STRESS RESILIENCE PROGRAM WEEK 4: STRESS AND YOU Created by the NIFS Stress Resilience Task Force Presented by ____________

Program Overview – Key Points Week 1: Thoughts and Feelings – The Cognitive Link Week 2: Environmental Stressors Week 3: Stress Reactions and Our Behavior Week 4: Stress Summary Briefly remind the participants what they went over each week for the past 3 weeks. Week 1: Our thoughts have an impact on the way we feel, and hence, an impact on the way we handle stress. Identifying the cognitive distortions that are linked to your responses (emotions & feelings) to stressful situations and then practicing adaptive thinking patterns is one way of improving your abilities to cope with stressful situations. Week 2: We have physical reactions to stress that can lead to changes in behavior, often with negative results (such as having angry outbursts). Physical reactions can manifest in somatic complaints (such as migraines or body aches), which also impact our behaviors in a variety of ways. After all, if you are feeling poorly PHYSICALLY you are naturally going to react negatively! Week 3: There are many aspects of our environment, such as noise and pollution levels, that can contribute to our daily stress levels. While these may be more difficult to control, there are options and steps you can take to reduce the amount of stress you experience in your daily environment. For each week, ask the members what they learned that was the most valuable to them. Be sure to ask the members WHY that bit of information was valuable and HOW they have used it to make positive changes in their lives in regards to stress.

Our Stress Reactions: Control What You Can Psychological Coping techniques Cognitive-behavioral strategies Physical Somatic complaints Behavioral responses Environmental Maintain healthy surroundings Our reactions to stress are a complex interaction of the psychological, physical, and environmental aspects of our lifestyle. Strengths in one area can help combat weaknesses in other areas. For example, you may have a lot of difficulty managing your environment to reduce stress (for example, you may have a two hour commute each way to work that you simply can not avoid). However, just because you have a little control over THIS area of your lifestyle does not mean you do not have control over other areas. You can focus on changing your negative thinking patterns and working on aspects of physical stress management

Final Stress Inventory! Ask yourself: How have my stress levels changed? What have I learned? How have I applied that knowledge? What has worked? What hasn’t worked? What worked the best? What other options haven’t I tried? What do I need to do to continue my stress management? Allow the participants a few moments to complete their last stress inventory. Ask for feedback for the changes that have been made.

Focus on the PRESENT Thinking about the past or future can raise anxiety levels, especially if the topic is sensitive or uncomfortable. Make your best decision in the PRESENT moment. Let go of the All-or-Nothing thinking! What can I do about the situation RIGHT NOW? What are my options? There will always be instances where you will be unable or have difficulty managing your stress levels. Thinking about past events such as an argument with a spouse or a bad review at work or worrying about events in the future like a looming mortgage payment or car repair will only exacerbate your stress levels. If you find yourself working about the past or future, ask yourself: WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW IN THIS MOMENT? And WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS? If there are actions you can take IN THE MOMENT to remedy the situation, then take those actions! If there is nothing you can do, then look at the possible options you have available. If there is nothing you can do, what will stressing about the situation accomplish? One of your options is ALWAYS to practice some kind of stress management technique! No matter what your situation, you can practice deep breathing (even if you have to sneak away to a bathroom on the topmost floor to get 10 minutes of quiet!).

Additional Stress Management Techniques EXERCISE! Clinical research has shown that regular exercise is one of the most effective strategies for managing stress AND preparing your body physically to handle stress. Organization skills Set a regular date to clean out and sort through areas that you frequently work in. Time management Set specific times to sort through email, pay bills, watch TV, etc. Support systems Family, friends, your family doctor, clergy members, etc.

Stress Resilience Exercise: MBSR Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction* (MBSR) A form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and focusing in the moment. Can actually be taught as a type of wellness therapy (usually in conjunction with yoga). Today we will just be focusing on a few steps! * Actual name of therapeutic technique Mindfulness-based stress reduction has been gaining popularity

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Sitting meditation Awareness of body sensations, thoughts, and emotions while focusing on controlled breathing. Body scan Progressive movement of attention from head to toes, focusing on different sensations in the body. Hatha yoga Consists of stretches that enhance the awareness of the body. Three-minute breathing space Focuses on the breath, body, and what a person is experiencing at that moment. Shapiro, S. et al. Mindfulness-based stress reduction for health care professionals: Results from a randomized trial (2005) International Journal of Stress Management, 12 (2), 164-176 The purpose of this exercise is to integrate all of the past stress reduction techniques from the previous 3 slides. Have participants sit in a comfortable position (does not necessarily have to be a yoga pose, but if a certified yoga instructor is available onsite to include yoga stretches in this exercise, it should be done!) Encourage participants to close their eyes and focus on their breathing. Allow at least a minute or two for participants to slow their breathing. After the initial minute or two, follow the same direction as the exercise in week 1 (describing the area of the body to mentally focus on). Include progressive muscle relaxation at the same time as the mental focus. Go through the entire body. Finish up with a 3-minute breathing space. Encourage the individual to focus only on him or herself for the last minutes of the exercise. After the 3 minutes, allow the participants a bit of time to reorient themselves 

Thank you! We sincerely hope you have benefitted from the Stress Reslience and Management Program. If you have any questions, please contact _______ for more information or additional resources.