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We Serve Others, But Who Serves Us?
Scott M. Williams, PhD LMFT Family and Consumer Sciences, CSUN December 17, 2010 ©2010
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The Serving Professional
“We must take care of ourselves, so we can take care of others” Crandall & Lawrence ©2010 Image: michiganelderlaw.info
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Identifying Sources of Stress
Necessary to recognize the inevitable sources of stress that are part of care giving Key to being an “ethical practitioner” Not to eliminate stresses, but to cope with them Increased stress manifests as physical, mental, emotional, occupational, and spiritual fatigue Corey, Corey, & Callanan ©2010
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Identifying Sources of Stress
Being overly responsible Not allowing those we serve to take responsibility for their progress Signs of taking too much responsibility Irritability Emotional exhaustion Feelings of isolation Abuse of alcohol or drugs Having a relapse from recovery Reduced personal effectiveness Indecisiveness Compulsive work patterns Drastic changes in behavior Feedback from friends or partners Corey, et al. ©2010
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Unmanaged Stress Unmanaged stress is the major cause of burnout and impairment Image: sodahead.com ©2010
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Burnout Physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual depletion characterized by feelings of helplessness and hopelessness (Corey, et al.) An answer to chronic labor stress that is composed of negative attitudes and feelings toward coworkers and one’s job role, as well as feelings of emotional exhaustion (Jenaro, Flores, & Arias) Emotional exhaustion is caused by long work hours, heavy involvement in administrative duties, and the perception of having little control over work activities (Stevanovic & Rupert) ©2010
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Impairment The presence of a chronic illness or severe psychological depletion that is likely to prevent a professional from being able to deliver effective services Corey, et al. ©2010
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Stress Image: ritinco.com
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Defining Stress Stress is a negative emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological, cognitive, and behavioral changes that are directed either toward altering the stressful event or accommodating to its effects Taylor ©2010
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Do We Fight, Flight, or Join With Others?
Fight or Flight: In response to a perceived threat, the body is rapidly aroused by the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system Allows the organism to attack the threat or to flee the scene But what does this mean today? Fight refers to aggressive responses to stress Flight may be seen in social withdrawal or withdrawal through substance use People do not merely fight or flee, they also affiliate with others Taylor ©2010
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Psychological Appraisal
Important determinants of whether an event is responded to as stressful Two types of Psychological Appraisal Primary Appraisal Secondary Appraisal Taylor ©2010
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Primary Appraisal Events may be perceived as positive, neutral, or negative in their consequences Negative events are further appraised for their potential: Harm Assessment of the damage that has already been done Threat Assessment of possible future damage that may be brought about by the event Challenge The potential to overcome and possibly profit from the event Taylor ©2010
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Secondary Appraisal The assessment of one’s coping abilities and resources Whether they will be able to deal with the harm, threat, and challenge of the event When primary appraisals are occurring, secondary appraisals begin Taylor ©2010
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Dimensions of Stressful Events
Negative events are more likely to produce stress than positive ones Uncontrollable or unpredictable events are more stressful than controllable or predictable ones Ambiguous events are perceived as more stressful than are clear-cut events Adverse aftereffects of stress persist long after stressful event ends, resulting in health hazards, decreases in performance and attention span Taylor ©2010
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Stressful Live Events (SLE)
Daily Hassles (Minor Stressful Events) Minor hassles can conceivably produce stress and aggravate physical and psychological health Image: topnews.in
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Measurement of Daily Strain
Hassles that can cause daily strain Indicate how much of a strain each of these annoyances has been for you in the past month Taylor ©2010
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Stressful Live Events (SLE)
Chronic Stressful Conditions Long-term effect of early stressful life experiences and chronic stressful conditions Studies show that stressful life events (SLE) predict illness Taylor ©2010
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Stress in the Workplace
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Challenges in the Workplace
Work stress is one of the most preventable stressors Specific challenges: Physical Hazards Overload Ambiguity and Role Conflict Social Relationships Control Taylor ©2010
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Physical Hazards Exposure to physical, chemical, and biological hazards Adverse health outcomes can include: Injuries Cancers Respiratory disease Cardiovascular disease Taylor ©2010
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Overload Working too long and too hard at too many tasks More stress
More health risks Taylor ©2010
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Ambiguity and Role Conflict
Role ambiguity Occurs when a person has few clear ideas of what is to be done and no idea of the standards used for evaluating work Role conflict Occurs when a person receives conflicting information about work tasks or standards from different individuals. Taylor ©2010
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Social Relationships Not having satisfying social relationships at work is related to job stress Workers with little opportunity to interact with others are less satisfied with their jobs Having a poor relationship with one’s supervisor appears to be especially related to job distress Taylor ©2010
