Taking Care of Stress, Before it Takes Care of You! Building Emotional Resilience for Daily Practice & in the Event of a Disaster Prepared & Presented by: Lisa C. Kaufman, ATR-BC, LADC1 Behavioral Health, Emergency Planning Consultant

Acknowledgements This training is made possible through the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Emergency Preparedness Bureau. This training is made possible through the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Emergency Preparedness Bureau. The program is funded through a grant from the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness & Response (ASPR), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The program is funded through a grant from the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness & Response (ASPR), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Materials adapted from: Building Emotional Resilience for Massachusetts Disaster Response Workers (2009) Materials adapted from: Building Emotional Resilience for Massachusetts Disaster Response Workers (2009)

Presentation Overview What is Stress and How it affects YOU everyday What is Stress and How it affects YOU everyday Why knowing this is important Why knowing this is important What you can do about it What you can do about it

Learning Objectives Be able to identify 3 types of Stress Be able to identify 3 types of Stress Recognize your own response to Stress Recognize your own response to Stress Identify 4 emotional resilience techniques that can be used at work or at home Identify 4 emotional resilience techniques that can be used at work or at home After completing this training, you should:

What is it? What is it? A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation. A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation. –Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary Eustress Distress Distress Traumatic Stress Traumatic Stress

Good Stress … Really? Eustress: An occurrence that causes a minimal amount of stress then passes quickly. Eustress: An occurrence that causes a minimal amount of stress then passes quickly. Burst of Energy that actually helps you get things done, energizing! Burst of Energy that actually helps you get things done, energizing! –Lose Car Keys –Packing for a vacation –Receive a crush of new orders for patients right before a shift change Eustress Eustress

Distress Occurs for a short time, takes over your life, causes a significant disruption, eventually fades away and one returns to a relatively normal state. Occurs for a short time, takes over your life, causes a significant disruption, eventually fades away and one returns to a relatively normal state. It can be both physical and emotional! It can be both physical and emotional!  Stress = The Body’s Alarm System –Car crash where no one is hurt –An event in your workplace: Deadlines, Caseloads, Staff Shortages… Deadlines, Caseloads, Staff Shortages… Distress Distress

Traumatic Stress Result of a catastrophic event. It is often a result of shattered assumptions, a change in reality or beliefs and can manifest in many ways, both physically and emotionally. Result of a catastrophic event. It is often a result of shattered assumptions, a change in reality or beliefs and can manifest in many ways, both physically and emotionally. People are resilient they rebound and recover but takes a lot of time to heal, and they are forever changed People are resilient they rebound and recover but takes a lot of time to heal, and they are forever changed –Natural or man-made disaster –Major health diagnosis to oneself or a loved one Traumatic Stress Traumatic Stress

How Does Stress Affect You? Why is knowing about Stress important? Why is knowing about Stress important? Where do you hold your Stress? Where do you hold your Stress? What do you do with your Stress? What do you do with your Stress?

What Can We Do? What Can We Do? Assess yourself Assess yourself –Are you Trying to be Everything to Everyone? Be aware of and responsible for your own reactions to stress Be aware of and responsible for your own reactions to stress How do you show your Stress? How do you show your Stress?  Stress Reactions Self-Assessment Tool Be aware of what YOU can do and what YOU may need Be aware of what YOU can do and what YOU may need Interrupt the stress response Interrupt the stress response

H A L T Recognize When You Are: HHHHungry AAAAngry LLLLonely TTTTired

We Can We Can Build emotional resilience techniques Build emotional resilience techniques Take breaks, lunches, vacations Take breaks, lunches, vacations Develop and maintain support systems Develop and maintain support systems Set and maintain realistic goals Set and maintain realistic goals Practice, Practice, Practice… Practice, Practice, Practice… Reduce Your Stress

Emotional Resilience Emotional resilience is your ability to adapt to stressful situations or crisis Emotional resilience is your ability to adapt to stressful situations or crisis The key to resilience is how people experience and react to events The key to resilience is how people experience and react to events Some people are able to take things in stride and adapt more easily than others Some people are able to take things in stride and adapt more easily than others You can build your emotional resilience and learn to adapt during times of stress at home or work You can build your emotional resilience and learn to adapt during times of stress at home or work Practicing emotional resilience techniques can help you to more easily manage day to day events, as well as prepare you for the rare emergency Practicing emotional resilience techniques can help you to more easily manage day to day events, as well as prepare you for the rare emergency

Emotional Resilience Techniques PHYSICAL TECHNIQUES: BBBBreathing –W–W–W–Water –E–E–E–Exercising SSSStretching –C–C–C–Create something! –P–P–P–Play, Blow Bubbles!

Emotional Resilience Techniques MENTAL TECHNIQUES: –C–C–C–Contemplation –J–J–J–Journaling –R–R–R–Reframing Negative Thoughts –M–M–M–Music –U–U–U–Unwind…slow down…take it easy…take a breath!

REMEMBER TO… DO SOMETHING BESIDES WORK D DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF BREATHE ~!!!!~

What do YOU do? What do YOU do? Couldn’t think of ANYTHING??? Couldn’t think of ANYTHING??? SMILE SMILE PLAY PLAY LAUGH LAUGH LISTEN TO MUSIC LISTEN TO MUSIC DANCE… DANCE…

 Training Handouts The Training Handouts: The Training Handouts:  Stress = The Body’s Alarm System  Stress Reactions Self-Assessment Tool  Breathing & Stretching Techniques Available for Download at: Available for Download at:

Taking Care of Stress, Before it Takes Care of You! Breathe Hydrate Write Exercise Dance Take a Break Stretch Listen to Music Take Care of YOU! Thank You for Your Time! Lisa C. Kaufman ATR-BC, LADC1 Behavioral Health, Emergency Preparedness Consultant