managing stress and improving health in your work and life · 9/1/2018 · being more aware...
TRANSCRIPT
Managing Stress and Improving Health in Your Work and Life
Presenters:Sherry Daniels, Renee Koenig, Monica Lobenstein, Nancy Schultz, & Jeanne Walsh
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In today’s session, we’ll discuss…
• How to take better care of you so you can be healthier and happier.
• Taking care of you helps you take better care of those you work with.
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Also mention that UW-Extension also offers a research-based 4-week program that offers practical strategies and experiences to help people deal with the stress in their lives. Managing life's challenges in healthy ways allows them to take better care of themselves and their overall health. Each week they will explore topics through small group discussion, self-reflection and activities.
Share one thing…
What do you enJOY about
being an educator?
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Let’s generate some positive energy……... Have people pair up and share 1 thing they enJOY about being an educator……allow 1 min for each person to share. Ask group how did that make you feel when you shared something that you enjoy/brings you joy in your profession?? (allow couple of minutes) Just the recalling of things you enjoy/ sharing of it with others generates some positive emotions. When we generate positive emotions we are helping ourselves live healthier and happier lives.
Tune in…
How do you feel right now?
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It’s been a long day though….. right??? Have you checked in with you to see how you’re doing today?? Most of the time you are so focused on taking care of others that you forget to check in with yourself so you can take care of YOU.
Tune in…
Body Sensations
Thoughts Feelings
Adapted from (1) Full Catastrophe Living by Kabat-Zinn. (2) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression by Segal, Williams & Teasdale.
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Take a moment to notice/tune in to YOU… may be the first time today to see how you are doing. Body sensations?????….any aches/pains, in a comfortable position in your chair? Let’s take a big stretch now…..raise arms up right now……….STRETCH Ahhh…. Thoughts????….thinking about things that happened today….planning for what need to do later Feelings????…..any anger, sadness, afraid about something……feeling happy Noticing something doesn’t mean you have to judge it and stress over it…just notice what is going on with you and with that awareness you could have an opportunity to do something different….. Maybe you realize you are feeling tightness in shoulders and you need to stretch or change position in your chair right now Maybe you notice that you are thinking about all the things you have yet to do after you leave but since you can’t take care of them right now you could let those thoughts go for now
With awareness…comes choice.
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Being more aware (mindful vs mindless) can allow you to respond to stress consciously without judgment. This can help you think more clearly and make a deliberate decision about how you choose to view your stressors and ways you might better manage them.
Water Glass Activity
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So……Ask for a volunteer to come up and hold the water glass/bottle straight out in front of them…..How heavy do you think this glass of water is? (Hold up a full glass of water) Give participants time to answer. Give the volunteer time to think about how heavy it is. Ask the volunteer: How would it feel if I asked you to hold it for an hour, just like this? How would it feel if I asked you to hold it all day? Let the volunteer put it down and thank them for participating. Tell participants: “The actual weight does not matter. It depends on how long you hold it. If {volunteer} holds it for an hour, their arm will ache. If they hold it for a day, we may have to call the ambulance. It is the exact same weight, but the longer they hold it, the heavier it becomes. In the same way, if we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later we will not be able to carry on. The burden becomes increasingly heavy. What we have to do is put the glass/bottle down and rest for a while before holding it up again.” It is our CHOICE to put our burdens down and rest.
The World Health Organization calls stress
“the health epidemic of the 21st Century.”
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The reality is we all have a lot of “stuff” we are dealing with in life…right? That “stuff”/stress is impacting us and everyone around us.
Stress stats…●50% moderate/high stress levels●24% severe stress levels ●66% of doctor visits for stress related
symptoms (headache, neck pain, irritable bowel syndrome, loss of libido, fatigue, sleeplessness).
●Stress is direct precursor to heart disease and certain cancers.
How we react to stress● Feel aggression – 45%● Fatigue – 43%● Apathy – 40%● Anxiety – 35%● Depression – 34%● Headache – 34%● Want to cry – 32%● Indigestion – 27%● Muscle tension – 24%
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Are you familiar with any of these????
