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University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
Charting the Course toward True Resiliency:
Enhancing Individual & Organizational
Endurance
Robert C. Chandler, Ph.D.Director
Nicholson School of Communication
UCF
INTRODUCTION
• Disaster Recovery and business continuity workers
face both physical and psychological challenges to their
performance during critical incidents.
• One challenging aspect is STRESS.
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
No one involved with a disaster
is untouched by it.
RESPONSES TO STRESSORS
• Stress responses differs
• Common physical effects of stress are similar
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
STRESS RESPONSE MECHANISMS
• Basic hardwiring to deal with urgent, emergency
situations by either fighting or running away
• Human reaction to chronic persistent stressors
• Both Body and Brain changes occur – as well as
cognitive processes (e.g. focus, perception, etc.)
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS:
• Universal physical effects of stress on our body:
• Pressure on our internal systems
• Cardiovascular
• Respiratory
• Gastro-intestinal
• Nervous
• Musculoskeletal
• Endocrine
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS:
• Universal physical effects of stress on our body:
• Flood of hormones
• Ex: adrenaline & cortisol
• Elevated heart rate
• Elevated blood pressure
• Muscle tension
• Fast and shallow breathing
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS:
• Nervous system
• Can also do the work of adrenaline / non-adrenaline
• Excites the adrenal medulla
• Sends messages to:
• Heart
• Lungs
• Other vital organs
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
CATEGORIES OF STRESS
• There are five measurable categories of STRESS that
impact DR & BCP workers mentally and emotionally.
• Chronic Stress (CS) (e.g. chronic occupational stress)
• Acute Stress (AS)
• Acute High Stress (AHS)
• Acute Hyper Stress (Hyper-Stress)
• Traumatic Stress (TS and PTSD)
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
CHRONIC STRESS
• Everyday stress is cumulative and additive
• Personal life stress makes acute stress worse
• Occupational chronic stress can itself be problematic even without acute stressors
• When combined with acute stressors, CS tends to exacerbate the dysfunctional impact
• Many workers can still be functional (but limited) even with experiencing different levels of chronic or occupational stress
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
PERSISTENT OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
• Research indicates that persistent occupational stress
in an unresponsive, unsupportive environment erodes
the wellbeing of professionals.
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
ACUTE STRESS
• Initial and moderate levels of physical and psychological
pressures of emergency or disaster situations can make
business continuity and disaster recovery managers more
attentive, energized, motivated and focused.
• Beyond these initial benefits, situational stress can also
produce increases in anxiety, uncertainty, fear, dread,
confusion, inability to focus, slow decision making &
response times and limit abilities to think and make
effective decisions.
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
ACUTE HIGH STRESS
• Beyond certain optimal threshold levels too much
stress of emergency contexts can crate dysfunctional
physical and mental impacts.
• Situational AHS can also produce increases in anxiety,
uncertainty, fear, dread, confusion, inability to focus,
slow decision making & response times and limit
abilities to think and make effective decisions.
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
HYPER-STRESS
• When acute high stress pushes individuals past their
stress tolerance thresholds and creates cognitive and
physical dysfunctions.
• This is known as hyperhyper--stressstress.
• Everyone has a threshold for hyper-stress but not
everyone’s threshold is the same.
• Dysfunctions resulting from hyper-stress manifest
differently in different people.
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
HYPER-STRESS
• Most significant mental repercussions of hyper-stress
during times of extreme stress:
• Impact on cognitive capabilities
• Impact on decision making
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
DR & BCP WORKERS
• There are four stressful processes that may wear down
even the most experienced team member or team
1. Persistent occupational stress
2. Acute High Stress
3. Acute Hyper Stress
4. Extreme traumatic events
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
Stress impact on disaster workers is “the second disaster’
which also demands recovery
• Shift work, long hours and
time pressures in situations
where events are
uncontrolled, happening
quickly and lives are
threatened
• Making decisions in chaotic
situations, at times with
incomplete information
DISASTER CONDITIONS AND
HIGH STRESS & HYPER-STRESS FACTOR
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Emotional demands of
situations where people's
health is at stake
• Witnessing mass casualty
incidents including exposure
to grotesque situations
DISASTER CONDITIONS AND
HIGH STRESS & HYPER-STRESS FACTOR
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Interactions with disaster
survivors and bereaved
family members
• Adverse work environments
such as cramped or toxic
environments or exposure to
adverse weather conditions
(cold, rain, snow, high winds)
DISASTER CONDITIONS AND
HIGH STRESS & HYPER-STRESS FACTOR
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Intense public scrutiny
pressure and high
expectations to resolve the
crisis
• Heightened media attention
and scrutiny
• Being unprepared for multi-
agency, multi-jurisdictional
operations
DISASTER CONDITIONS AND
HIGH STRESS & HYPER-STRESS FACTOR
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Worry associated with
exposure to chemical,
biological, radiological, nuclear
or unknown/invisible toxic
agents
• Worry or fear for the safety
of one's family
DISASTER CONDITIONS AND
HIGH STRESS & HYPER-STRESS FACTOR
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
ACUTE STRESS REACTIONS
• Reflect our physical arousal or readiness to respond to
demands or dangers in our environment.
