindfulness• Social support• Animals, children• Attention to the present

moment…

Center for Spirituality and HealingCenter for Spirituality and Healing

• ONLINE: Taking Charge of Health

• Coursework: SEE www.csh.umn.edu– MBSR training, options for learning alternative

ways of healing and health-building– Art of Healing– Plants and Health– Music, Art and Health– Healing Environments– Peacemaking and Health

Look to this day!For it is life, the very life of life…In its brief courseLie all the verities and realities of your

existence:The bliss of growthThe glory of actionThe splendor of achievement;

For yesterday is but a dream,And tomorrow is only a vision;But today, well lived, makes every yesterday

a dream of happinessAnd every tomorrow a vision of hope!Look well, therefore, to this day!

“Kalidasa,” ancient Sanskrit poem