Stressed…●Less physically active
●47% choose sedentary activities (using tech devices, watching TV)
●Affects eating●30% less likely to eat healthy●43% eat more●2 Xs more likely to fail at weight loss
●Poor sleep●50% less likely to sleep well
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Have any of you experienced these when feeling stressed??? When we are stressed out we make different choices in life….typically ones that are not helpful in living a happier and healthier life.
Other Effects of Stress
●Fight/Flight hormones released●Breathe harder and faster●Heart rate skyrockets●Digestive functioning altered● Immune system suppressed
Cortisol—the stress hormone
● Released in an emergency & when we worry about our problems
● Released whether the stress is real or just in our heads
● Kills neurons in the hippocampusToo much cortisol can harm the brain’s ability to think & store information.
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When we’re under stress… lots of cortisol released….impacts our ability to process information and how we get our work done. When we never put that water glass/bottle down, it becomes toxic stress and takes an even greater toll on us.
Stress can also cause…
● Inability to plan realistically
● Difficulty in communicating about feelings and emotions
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Had any experience with these???
Key Sources of Stress
● Money 71%● Work 69%● Family 55%● Relationships 51%
Digital devices survey● 61% can’t ignore them, checking them
within the hour after getting an e-mail, text, or alert
● 81 % have interrupted meals, conversations and fun times, to check devices
● 50% check their work e-mail outside of work hours, including weekends and vacations
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Digital devices are impacting our lives….sometimes in positive ways but sometimes in not so positive ways. Chances are many of you have checked your devices a few times since you arrived…. BTW…if you haven’t silenced your phone would be appreciated if you could right now. Thanks!
Digital devices survey● 61% shared feeling jealous, sad, or
annoyed after checking devices● 73% believe their devices contribute
to stress in their lives ● 3 of 5 people admitted to
spending more of their free time on their devices than with their significant other.
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Digital devices are here to stay and they can be beneficial in our lives but important to not let them take over our lives. Start by increasing your awareness of the impact they are having in your life….
STRESS
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Driven by behaviors, emotions and reactions to stressors that we often aren’t conscious of Unaware that stress, left unchecked, puts us on collision course for getting sick and being unproductive. Effects of stress tend to be cumulative
Negative ripple effect…
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When you are stressed out that can affect others you interact with….. When others are stressed out they can affect you… Familiar with this effect??? Have you seen it played out at home, at work (with co-workers, with the children), with friends, in your community???
S T R E S SThe way to changethe effects of stress
on our life….
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is to change the way we approach and interpret the events around us and cultivate more positive emotions.
Physical Mental
Social Spirit
Environment
Culture
Dimensions of Health
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TCY Session 2 pg. 20-22 Dimensions of Wellness Wheel Tell participants: Another way of thinking about theses dimension of wellness, or dimensions of health, is to look at how they are interrelated. If we ignore one or more of the dimension of our health, our life becomes unbalanced. Think of it as a bicycle wheel: When one of the spokes in the wheel is missing, the wheel begins to wobble. Look outside of the circle and be aware of how your environment and culture influence each of these dimensions. This awareness affects your overall health. For example If you take care of your physical health by eating well and exercising but neglect your social well-being, your physical health may suffer. You may get sick more easily, have higher blood pressure or sleep poorly. If you have a job or career path that is not fulfilling, it can affect your mood, which can affect your relationships-ultimately affecting your physical and spirit heath. Discuss: What are some other examples of how not doing well in one dimension affects other dimensions. Tell participants that being unaware of or not taking care of each of these dimensions can lead to mental or