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Control Lack of control over work has been related to a number of stress and illness indicators including: Job dissatisfaction Absenteeism Development of coronary artery disease Taylor ©2010
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Reducing Occupational Stress
Nurture a positive environment (Crandall & Lawrence) Reduce physical work stressors Minimize unpredictability and ambiguity in expected tasks ad standards of performance Involve workers as much as possible in the decisions that affect their work life Make jobs as interesting as possible Provide workers with opportunities to develop or promote meaningful social relationships Reward workers for good, rather than focusing on punishment Supervisors look for signs of stress before stress has an opportunity to do significant damage (Taylor) Treat others the way you want to be treated (Crandall & Lawrence) ©2010
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Coping With Stress “Stress isn’t the problem; it’s how we handle it”
Crandall & Lawrence ©2010
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How Do We Cope? Coping is the process of managing demands (external or internal) that are perceived as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person Coping consists of efforts to manage environmental and internal demands and conflicts among them Taylor ©2010
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Pessimism, Optimism, and Stress
Negativity and Stress Negative affectivity is a pervasive negative mood marked by anxiety, depression, and hostility Optimism and Stress An optimistic nature can lead people to cope more effectively with stress and in doing so reduce their risk for illness Taylor ©2010
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Control and Stress Feeling that you can control a stressful situations can help you effectively cope with stress Taylor ©2010
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Problem-Focused and Emotion-Focused Coping
Problem-Focused Coping Involves attempts to do something constructive about the stressful conditions Emotional-Focused Coping Involves efforts to regulate emotions experienced because of the stressful event Taylor ©2010
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Basic Techniques of Stress Management
Identify stressors Identify stress antecedents Avoid negative self-talk Use positive self-talk Acquire skills Set new goals Engage in relaxation training
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Behaviors That Can Reduce or Enhance Our Stress
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Exercise Exercise has a beneficial effect on heart functioning
Stress has an adverse effect Stress is associated with lesions in the heart tissue Center for the Advancement of Health recommends 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity activity most/all days of the week Taylor ©2010
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Weight Control Maintaining a proper diet and getting enough exercise jointly contribute to weight control Stress affects eating, although in different ways for different people Taylor ©2010
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Sleep More than 14 million Americans (mostly over 40) have major sleep disorders (mostly insomnia) Sleep consists of four stages and all are essential Stages 3 and 4, known as deep sleep, are the most important for restoring energy and strengthening the immune system Taylor ©2010
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Avoid Alcohol (and Substance) Abuse and Smoking
Symptoms of alcohol abuse include difficulty in performing one’s job because of alcohol consumption, inability to function socially without alcohol, and legal difficulties while drinking, such as drunk driving convictions Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable death Smoking has a synergistic effect on other health-related risk factors; it enhances the harmful effects of other risk factors in compromising health Taylor ©2010
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Maintaining Vitality and Your Mission Plan
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Sustaining the Personal Self
A serious ethical obligation To work in a competent and ethical manner, professionals need to acquire and regularly practice self-care and wellness strategies Corey, et al. ©2010
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Self-Care is not an Indulgence
Necessary to prevent distress, burnout, impairment, and to maintain a level of psychological and physical wellness Self-care involves searching for positive life experiences that lead to zest, peace, excitement, and happiness Important for us to tend to mind, body, and spirit Involves learning to pay attention to and be respectful of our needs A lifelong task Corey, et al. ©2010
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Wellness “A way of life oriented toward optimal health and well-being in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live more fully within the human and natural community” Corey, et al. ©2010
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Wheel of Wellness Self-Direction Work and Leisure Friendship Love
A sense of mindfulness and intentionality in meeting major life tasks A sense of worth, a healthy sense of control, realistic beliefs, emotional awareness and coping, problem solving and creativity, a good sense of humor, good nutrition, exercise, gender identity, and cultural identity Work and Leisure Provide a sense of accomplishment and involve a balance between the two Friendship Incorporates all of one’s social relationships that involve a connection with others Love Involves long-term, intimate, trusting, compassionate, and mutually committed relationships Spirituality An awareness of a being or force or value that goes beyond the material dimension and gives a deep sense of wholeness or connectedness to the universe Corey, et al. ©2010
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Questions/Comments? Contact information: Website:
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References Corey, G., Corey, M., and Callanan, P. (2011). Issues and ethics in the helping professions (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks Cole. Jenaro, C., Flores, N., and Arias, B. (2007). Burnout and coping in human service practitioners. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38(1), Stevanovic, P. and Rupert, P. A. (2009). Work-family spillover and life satisfaction among professional psychologists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40(1), Taylor, S. E. (2006). Health psychology (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.
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