Meditation - Heartfulness Bhanu Bahl, PhD

Class schedule and location 8/8, 8/15: Lahey Room

Class Duration: 45 min Topics: - Getting ready - Stress management - Relaxation & Meditation exercise - Thoughtful Observation & Wrap up Welcome to Meditation Course - Week 8

What is Stress ? A normal psychological and physical reaction to the ever- increasing demands of life "fight-or-flight" response - Brain is hard-wired with an alarm system. When it perceives a threat, it signals the body to release hormones to fuel the capacity for a response Pupils dilate, digestive and immune system slows down, heart rate increases Good stress & bad stress

Causes of Stress Job pressures Relationship problems Financial difficulties Day to day hassles : – bad commute – arranging child care – overcommitted at work – uncomfortable work place, etc. 5

Stress Effects Long term unmanaged stress has psychological and physiological effects Frequent headaches Upset stomach Insomnia Abdominal fat increase Hypertension Depression and burnout Short temper and Irritability Problems in personal relationships 6

Stress Triggers Identify Stress Triggers: For a week or two, record the situations, events and people who cause you to have a negative physical, mental or emotional response. Include a brief description of each situation, answering questions such as: 1.Where were you? 2.Who was involved? 3.What was your reaction? 4.How did you feel? 7

Managing Stress Strategies for dealing with Stress: Identify what aspect of the situation you can control Improve time management skills Strong social support network Positive attitude, humor, CBT Relaxation via Meditation, Yoga, Massage,Tai chi Other ways Healthy Lifestyle - healthy diet, exercise regularly and get enough sleep. 8

Job Stress Causes: Workload: long hours, having few breaks, or juggling a very heavy workload. Work roles: not clear work role, or too many roles, or you have to answer to more than one person. Job conditions: exposure to loud noise, pollution, or toxic chemicals. Leadership: no employee empowerment, policies not family- friendly. Issues with others: Problems with manager or co-workers Fear for your future: worried about layoffs or not advancing in career. 9

Managing Job Stress – Quick tips 10 Take a break Manage technology Take a stand Get organized Use your time off Talk with EAP, Manager

“Let’s practice”: Heartfulness Meditation - Cleaning - Relaxation & Meditation: (20 min)

Thank you for participating. See you next week!