Wellness Wellness

Maintaining emotional equilibrium for a Maintaining emotional equilibrium for a healthy personal and professional lifehealthy personal and professional life

Wellness Wellness

The process of living at one’s highest The process of living at one’s highest possible level as a whole person and possible level as a whole person and promoting the same for others.promoting the same for others.

Wellness is:Wellness is:

1.1. An ongoing, dynamic, fluid process through An ongoing, dynamic, fluid process through time (a continuing challenge that can time (a continuing challenge that can fluctuate over time).fluctuate over time).

2.2. Functioning at one’s highest possible levelFunctioning at one’s highest possible level

3.3. The whole person – mind, body and The whole person – mind, body and behaviourbehaviour

4.4. Promoting the same for others. Promoting Promoting the same for others. Promoting the well being of others. Attending to the the well being of others. Attending to the effects of one’s moods and behaviour on effects of one’s moods and behaviour on othersothers

Wellness lifestyle Wellness lifestyle includes:includes: Note: all of these are interrelated – positive Note: all of these are interrelated – positive

progress in one area will usually influence progress in one area will usually influence another areaanother area

Environmental wellness Environmental wellness habitshabits Environmental awarenessEnvironmental awareness Your effect on the environmentYour effect on the environment

Intellectual wellness Intellectual wellness habitshabits Ability to think clearly, recallAbility to think clearly, recall Thinking independently and criticallyThinking independently and critically Basic skills of reasoningBasic skills of reasoning Being open to new ideasBeing open to new ideas

Emotional wellness Emotional wellness habitshabits Awareness of one’s emotionsAwareness of one’s emotions Maintaining relative control over one’s Maintaining relative control over one’s

emotionsemotions Being more positive than negative Being more positive than negative

Spiritual wellness habitsSpiritual wellness habits

Issues of meaning, value and purposeIssues of meaning, value and purpose Very individualVery individual

Physical wellness habitsPhysical wellness habits

Nutrition Nutrition ExerciseExercise SleepSleep Non-substance abuseNon-substance abuse Using seatbelts, helmetsUsing seatbelts, helmets Safe sex Safe sex

Social wellness habitsSocial wellness habits

FriendshipsFriendships Group membershipsGroup memberships Practicing empathy and active listeningPracticing empathy and active listening Caring for others and being open to others Caring for others and being open to others

caring for youcaring for you Commitment to the common good of the Commitment to the common good of the

communitycommunity

Time wellness habitsTime wellness habits

A pace of life that is within one’s comfort A pace of life that is within one’s comfort zonezone

Maintaining relative control over one’s timeMaintaining relative control over one’s time Balance work, home, relationships and Balance work, home, relationships and

solitudesolitude Balance chronic hurry versus boredomBalance chronic hurry versus boredom

Stress and wellnessStress and wellness

Stress relates to wellness in 2 ways:Stress relates to wellness in 2 ways:1.1. Constructive, adaptive stress habits will Constructive, adaptive stress habits will

contribute to wellnesscontribute to wellness2.2. Living a wellness lifestyle will minimize distressLiving a wellness lifestyle will minimize distress3.3. Developing a wellness lifestyle is influenced by Developing a wellness lifestyle is influenced by

both social environment and personal choiceboth social environment and personal choice4.4. Part of a wellness lifestyle, and part of Part of a wellness lifestyle, and part of

managing stress effectively, is maintaining managing stress effectively, is maintaining daily practices and attitudes that promote and daily practices and attitudes that promote and sustain one’s energy level. Being truly well is to sustain one’s energy level. Being truly well is to have energy available when neededhave energy available when needed

Stress and energyStress and energy

The key to stress and energy is how you The key to stress and energy is how you handle stress. Whether you can manage the handle stress. Whether you can manage the stress or allow it to handle youstress or allow it to handle you

Energy involves endurance and intensityEnergy involves endurance and intensity

Types of stressTypes of stress

1.1. Anticipatory stress: stimulated by an Anticipatory stress: stimulated by an expected stressor (tension before a test)expected stressor (tension before a test)

2.2. Current stress: stress during the experience Current stress: stress during the experience (running a cardiac arrest)(running a cardiac arrest)

3.3. Residual stress: after the experience has Residual stress: after the experience has passed (difficulty sleeping after winning a passed (difficulty sleeping after winning a game)game)

Coping Coping

Constantly changing cognitive and Constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to mange specific behavioural efforts to mange specific external and/or internal demands that are external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person (Lazarus and resources of the person (Lazarus and Folkman)Folkman)

What you think and do as you deal with What you think and do as you deal with demands (Schafer)demands (Schafer)

Stages of copingStages of coping

Primary appraisal of the stressor: is this Primary appraisal of the stressor: is this worth being concerned aboutworth being concerned about

Secondary appraisal of the stressor: assess Secondary appraisal of the stressor: assess your resources for dealing with the stressoryour resources for dealing with the stressor

Coping: take whatever actions are Coping: take whatever actions are appropriateappropriate

Two types of copingTwo types of coping

1.1. Adaptive: helping the individual deal Adaptive: helping the individual deal effectively with stressful events and effectively with stressful events and minimizing distressminimizing distress

2.2. Maladaptive: results in unnecessary Maladaptive: results in unnecessary distress for self and others. Erodes wellnessdistress for self and others. Erodes wellness

Common adaptive coping Common adaptive coping strategiesstrategies SolitudeSolitude ExerciseExercise Professional helpProfessional help HobbiesHobbies Deep relaxationDeep relaxation PlayPlay Prayer, meditationPrayer, meditation friendshipfriendship

Common maladaptive Common maladaptive coping strategies coping strategies Alcohol and drugsAlcohol and drugs SmokingSmoking OvereatingOvereating Physical and verbal abusePhysical and verbal abuse Blaming othersBlaming others OverworkOverwork DenialDenial EscapismEscapism

EMS and stressEMS and stress

Administrative: waiting for calls, shift work, Administrative: waiting for calls, shift work, off load delayoff load delay

Scene related: violent and abusive people, Scene related: violent and abusive people, gory sights, noisesgory sights, noises

Emotional and physical: fear, demanding Emotional and physical: fear, demanding bystanders, frustration, exhaustion, hunger bystanders, frustration, exhaustion, hunger and thirst, liftingand thirst, lifting

Environmental: sirens, bad weather, Environmental: sirens, bad weather, infectious diseasesinfectious diseases

In order to manage these In order to manage these stressors you need to stressors you need to learn:learn:Your personal stressorsYour personal stressors Each person has their own listEach person has their own list What is stressful to you may be enjoyable to What is stressful to you may be enjoyable to

othersothers What is stressful last year may not be this What is stressful last year may not be this

year and what wasn’t stressful this year may year and what wasn’t stressful this year may be next yearbe next year

The amount of stress you The amount of stress you can take before it becomes can take before it becomes a problema problem You need to know your limitationsYou need to know your limitations You need to know the signs for you of when You need to know the signs for you of when

stress is mountingstress is mounting

Stress management Stress management strategies that work for strategies that work for youyou For personal well-being you need to find For personal well-being you need to find

appropriate personal stress management appropriate personal stress management strategiesstrategies

Benefits of wellnessBenefits of wellness

Minimum frequency of illnessMinimum frequency of illness Low illness riskLow illness risk Maximum energy for daily livingMaximum energy for daily living Enjoyment of daily lifeEnjoyment of daily life Continual development of abilitiesContinual development of abilities Contribution of well-being to those around Contribution of well-being to those around

youyou