2. Stressed Out ! - Managing Stress for Your Health and Safety - presented by your Health and Safety Partner, Edwards Risk Management

3. Stressed Out! Agenda What Stresses You? What Are the Effects of Stress? How Can I Deal With Stress? Quiz

5. What Stresses You? What Is Stress? A state of body or mental tension that occurs when a demand is placed upon a person. A natural part of life Can be helpful in small doses, or unhelpful if in large and prolonged doses.

6. What Stresses You? Family Job loss Boss Money/bills Illness/surgery Parents / Children Marriage Schedule Interruptions Change Relationships

7. What Stresses You? Why do we experience stress? “Fight or Flight” response. The body’s response to stressors Was key to our survival Causes bodily changes so we can act quickly and decisively – to survive! What happens with our stress today? Can we learn how to manage the stress?

8. What are the Effects of Un-managed Stress? Health Effects Physical (just some examples!)  High blood pressure > Heart disease  Indigestion > ulcers, gastro-intestinal diseases  Headaches / Migraines  Skin disorders  Tension > muscle and joint pain

9. What are the Effects of Un-managed Stress? Health Effects Psychological  Irritability / mood swings  Anger issues / destructive behaviors  Anxiety  Depression  Insomnia  Others Accidents

10. What are the Effects of Un-managed Stress? Accidents Safety Hazard: Anything that results in an un-safe work environment. “75 – 80 % of all industrial injuries can be partly attributed to inappropriate reactions to stress.” -Geller How do you think stress could result in accidents?

11. Un-Managed Stress Some Stressors come from within us! Our Personality type: Type A Perfectionists Pleasers Negative Self Talk (this one is huge!)

12. Managing Stress Can our Stress be Managed? It’s not the stressors of life so much as our reaction to them that we need to deal with. Who’s telling me to “stress” over anything anyway? Usually it’s me! How can we effectively manage our reactions to stress? Learn to respond not react. What’s the difference? At the heart of stress is the issue of CONTROL

13. Quadrants of Control IMPORTANT / CONTROLLABLE My car is becoming unreliable UNIMPORTANT / CONTROLLABLE My library books are overdue IMPORTANT / UNCONTROLLABLE A family member has a serious illness UNIMPORTANT / UNCONTROLLABLE My favorite football team lost

14. Three Important Questions To Reduce Stress…Ask yourself: How important is this situation? Can I do anything about it? In five years will I ever remember it happened?

15. Practicing Good Health & Emotional Choices Exercise Do what you LOVE Cardio/Strength/Flexibility Balance Eating Healthy Wise choices=less stress Limiting caffeine, and alcohol

16. Practicing Good Emotional Choices Avoid negative self-talk Think of a positive comment to tell yourself - and do it! Make healthy life choices Avoid….  Too much of anything  Any of some things Live in the here and now!

17. Practicing Good Emotional and Health Choices Practice gratitude (glass half full mentality) Manage your schedule avoid over-extending yourself Rest “Lighten up” Don’t take yourself too seriously Relax (hobbies, positive relationships, meditation/spiritual) Laugh!

18. Breath of Life Exercise Place one hand over your chest and the other over your abdomen. Which hand rises and falls more during breathing? When we’re stressed, we breathe from the chest. (Babies breathe naturally from their abdomen.)

19. Breath of Life Exercise Try this: Take several deep breaths from your stomach (diaphragmatic breathing). Make your stomach rise and fall during each breath. Repeat this type breathing for 10 breaths and see how you feel. Moving breathing down to our abdominal region is calming and relaxing. This should become your normal breathing method – practice!

21. Stressed Out! It’s Quiz Time! Yes, that word can be stressful! Sorry! …Breathe!

22. 1. All stressors are negative and detrimental to me. True, or False? 2. I can’t really choose how to react to stressors in my life. True, or False? 3. The negative effects of stress are both physical and psychological. True, or False?

23. 4. How can Stress contribute to accidents? 5. All stress should be eliminated. True, or false? 6. The best way to deal with stress is to swallow (internalize) it. True, or false?

24. The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time;… -Reinhold Niebuhr

25. Remember… …Laughter, is the best medicine… And BREATHE!