physical illness, problems in your relationships with others or cause your spirit to suffer. Taking care of all of your dimensions is critical! Give participants the “Dimensions of Wellness” handout and explain: This handout provides examples of how to nourish and cultivate each one of the dimensions of health. Physical dimension: This handout gives ideas for improving or maintaining your physical health. Also, focusing on your breathing calms your body and helps lower blood pressure. Read a few examples aloud from the handout of ways to improve one’s physical health Mental dimension: Mental health includes intellectual and emotional wellness Intellectual dimension: You don’t necessarily have to go to work or take a class to cultivate your intellectual wellness. Traveling someplace new or trying something new will nourish and help preserve your mind. Taking this program improves your intellectual wellness. Read a few examples aloud from the handout of way to nourish one’s intellectual wellness Emotional dimension: Emotional wellness is about dealing with negative feelings in a healthy way, appreciating yourself, feeling good about who you are and talking or thinking positively to yourself. Read a few examples aloud from the house of ways to nourish one’s emotional wellness Relationship or social dimension: This aspect of health is about having people you trust to talk to. Enjoy life with, share feelings with and listen to. Being with other people is what makes life a drama; it makes us feel part of something and makes life worth living. Read a few examples aloud from the handout of ways to cultivate one’s social wellness. Spirit dimension: This involves getting in touch with your core, otherwise known as your spirit or soul. The word “spirit” means “to inspire”. So when you are doing things that inspire you, you are nurturing your spirit. Spiritual health is about getting to know who your are, where you are going in life, your purpose, values, beliefs and guiding principles for living.
Dimensions of Health● Which dimensions do you
struggle with?●How does this affect other
dimensions?● What could you do to
improve or nourish a dimension you struggle with?
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Use TCY Dimensions of Wellness handout to set up this activity Allow 2 minutes for each person to share with one another
What drains your tank?
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Many times we are running on empty……know how that feels????? Ask group……..what drains your tank??? Elbow partner share for 2 minutes.
Sleep ● Increases ability to respond vs.
react to stressors●Sustains peak mental
performance●Stabilizes mood●Maintains healthy
metabolism●Repairs tissues●Bolsters immunity
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One of the biggest tank drainers is lack of sleep. Most of us are sleep deprived. We tend to be more reactive to life challenges when we do not get enough sleep…. We often make different choices when we are sleep deprived. Ever notice that with the children????? The people around you??? Yourself??? With awareness…comes choice. Maybe consider winding down your day a bit sooner so you can get adequate sleep….. For our health and well-being these are average/ideal amounts for quality sleep: 7-8 hours for adults 8-10 hours for teens 10-11 hours for 6-12 yr. olds 11-13 hours for preschoolers 12-14 hours for 1-3 yr. olds
Reconsider multi-tasking
When you break focus you spend 4x longer on task
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Another thing that drains your tank is trying to do too many things at a time. Chances are many of us believe that doing several things at a time/multi-tasking is a good thing….right?? Well the reality is multi-tasking is not a productive way to operate as you are actually less productive than if you do a single thing at a time…..proven through many research studies over the past decade. Multi-tasking reduces your efficiency and performance because your brain can only FOCUS on one thing at a time. When you try doing more than one thing at a time, your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks well. How many of you have been doing something and trying to listen to someone at the same time???? Do you think you heard everything???? Every time you break your focus on one thing and try to do something else it takes on average 4Xs longer to complete a task. Checking digital devices regularly…breaking your focus……also possibly generating negative emotions………can be a tank drainer.
Triangle of Awareness
Body Sensations
Thoughts Feelings
Adapted from (1) Full Catastrophe Living by Kabat-Zinn. (2) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression by Segal, Williams & Teasdale.
