1. Handling the stress of emergencies Session 1.3.5

2. Identify causes, symptoms and impact of stress Identify strategies for reducing or mitigating stress in emergencies Session 1.3.5 Handling the stress of emergencies

3. Definition of Stress…. - physical, mental, or emotional response to events that cause bodily or mental tension - when a person perceives that "demands exceed their personal and social resources "

4. Triggers: What causes it Symptoms: How to recognise it Impact: Effect it has on us Strategies: How to deal with it. Handling the stress of emergencies

5. Quiz time

6. Everyone is affected by stress in the same way

7. All stress is bad for you

8. The affected communities are more stressed than humanitarian workers

9. You can learn to handle stress

10. Agencies have a responsiblitiy to reduce, mitigate and respond to the effects of stress on workers.

11. The stress of thinking that things will get out of control is worse than when they do.

12. Stress is helped by wearing pink tinted spectacles, chewing gum and playing loud music.

13. Stresses of emergency scale-up could include…. –New, unfamiliar functions, roles and responsibilities –Greatly increased workloads –Difficult environment – food, shelter, water, climate –Constantly changing scenario and uncertainties –Relationships – new people, different hierarchies, lack of contact with friends and family –Personal high standards vs. overwhelming needs.

14. Types of stress in humanitarian work Day-to-day stressCumulative StressCritical Event Stress managing competing demands Managed by: establishing routines observes how others are coping. most common and destructive If unmanaged: erodes effectiveness of both workers and work groups over time. acute response to violence, trauma and threats to life. Require immediate attention

15. In 4 groups What practical actions could be put in place to reduce and/or mitigate stress ? 1.Recruitment 2.Deployment 3.On the job 4.End of assignment