Stress Management

Thank you for coming today!If it were only that easy…

Stress is simply a fact of life

• Why am I here?• What is stress?• Have I contracted it?• Is there a cure/prescription for it?• What is the prognosis?

Learning Objectives

• It’s the way your mind and body react to any new, threatening or exciting situation.

• “It’s what you feel when there’s just too much going on!”

What is Stress?

What is Stress?• Stress is what you feel when you have to

handle more than you are used to. When you are stressed, your body responds as though you are in danger. It makes hormones that speed up your heart, make you breathe faster, and give you a burst of energy. This is called the fight-or-flight stress response.

• {Flip Chart Exercise}

What Stresses YOU the Most?

Stress Can Be Helpful or Harmful

• Helpful: extra energy to meet physical challenges, solve problems and reach goals

• Harmful: can cause headaches, backaches, loss of appetite, fatigue, digestive problems, depression, difficulty focusing thoughts and impaired memory

Effects of Stress• Events do not cause stress. Stress is

caused by our beliefs about the events.

Stress vs. Burnout

Stress Burnout Characterized by over engagement Characterized by disengagement

Emotions are over reactive Emotions are blunted Produces urgency and hyperactivity Produces helplessness and hopelessness

Loss of energy Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope

Leads to anxiety disorders Leads to detachment and depression

Primary damage is physical Primary damage is emotional May kill you prematurely May make life seem not worth living

The Difference Between Stress and Burnout

How can I managemy stress?

NO!!!

YES!!!

Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

• No single coping strategy is going to be effective all the time• Any one strategy, if used too much,

can become stressful or an undesirable habit. Also, if used too much will lose it effectiveness.

Coping Strategies

It is important to continue to develop new means of coping. Only you can decide what works best.

Stress Strategies

Stress will always be around. The trick is finding two or three stress busters you genuinely enjoy!

(flip chart….again)

Relaxation MethodsProgressive Relaxation - progressively tensing and then relaxing muscle groups - by progressive, I mean one muscle group after another... the relaxation progresses through the body

Other TechniquesPhysical Techniques - includes progressive muscle relaxation; also stretching, yoga, tai chi, pilates and other physical techniques.

VisualizationVisualization - visualizing something for relaxation or making positive changes, such as picturing in your mind a relaxing scene.

Breathing ExercisesDeep breathing - breathing slowly and regularly and taking sufficiently deep breaths.

Alternative MethodsOther methods - Exercise, massage, hypnosis, self-hypnosis, crafts, hobbies, dance, music, conscious mental rest, artwork, walking..... etc.

BoundariesSet boundaries. Don’t overextend yourself. Learn how to say “no” to requests on your personal time. If you find this difficult, remind yourself that saying “no” allows you to say “yes” to the things that you truly want to do.

TechnologyTake a daily break from technologySet a time each day when you completely disconnect. Put away your laptop, turn off your phone, and stop checking email.

End Result of Unrelieved Stress

Burnout Recovery

Burnout recovery strategy #1:Slow down

Burnout Recovery

Burnout recovery strategy #2: Get support.

Burnout Recovery

Burnout recovery strategy #3: Reevaluate your goals and priorities

Coping Strategy

Coping with job burnout• Actively address problems• Clarify your job description• Ask for new duties• Take time off

Now for some stress relief!!!