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Scientists estimate the average person has 50,000 - 60,000 thoughts/day. 95% of those are same ones day after day. 80% of repetitive thoughts are negative. Being aware of our thoughts, emotions and body sensations, and accepting them as they are without criticizing or judging them allows us to not generate more stress for ourselves and provide us with opportunities and choices. By not judging our thoughts, emotions or sensations, or trying to change them, we are able to fully face and examine them. It allows us to view them more as an outsider. For example, we can accept our fear of something without criticizing it in order to face and overcome it. Take pain as another for example. Those of us who have a condition that causes chronic pain know how much it can ruin your mood, bring you down and depress you. Noticing the sensation of pain but not attaching negative thoughts and emotions to it can help us from generating more stress for ourselves. Notice the sensation as a sensation and nothing more. It is taking the “I,” “me,” and “my” out of it. Don’t allow your mind to jump to thoughts such as, “My pain is so horrible, I don’t know if can keep going like this. My life will never be the same!” Instead, direct your thoughts to the sensation itself. Do not attach negative thoughts and emotions to it because this will likely make your pain seem worse. You may be amazed by how this can help lessen the intensity and duration of the pain. The same can be done with our emotions and thoughts. The sooner you notice/are aware of things…..you can choose how to proceed
What does it feel like when your tank is full?
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So instead of reacting to our stressors in unhealthy ways SUCH AS EXAMPLES we can respond to our stressors in healthier ways and it’s easier to respond in healthier ways SUCH AS EXAMPLES when we have been keeping our “tank full.” We talked earlier about what drains our tank and what that feels like but what does it feel like when your “life” tank is full?? Remember that it takes a lot longer to fill the car gas tank when it’s empty or almost empty…..same is true for us as we live our lives. Keeping our tank full (remember the car analogy we talked about earlier) allows us to be more resilient when we experiences stressors. Increasing positive emotions can help fill our tank.
Say YESto
YOU
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Keeping our tank full and not letting our tank drain/hit empty means you need to learn how to say YES to YOU. Use TCY Session 2, page 32 – USE NOTES FROM “Referring to the “Say Yes to You” PPT Slide When life is most demanding, stressful or challenging, we need- more than ever – to take care of ourselves. Discuss: What is one thing you can do to take care of yourself during stressful or challenging times? Examples include taking a bath, going for a walk, listening to music, sitting on the porch or enjoying your favorite hobby. What are barriers to saying “Yes” to taking care of yourself when you are stressed? How can you overcome these barriers? It is important to not feel guilty when taking care of yourself. You must take care of yourself to be able to take care of others and to stay physically and emotionally healthy. Saying “Yes” to you means doing things that are nurturing and enjoyable to you. But you need to know what is important to you- or what you value- to do this. The next activity will help you identify your values.
Life is too short to…
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Saying YES to YOU ….need to know what is important to you….what you value. Use TCY Session 3 pg. 36- 38 to do the Life is too short to/not to activity on this slide and next one HAND OUT the “What I Value” sheet On the left side of this handout, list the things that you feel life is just too short to waste your time doing. For example, for me, life is too short to read junk mail, watch commercials or wear shoes that don’t fit. Be honest with yourself. I will give you two minutes to write, so write what comes to your mind first. Allow 2 minutes for participants to write. Discuss: Would anyone like to share what they wrote?
Life is too short not to…
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Now on the right side of the handout, list the things that life is too short to NOT spend your time doing. Think about all the big and little things that make you feel alive, make life fun or rewarding. For example, for me life is too short not to spend time with friends, watch birds, travel, play with my pets, spend time in nature, etc. Again, I’ll give you 2 minutes to write. Allow 2 minutes for participants to write. Discuss: Would anyone like to share what they wrote? Do you notice any common themes in your lists? For example, things related to people, nature, or family? What you can gain from these two lists is a sense of the things you value, as well as the things that are not important to you. What is not worth taking the time and energy to continue doing? Life is too short to not do the things you really value. Happiness isn’t a destination. We need to enjoy the journey and have a meaningful life. These lists make you more aware of what you say “Yes” to and what you need to say “No” to. Start saying “No” to things that you do not value, and start saying “Yes” to things you do value. It’s normal that we create “self-imposed” stress. Take a moment to circle two items on the left side of this worksheet that you could stop doing (or cut back on significantly), and two items on the right side you could start doing more often. This is one way to support what you say is important. Stress is sometimes the result of not doing the things we value and spending too much time doing things we don’t value. Use these two lists to provide “boundaries” to promote your values.
