School of something FACULTY OF OTHER Working with increasing demands Finding and keeping a sense of balance Mindfulness Sally Rose Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service

Work demands and stress A dynamic interaction between workplace and individual characteristics, demands, control and resources. Responsibilities at all levels ORG Group/ Team Role Individual

Demands on our minds What we expect of our minds today Knowledge economy Demands - Information – Complexity – Relationships Spend time on physical health/fitness but not our minds – Why not?

Balance ?

W WORKABLE RANGE - window of tolerance and effectiveness Feelings and reactions are tolerable and can be considered Thinking is more open flexible and creative We can adapt our responses to fit the situation We can take perspective and focus on workable and wise action Workable Range of stress and emotion Chaos Rigidity

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service Workable Ranges stress and emotional reactivity Hyper arousal reactions and habits HIGH ENERGY - Mobilisation CHAOS frazzled, overwhelm and panic fractured attention, racing thoughts FIGHT/FLIGHT agitation, impulsive anger-rage, frazzled hyper vigilance Comfortable, coherent arousal = calm energy WORKABLE RANGE - window of tolerance and effectiveness Comfortable, coherent slowness = calm tiredness Hypo arousal reactions and habits LOW ENERGY – Immobilisation RIGIDITY passive, lack of feelings, numb can’t think or critical or pessimistic thoughts shut down, given in, can’t protest FREEZE

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service Regulated stress and emotion Hyper arousal reactions and habits HIGH ENERGY - Mobilisation CHAOS Comfortable, coherent arousal = Calm Energy WORKABLE RANGE - window of tolerance and effectiveness Comfortable, coherent slowness = Calm Tiredness Hypo arousal reactions and habits LOW ENERGY – Immobilisation RIGIDITY time

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service Dys-regulated stress and emotion Hyper arousal reactions and habits HIGH ENERGY - Mobilisation CHAOS Comfortable, coherent arousal = calm energy WORKABLE RANGE - window of tolerance and effectiveness Comfortable, coherent slowness = calm tiredness Hypo arousal reactions and habits LOW ENERGY – Immobilisation RIGIDITY

WIRED WORKABLE RANGE TIRED Unworkable dysregulation

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service How do we know? What can we do about it? When we are in our workable ranges When we are mobilised - charged fragmented - chaotic When we are immobilised - closed- shut down - rigid When we are on roller coaster wired and tired

What our minds are usually like Mindfulness 47% of the time our minds are ………..? Lost in thought This means we have little control over our reactions and get caught in trying to solve problems with the wrong tools

Mindfulness The awareness that emerges though paying attention on purpose in the present moment and non-judgmentally to things as they are. Jon Kabat-Zinn 1990 Conscious intentional awareness

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service Mindfulness practice Attention and Awareness Arriving in the present moment Coming to your senses Dropping out of autopilot

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service Mindfulness practice Posture – waking up – releasing tension Stabilising attention Being with what is Choosing to respond

Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service Short practices: tune-ins / circuit breakers Stopp technique Stop and step back Take a breath or two Observe – where is my attention? What am I thinking/feeling? Am I in a workable range? if not how am I? Pull back - take Perspective Practice what might help or what you know works for you Every day activity practice Choose a simple and time limited everyday activity that you do everyday Bring the same quality of attention to the direct sensory experience as in other practices

Becoming aware of the patterns of our minds and bodies Reducing reactions that reinforce stress Stepping away from overthinking and worry – having a mental break Letting go of tension in the body Paying more attention to the need to rest and recover Establishing safety in your body Noticing the good as well as the bad Breaking reactive cycles, learning to respond to find and maintain balance

Summary Working in workable range is important for heath and performance Tuning into your body is a good source of information to help regulate stress arousal Bringing attention away from your thoughts can help break stress circuits and widen your attentional range Choosing to notice neutral and positive sensations and experience will reduce stress reactions Regulate first – use thinking skills when more balanced

School of something FACULTY OF OTHER Working with increasing demands Finding and keeping a sense of balance Mindfulness Sally Rose Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service