STRESS AND HEALTH: BALANCING OPTIONS At your desk and anywhere K. Hathaway, Ph.D., L.P. Health Psychology Center for Spirituality and Healing University of Minnesota

TO NOTE: STRESS IS NOT ALL BAD! POSITIVES OF STRESS: –Alertness –Challenge-based – increases self-confidence –Learning occurs and coping improves –Interpersonal problem-solving

COMPONENTS OF STRESS RESPONSES PHYSICAL –Heart rate, breathing, muscle –Move or freeze, yell or cower COGNITIVE –Intense concentration on target (stressor) EMOTIONAL –Less access to emotional reactions (except fear and sometimes anger) SOCIAL –More inward-focused, withdrawal from social interactions

ENVIRONMENT STRESSORS PARTICULAR TO WOMEN Multiple role and related demands Other views of roles and demands Differences in emotional needs Less training/modeling in assertiveness Different physical needs (ergonomics, breaks, etc) Flexibility needs Conflict mediation skills Satisfaction with work community Physical safety, discrimination, glass ceilings

PHYSICAL STRESS RESPONDING IN WOMEN Emotional responsivity differences? Cortisol production Hormone fluctuations Oxytocin and estrogen (different brain responses to stress during ovulation) Tend-Befriend (vs Fight-Flight)

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE WORKPLACE BURNOUT Role overload Role ambiguity Role boredom Lack of control (perceived or real) Lack of challenge, diversity or sense of purpose

ITS UP TO… Stress management, then, is an individual challenge No one solution works for everyone The environment may supply the stressor; the individual supplies the coping

COMPONENTS OF STRESS REDUCTION PHYSICAL –Relaxation, BREATHING –Build health status: Increase resistance COGNITIVE –Re-framing, re-interpreting –Staying in the moment EMOTIONAL –Access to feelings –Peace-giving SOCIAL –Family and friendship support

BUILDING RESISTANCE (VS MANAGING CRISES) Increase physical strength Increase physical adaptability Increase energy Decrease toxins Build antitoxins Decrease heart rate, GI distress

PHYSICAL: At Your Desk STRETCH! POSTURE CORRECTION FACIAL MUSCLE RELAXATION BREATHING LIGHTING SOUND AROMATHERAPY NUTRITION, WATER

PHYSICAL, Anywhere: Take care of self (treat illness, balance eating, balance sleep, get exercise, avoid mood-altering drugs) EXERCISE –Walk at breaks? Lunch? –Less sedentary activity (decrease TV/computer?) SLEEP –8 hours? naps? GET OUTSIDE!! –Fresh air, new visual stimuli NUTRITION –4-6 times per day, nutritionally sound –Vitamins?

COGNITIVE: At Your Desk INCREASE I CAN SENSE OF CONTROL; DECREASE I CANT STATEMENTS DECREASE WOULDVE, COULDVE, SHOULDVE PLAN, RE-ORGANIZE, PRIORITIZE DECREASE JUDGMENT, INCREASE ACCEPTANCE INCREASE PERMISSION FOR OPTIONS INCREASE PLASTICITY IN THINKING DECREASE ALL OR NOTHING ELIMINATE THE WORD BUT MAKE VALUE-BASED DECISIONS

For a mind burdened with fear, with conformity, with the thinker, there can be no understanding of that which may be called the original… J. Krishnamurti, On Fear

COGNITIVE: Anywhere Work on ACCEPTANCE (this is not the same as judging it to be good) –There has never been a time without war, without hunger, without suffering –Our colleagues are not perfect either –Life is busy, confusing and distracting ADMIT OWN INFLUENCE Unglue opinions from facts Make VALUE-BASED decisions

COGNITIVE: Anywhere ATTENTION AND INTENTION =MINDFULNESS – Observe self, observe thoughts –Be aware of sensation (body posture, washing dishes)

EMOTIONAL: At Your Desk PRACTICE OPTIMISM FIND SMALL WAYS TO INCREASE JOY (PICTURES, TEAS, ETC.) ACCESS MEMORIES – ESPECIALLY OF TIME IN NATURE PRACTICE GRATITUDE PRACTICE KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY BE MINDFUL: PRACTICE STAYING IN THE MOMENT IDENTIFY FEELINGS WITHOUT JUDGMENT PRACTICE JOY

We consider bibles and religions divine…; I say they have all grown out of you, and may grow out of you still; It is not they who give the life – it is you who give the life. Will you seek afar off? You surely come back at last, in things best known to you, finding the best, or as good as the best – Happiness, knowledge, not another place, but this place – not for another hour, but for this hourWalt Whitman

EMOTIONAL: Anywhere IMAGINE PEACE –Remember that the body and the spirit do not know the difference between what is imagined and what is real…. FOCUS MORE ON CREATIVITY, LESS ON PRODUCTIVITY INCREASE SOCIAL SUPPORT PRACTICE KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY ATTEND TO PURPOSE HAVE MORE FUN!!!!! LAUGHTER IS A GREAT STRESS REDUCER

PULLING IT TOGETHER: LIFE DE-STRESS SKILLS Build mastery and competence with new work and social skills Focus on what works Play by the rules Attend to relationships Approach things you are afraid of Learn distress tolerance

DISTRESS TOLERANCE SKILLS Activities: Hobbies, play games, walk, sports Contribute: Volunteer, make something for some one else Comparison: Compare self to less fortunate – or dont compare at all… Distraction: Count to 10 Self-soothe: Use five senses

SUM: STRESS MANAGEMENT OPTIONS THINK ABOUT BALANCE STRESS MANAGEMENT MUST HAVE A PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL COMPONENT –Additional benefits from breathing!!! NO TIME PARAMETERS VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE BE MINDFUL, BE PRESENT

OPTIONS FOR STRESS REDUCTION Relaxation exercise Yoga Meditation Self-hypnosis Daily rituals: Prayer, candle-lighting, water rituals Music, sound Laughter Volunteering Light treatments Time in nature – nature images Story-telling or story- listening Mindfulness Social support Animals, children Attention to the present moment…

Center for Spirituality and Healing ONLINE: Taking Charge of Health Coursework: SEE –MBSR training, options for learning alternative ways of healing and health-building –Art of Healing –Plants and Health –Music, Art and Health –Healing Environments –Peacemaking and Health

Look to this day! For it is life, the very life of life… In its brief course Lie all the verities and realities of your existence: The bliss of growth The glory of action The splendor of achievement; For yesterday is but a dream, And tomorrow is only a vision; But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness And every tomorrow a vision of hope! Look well, therefore, to this day! Kalidasa, ancient Sanskrit poem