Savor life’s joys
Living in the now... Being awareBeing mindful
Remembering past joys
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Another way to say YES to YOU and fill your tank is to savor the joy in our lives…always there.
Purposeful
Mindfulness
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Another way to fill your tank is to build some purposeful pauses in your day….we are always doing, doing, doing but we are human beings….not human doings. Have you heard about mindfulness? Just think about it as a way to help you be more aware in your life so you can pause before you overreact to the challenges of your busy life. Mindfulness can help us get out of our automatic pilot mode. In other words, it can help us respond to stress with choice instead of reacting with our usual reactions/habits that may not be serving us well.
#1 Way to Become More Mindful
Tune into
YOUR Breathing
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Your breath…… always there for you…you never leave home without it. Tuning in to your breath provides an opportunity to center yourself. Helps calm the body Slowing heart rate & lowering blood pressure Strengthens higher brain functioning Sharpens focus, less reactive & more reflective Lessens anxiety by overriding the “fight/flight/freeze” response Better able to self-manage & be mindful Regular practice of focused breathing… Helps free you from your thoughts & ride out your emotions
The difference is 3 deep breaths.
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And yet another example of the power of the breath…..important for us to remember and for the people we live and work with. Let’s try it….. Take 3 Deep Breaths
Let’s B-R-E-A-T-H-E
1. Sit comfortably2. Feel your breath3. Return to the breath
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Let’s try a 1 minute focused breathing activity…..it only involves 3 simple steps. One Minute Breathing The practice is all about noticing when you are distracted from your focus on your breath and redirecting your focus back to the breath…..for most of us we get to practice bringing our attention to the breath over and over again as we are easily hijacked by all the thoughts flying through our mind. Throughout this program, you will notice that we keep coming back to the breath as a way to calm us, bring us peace and help bring us back into the moment. The breath is one of the best ways to bring us back to the present because the body may move about and the mind may wander, but your breathing is always right where you are. For the next minute, I’m going to ask you to bring your full attention to your breathing. Think of this next minute as an opportunity to take a breath from your thoughts about the past, the future or even thinking about anything. Consider it a break from doing and thinking. In a way, it is a break from being “you.” Do not think of this as “focusing on your breathing.” Instead think of it as letting your mind settle into your breathing (or this could be said as “resting your mind in your breathing” or “immersing yourself in your breathing.”) When your mind wanders (and it will), gently bring it back to your breathing. I will time you for one minute, and I want you to count your breaths for this minute. One inhale and one exhale equals one breath. In your chairs, uncross your legs, sit up and place your hands in a comfortable position. Gently close your eyes. I will tell you when the minute is up. Now go ahead and allow your mind to settle into your breathing. Allow one minute to pass (be precise in timing.) Gently open your eyes when you are ready. Remember the number of breaths you took in this minute. Briefly discuss: Do you feel any different now? Was it difficult for you to keep your mind from wandering to other things? If you struggled with keeping your mind from wandering, don’t be frustrated. Some of you might have had a few breaths where you felt a sense of peace, and were able to escape constant thoughts. Others might have felt you were resisting other thoughts from flowing into your mind the entire time, and that is OK. It takes a lot of practice. This technique doesn’t take much time, and is something you can do just about anywhere. It can help calm you down when you feel stressed, angry, frustrated or anxious. It also is a good bedtime technique to calm yourself and get your mind off those things that are bothering you. Throughout this next week, try doing this one-minute breathing break throughout the day. Instead of timing yourself, use the same number of breaths you took today. All you need is a minute to refocus.
Focus on breathing a little every day…
●Neuroplasticity●Epigenetics●Telomeres
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York: Bantam Books Trade Paperbacks.
● Regular practice strengthens brain pathways, which help us be calmer the next time we get stressed.
