Can We Take Care of Students if We Don’t Take Care of Ourselves? Props: Tea lights, meditation music, waterfall, dark chocolate modified from presentation by Dr. Robert Brooks March 25, 2015 - NCSIP Networking Meeting

Ask participants how do they know when they are stressed? We know what it’s like to feel stressed out. Symptoms of stress are different for everyone. Listing all of the symptoms would be endless, but generally speaking the following symptoms are telltale signs of physical and emotional stress. Rest assured, although these can sound scary, they are all manageable! Physical symptoms of stress can include the following : rapid heartbeat, headaches, body aches, tight muscles, neck/jaw tightness from clenching your teeth, insomnia, lack of energy, tiredness, high blood pressure, stomach problems, skin rashes, hormonal imbalances, rapid increase or decrease in appetite, and sweating. Emotional symptoms of stress can include the following signs: anxiety, depression, unstable mood, extreme anger, irrational fears, repetitive behaviors, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, heightened problems in relationships, feelings of irritability, restlessness, obsessing over things, crying a lot, and nightmares. The effects of stress over a long period of time unfortunately show up in not only how you feel, but also how you treat the people around you. Long-term stress can affect how you perform at work and personal relationships, and how you function in your family. When your baseline is being in a stressful state, it's almost as if you forget how to relax and be happy. Most people in high achievement-focused cultures (i.e. the United States) live this way and don't even realize it. To manage stress/develop stress hardiness, we need to focus on the 3C’s

The 3C’s Commitment Challenge Control To develop “stress hardiness” in ourselves rather than becoming stressed out. Explain the the term “stress hardiness”: mindset exhibited by an individual that makes him or her resistant to the negative impacts of stressful circumstances and events (medical dictionary). To reinforce and practice the “3 C’s”: control, challenge and commitment. Explain that all of these concepts relate to Mindset. Ask participants how many have read Carol Dweck’s book mindset. To develop stress hardiness we must change the way that we view things.

Commitment Commitment: To involve ourselves in activities that enrich our lives and the lives of others—The need to experience a sense of purpose and meaning. Commitment can be expressed in various ways—for example, commitment to: Exercise on a regular basis (mind, body and spirit) Maintain a healthy diet Engage in meditation and relaxation Focus on nurturing our relationships and connections with others (nurture your soul and give you purpose) Dr. Dean Ornish (http://www.pmri.org/dean_ornish.html#video) offers the following thought-provoking view about the importance of our connections with others: Love and intimacy are at the root of what makes us sick and what makes us well. Connections with other people affect not only the quality of our lives but also our survival.

Meditation Exercise Massage Massage Discuss benefits of meditation: manages stress, relieves anxiety, can help lower blood pressure, increases energy during the day and can help with falling asleep at night. Helps to clear your mind to increase focus/concentration. Show 1 minute meditation video Discuss the importance of exercise: same benefits with added bonus of keeping muscles and body toned, increases oxygen to your brain, and weight management. There are high impact or low impact ways to exercise. (show office yoga poses - seated backbend,seated twist, wrist release, desk shoulder opener, and forward fold) Discuss the importance of massage: lowers stress, relaxes and unwinds sore/overworked muscles, brightens mood and fosters better sleep. Can be done by professional, friend/partner/spouse, or self-massage (show examples of self-massage).

Challenge Challenge: To appreciate that change rather than stability is the norm so that new or difficult situations are perceived as opportunities for learning rather than as stress to avoid. The importance of thinking outside the box. Deepak Chopra - Making a Change

Control Control (personal): To focus our time and energy on situations over which we have some influence and refrain from attempting to alter situations over which we have little, if any, control—”to be at peace with that which you cannot change”.

Discuss the therapeutic benefits of journaling (share research) Have participants spend a few moments writing in their journals Prompt: What are some things that you did as a child (or do now) that you enjoy that help to relieve stress? What are some things that you did as a child (or do now) that you enjoy that can help to relieve stress? Journaling

Reflection Reflection… To be less stressed, we need to include a commitment to ourselves, developing relationships, accepting change and letting go of things that we cannot control.

Resources APPS http://goo.gl/LO2IpZ BOOKS WEBSITES Direct participants to the resource page that includes apps, books and websites that can extend your learning about stress management. WEBSITES