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
ACUTE STRESS REACTIONS
• In response to a potential danger or threat, our stress
arousal mobilizes our bodies for action, sharpens our
thinking and focuses our attention.
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Perception: process of
organizing the environment and
interpreting sensory stimuli
• Cognitive capacity: baseline/peak use of cognitive
capacities and the sufficiency
threshold for decision making
HYPER-STRESS KEY PSYCHOMETRIC CHANGES
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Memory: ability to store and retain information
• Recall: retrieve events from
the past; one of the core
processes of memory
HYPER-STRESS KEY PSYCHOMETRIC CHANGES
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Self-monitoring: the extent to which one observes and
recognizes his or her own
behavior
• Reaction time: the time
taken to respond or make a
situational judgment
HYPER-STRESS KEY PSYCHOMETRIC CHANGES
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Emotive control: the extent to which one observes and
modifies his or her own emotions
• Self regulation: following appropriate rules and norms for
expectations
HYPER-STRESS KEY PSYCHOMETRIC CHANGES
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Concentration: sustained attention to a task or decision
• Diminished logical
reasoning: delayed processing in situations that
require rapid processing
HYPER-STRESS KEY PSYCHOMETRIC CHANGES
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
• Implicit temporal
processing: perceptions of time that impact our abilities for
pattern recognition, time-
dependent decision making,
awareness of synchronized
processes and decision priorities
HYPER-STRESS KEY PSYCHOMETRIC CHANGES
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
TRAUMATIC STRESS
• Disasters may also become extreme traumatic events
that challenge the coping resources of personnel.
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
• Traumatic events may lead to a condition known as
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
STRESS RESILIENCE
• Resilience is an acquired ability to overcome adversity
using practical skills and social support.
• Resilience requires having relationships in which one
feels supported and valued.
• Resilience is enhanced by awareness, training and
preparation *in advance of stress experiences*
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
BUILDING RESILIENCE STRATEGY
• Include advanced training objectives, techniques and approaches for building stress resiliency
• Recognize warning signs and effects of dysfunctional situational stressors
• Prepare stress management and stress response plans
• Implement approaches for coping, management and stress de-briefings – one on one; peer; group and mass
• Train team members as to what to do and say and what not to do and say to sustain people as well as processes
• Involve professional input in planning and recovery
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
PREPARE YOURSELF & YOUR TEAM IN ADVANCE
• Healthy nutritional habits
• Regular physical exercise
• Family and social connections outside of work
• Adequate sleep and rest
• Train for warning signs
• Stress management (coping) techniques
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
MAINTAINING A HEALTHY AND BALANCED LIFESTYLE
DURING DISASTER MANAGEMENT SITUATIONS
• Learn positive ways to calm yourself - to relax and
decompress after emergencies
• Take care of physical needs
• Take care of mental and emotional needs
• Have a personal (family) emergency plan at home
• Adequate support systems are crucial
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
BUILDING STRESS RESILIENCE TACTICS
• Develop specific capacities:
• Reduce chronic stress variables
• Effective problem solving skills
• Effective communication skills
• Ability to manage strong feelings and impulses
• Believing oneself to be capable to recognize and manage stressors
• Support networks
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES & TACTICS
• Limit exposure to high and hyper stress (e.g. rotation)
• Mandatory rest breaks
• Utilize stress management techniques
• Psychological first aid
• Minimize saturated media coverage during down time
• Observing warning signs & look after each other during
the disaster
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
CORE ELEMENTS OF STRESS DISASTER
RECOVERY
• Talk
• Tears
• Time
• Myers, Zunin & Zunin (1990)
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
DISASTER STRESS RECOVERY
• Have a plan for the mental and psychological aftermath of a disaster
• Plan to provide comfort and recovery support
• Avoid isolation – connections with others are important
• Empower employees to acknowledge and accept their feelings
• Rest and work
• On-going support and counsel
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
DISASTER STRESS RECOVERY
• “Post disaster coping is like a marathon, you have to
pace yourself. Some people find it useful to get back to
routine (as best as possible) as quickly as possible. It
means taking care of oneself and taking care of others,
if possible. But many times people will withdraw and
won’t share fears, etc. It’s important to have an outlet
that feels right, whether that is therapy, support groups,
clean-up, or some combination of the above.”
• - Ramani Durvasula
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
Available from
Amazon.com
and other on-line
booksellers
Crisis Communication Resources by
Robert C. Chandler, Ph.D.
CRISIS COMMUNICATION RESOURCES BY
ROBERT C. CHANDLER, PH.D.
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication
Available from
Amazon.com
and other on-line
booksellers
Dr. Robert C. Chandler is Director of the
Nicholson School of Communication at the
University of Central Florida. He can help with
assessment and development or provide on-
site presentations, seminars, educational
training or other consultative services.
Nicholson School of Communication
University of Central Florida
P.O. Box 161344
Orlando, FL 32816
Telephone (407) 823-2683
FAX (407) 823-6360
Email: [email protected]
QUESTIONS?
University of Central Florida
Nicholson School of Communication