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ADD RESEARCH ABOUT BRAIN PATHWAYS AND CHANGES IN BRAIN STRUCTURE Three important findings related to brain and body in recent years: 1) Neuroplasticity Scientists used to believe that the human brain peaked at age 2 and we could only lose neurons from that point on. Now we know that certain regions of the brain can grow and change – developing new functional neurons and synaptic connections – into old age. Mindfulness – Jon Kabat-Zinn defines this as “…paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” – is one effective tool to build new and stronger brain pathways. Regular practice of mindfulness actually trains our brain. Mindfulness is to the brain as exercise is to the body. Regular exercise makes us stronger. 2) Epigenetics Historically, scientists have believed that we were coded a certain way by our genetics, which could not be changed. The study of epigenetics shows that while we are each coded with certain genes, some of them are “turned off” while others are “turned on.” Which ones are active can be affected by our experiences, behaviors, lifestyle choices, and attitudes. As such, we each potentially have the capacity to change: Our ability to learn Grow optimally Regulate our emotions and social relationships And to heal Again, mindfulness is one tool that can help us reduce stress and improve the state of our epigenome. 3) Telomeres “Telomeres are structures at the ends of all of our chromosomes that are necessary for our cells to divide. The telomeres shorten a bit with each cell division, and over time, when they are complete gone, the cell can no longer replicate.” In 2009, Elizabeth Blackburn (UC-San Francisco) discovered that stress shortens telomeres and that mindfulness and other meditations can protect against telomere shortening.
One small step,One small thing
can make a DIFFERENCE
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You can only change that which you are aware of. With awareness… comes choice. During the session today we’ve talked a lot about being more aware in your life and how that can help you take better care of you. When you take better care of you, you can see it having a positive impact in your work and the interactions with those around you…adults and children Being more aware in your life (in order to make choices that can lead to a happier and healthier you) takes lots of practice. Every day life will give you lots of opportunities to practice ways to respond to life. ☺
Practices…just 1 little thing• Pause• Be grateful• Sleep• 1 task @ time• Give back to
others• Smile• MOVE • Slow down
• Tech disconnect• Healthful eating• Take time to play• Let go of
thoughts• B-R-E-A-T-H-E• Be mindful• Respond vs.
react• Say YES to YOU
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Here are many practices to help you manage the stressors in your life and be more resilient by changing how you think.
What is one thing you can do to take better
care of you?
What is one thing you can do to help reduce
the stress levels in yourwork setting?
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Have participants pair up with someone new to share one thing that are willing to do take better care of themselves. Then have them write one thing they could do to help reduce the stress levels in their child care setting. Allow a couple of minutes for this activity. Ask if anyone in group would share something they are planning to do in their work setting….allow couple minutes for this if time permits. Encourage them to pursue these goals in the days ahead.
Resourcesto help you
Take Care of YOU
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Review different resources they can pursue. (Check out some of the websites and apps so can be familiar with them and share your experiences if used them.)
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Taking care of you is done one step at a time/like filling container one drop at a time. Every drop helps fill your tank. This was a small sampling of the Taking Care of You: Body Mind Spirit curriculum. It was developed by University of Missouri-Extension, and in January, 2017, 15 UW-Extension colleagues from around the state were trained as Master Trainers. Taking Care of You is a research-based, 4-week program that offers practical strategies and experiences to help people deal with the stress in their lives. Managing life’s challenges in healthy ways allows them to take better care of themselves and their overall health. Each week, they will explore topics through small group discussion, self-reflection and activities. They will consider ways to: Become more aware of the mind-body connection and how to use this awareness for better health Develop habits that can lead to a healthier person – body, mind and spirit Respond vs. react to the stress in life Discover opportunities in life’s challenges Find ways to bring more joy to life Simplify life Live more in the moment We can make positive ripples in our community when we share this curriculum with others. Again, it’s a 4-week curriculum. To become a facilitator, it’s a 1-day training. When we do hold a facilitator training, you are all invited to become trained as facilitators and take this research-based curriculum back to your communities. If interested, please sign up on the sheet.