managing cvs stress and anxiety 11 th international family & adult conference cvsa
TRANSCRIPT
Managing CVS Stress and Anxiety
11th International Family & Adult Conference CVSA
Overview
Nature of StressNature of Stress Coping with Stress: Coping with Stress:
Physical and mental responses to Physical and mental responses to stress stress
Changing our relationship with Changing our relationship with stressful thoughts, feelings, sensationsstressful thoughts, feelings, sensations
Mindfulness & acceptance exerciseMindfulness & acceptance exercise What about panic?What about panic? ?s and discussion?s and discussion
What is stress?
Physical and mental arousal-Physical and mental arousal-triggered by perception that triggered by perception that something is challenging our ability something is challenging our ability to copeto cope
““Fight or flightFight or flight””
Your Stress Response
What do you notice about what is What do you notice about what is happening in your body?happening in your body?
Stress Response: Body Responses
Muscle tensionMuscle tension Increased heart rateIncreased heart rate Increased blood pressureIncreased blood pressure Faster breathingFaster breathing Digestion slowsDigestion slows Increased sweatingIncreased sweating Hands & feet can become coldHands & feet can become cold Pupils dilatePupils dilate
Your Stress Response
What is your mental response to What is your mental response to stress?stress?
Stress Response: Mental Responses
Attention narrows Attention narrows
Vigilance increasesVigilance increases
Negative thoughts and feelings can Negative thoughts and feelings can occur when we feel we canoccur when we feel we can’’t copet cope
Why Manage Our Responses to Stress?
Stress is cumulativeStress is cumulative Chronic stress can lead to changes in Chronic stress can lead to changes in
the immune system and brainthe immune system and brain Ruminative thoughts and worries may Ruminative thoughts and worries may
perpetuate and prolong the physical perpetuate and prolong the physical responses to stressresponses to stress
Goal is not to get rid of stress but to put Goal is not to get rid of stress but to put it itit it’’s proper places proper place
Coping with Stress
If we believe there are things we can do If we believe there are things we can do to manage a stressor, the threat is to manage a stressor, the threat is reduced and we are less likely to reduced and we are less likely to experience a stress responseexperience a stress response
First steps: Is the stress First steps: Is the stress Controllable?Controllable? Uncontrollable?Uncontrollable?
Controllable stressors
Take action:Take action: Seek informationSeek information Problem solveProblem solve Communicate assertivelyCommunicate assertively Learn and practice a relaxation Learn and practice a relaxation
exerciseexercise Identify stress and CVS TriggersIdentify stress and CVS Triggers Modify lifestyle (sleep, exercise, Modify lifestyle (sleep, exercise,
eating, recreation, social support)eating, recreation, social support)
Uncontrollable stressors:Managing our psychological
responses
Our evaluation of a stressor, how we Our evaluation of a stressor, how we thinkthink about it and what we say to ourselves about it and what we say to ourselves about it has a very direct impact on:about it has a very direct impact on:
how we feel how we feel
our physical responses our physical responses
what we do in response to a stressorwhat we do in response to a stressor
Managing Thoughts: The Challenge
We cannot choose:We cannot choose: What comes into our minds What comes into our minds Our feelingsOur feelings Our physical sensationsOur physical sensations
We can choose:We can choose: WhatWhat we pay attention to we pay attention to HowHow we pay attention and we pay attention and What we doWhat we do
What We Can Change
Our relationship with the thoughts, Our relationship with the thoughts, memories and images that trigger stressmemories and images that trigger stress
Our relationship with the feelings and Our relationship with the feelings and physical sensations we experiencephysical sensations we experience
Reaction to thoughts, feelings and Reaction to thoughts, feelings and physical sensations vs. stress itselfphysical sensations vs. stress itself
Acceptance vs. Avoidance of Thoughts
Pink elephant paradoxPink elephant paradox Challenge the veracity of thoughts: Challenge the veracity of thoughts:
Treating thoughts as if they are the Treating thoughts as if they are the same thing as experiences or same thing as experiences or events. events. Your brain can lie to you.Your brain can lie to you.
Noticing thoughts: I’m thinking the Noticing thoughts: I’m thinking the worst right nowworst right now
Treating recurring, stress inducing Treating recurring, stress inducing thoughts as Pop-up or Spamthoughts as Pop-up or Spam
What Acceptance is:
Intentional stance of Intentional stance of nonjudgmental awareness of:nonjudgmental awareness of: ThoughtsThoughts FeelingsFeelings MemoriesMemories SensationsSensations
In the context of a triggering In the context of a triggering eventevent
What Acceptance is:
I am willing to go through thisI am willing to go through this I can make room for these I can make room for these
thoughts, the way I feelthoughts, the way I feel I will face this situation and do the I will face this situation and do the
best I canbest I can I know my reactions are a normal I know my reactions are a normal
part of me even if I donpart of me even if I don’’t like themt like them
What Acceptance Is:
Action you take on purposeAction you take on purpose Staying present in the face of a Staying present in the face of a
distressing experiences rather than distressing experiences rather than avoiding itavoiding it
Withholding judgment and Withholding judgment and evaluationevaluation
An action, not a resultAn action, not a result Varies from moment to momentVaries from moment to moment
Acceptance of feelings
Fear and anxiety serve adaptive functionsFear and anxiety serve adaptive functions Emotions are like waves, they come and goEmotions are like waves, they come and go
What Acceptance is NOT:
ResignationResignation Doesn’t mean you have failedDoesn’t mean you have failed DoesnDoesn’’t mean tolerating personal t mean tolerating personal
painpain Tolerance up to a certain level, Tolerance up to a certain level,
no furtherno further
What Acceptance Is NOT:
I just need to put this behind meI just need to put this behind me I want to get rid of these, feelings, I want to get rid of these, feelings,
thoughts, memoriesthoughts, memories I want to be able to control what I I want to be able to control what I
feelfeel