STRESS & MINDFULNESS
Annie Mathew
In this session You will learnWill:
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Learn about some of the science behind our stress
& some surprising discoveries
Discover the physical symptoms of stress and
caregiver fatigue
Learn about the behavioural indicators that are
linked to overwhelming stressors
Understand the psychological signs associated
with unhealthy stress
Reflect on your own signs and symptoms of stress
Background Information
Learning to recognize one’s
symptoms of stress and
compassion fatigue has
two main benefits:
1.
2.
As a check-in process
and barometer for
those who are already
feeling fatigued
Helps to formulate an
early warning system
for helpers
Surprising science of stress
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Men & Women respond
to stress differently
Our bodies are
responding to every
emotion we have
Some emotions are
renewing some
depleting
We ‘radiate’ how we
are feeling in every
moment
Male & Female stress response
Stress response in
women only recent
findings (1995+)
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“Fight or Flight”
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“Tend and Befriend”
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Common to both
Inside our bodies
Over 1,400
biochemical and
hormonal changes
occur during a
stress/support
response
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Autonomic Nervous
System
Hormonal System
Short/Mid/Long
term impact
Stress Impact
Emotional Impact
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Science has shown that our bodies are responding to
every emotion we feel in every moment
Renewing Emotions which create a ‘support response’;
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Increased Longevity, Creativity
Improved Memory, Problem-solving, Resilience
Depleting Emotions which create a ‘stress response’;
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Reduced muscle mass
Impaired memory/brain function
Death of brain cells - Accelerated aging
External impact
Stress First Aid-Be aware
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Take your ‘emotional
pulse’ throughout the
day
Know your Stress Alarms:
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Physical
Behavioral
Psychological
Physical indicators
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Exhaustion
Increased susceptibility
to illness
Sleep difficulties
Physical indicators
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Somatization.
Translation of
emotional stress into
physical symptoms
(headaches, gastro
issues, muscle pain
etc.)
‘Caregiver High’. The
rush we feel
during/after high
stress interactions. It
fuels us and can be
almost addictive.
Poll
100
50
0
Is
This
Poll
Stressful?
Poll Time!! Consider your own stress. How does it
affect you? Physically? Emotionally?
Psychologically? A combination?
Behavioural indicators
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Substance use and
abuse (particularly in
health care
profession)
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Anger and irritability
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Avoidance of people
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Impaired ability to
make decisions
Behavioural Indicators
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Problems in personal
relationships
Attrition/Absenteeism
Avoidance of or silencing
caller’s concerns
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Over/Under eating
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Social Withdrawal
Psychological indicators
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Negative self image. Feeling unskilled.
Questioning whether you are good at this
work.
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Reduced ability to feel empathy/sympathy
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Cynicism- the hallmark of compassion fatigue
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Resentment and dread
Psychological Signs
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Depersonalization
(spacing out, especially
when hearing about
difficult experiences)
Difficulty tolerating strong
feelings
Hypersensitivity (crying
during that Rogers
commercial)
Psychological indicators'
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Insensitivity to strong
emotional material
Difficulty separating
personal life from
professional life
Losing track of own
interests/self care
Poll
100
50
0
Is
This
Poll
Stressful?
Poll Time!! Consider your own stress. How does it
affect you? Physically? Emotionally?
Psychologically? A combination?
Iss it depression?
Is it compassion fatigue or is it depression?
“Depression is a recognizable mental illness. Compassion fatigue
is not yet recognized as a mental illness. CF is a stress
reaction…It is more of an occupational issue, akin to an onthe-job type of safety hazard.” Dr. Richard Thomas
Poll
During shifts?
New poll:
What interests you most?
After shifts?
Overall?
Strategies for managing
stress:
1.
During shifts?
2.
After shifts?
3.
In other areas of your
life?
Self-Assessment
Try taking the ProQOL, a compassion fatigue self-test.
It can be downloaded and used to assess the signs
and symptoms of compassion fatigue and
compassion satisfaction.
http://proqol.org/ProQol_Test.html
Questions?
Questions?
 Comments?
 Observations?
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What do I mean by mindless?
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Mindlessness is the state of mind best described as being on autopilot; it’s about not paying attention to what is really happening and
responding to situations or people in a distracted, mechanical,
unthinking or if you like unconscious way.
For example, if you cooked a special meal for you and your partner,
but you barely noticed how good the food was, or took the time to
enjoy each others company because your minds were busy thinking
about other things, then you would be in a mindless state. Or maybe
you have tried to resolve an issue with your partner, but found it
impossible to listen or respond to what was being said because your
mind focussed on your own defences – you were focussing more on
what you thought they were saying, or you were too busy thinking
about how you were going to respond to be listening to what they
were actually saying?
What is mindfulness?
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For those who are not that familiar with it. Mindfulness is all
about being fully present; paying close attention to what is
happening. Becoming aware of and fully engaged in
ourselves, our environment and the significant people in our
lives.
It allows us to to experience our lives and our relationships
with a fresh pair of eyes every day. It allows us the
opportunity to view our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour in
the moment and in a non-critical, non-judgemental way.
This might sound paradoxical in some ways, because in our
modern, busy lives we are used to doing the opposite –
being in a mindless state.
Mindfulness
Five ways to create a mindful
relationship:
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Your number one relationship is with yourself.
Prioritise yourself; take some time to relax and selfreflect. Consider the different processes that
happen in your body and work out, if you can, how
they can connect to your different thoughts and
feelings. Become aware of what it is your partner
does that somehow triggers your defences.
Five ways to create a mindful
relationship:
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Model how you would like to be treated. Be mindful
of your partners feelings and relationship needs
too! Although difficult at times, being respectful,
showing appreciation and validation can be very
rewarding and in turn leads to a real emotional
connection. For example, if you don’t like rejection,
then make sure that what you do doesn’t make your
partner feel rejected.
Five ways to create a mindful
relationship:
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Be aware of any relationship blocks, for example
if you find yourself saying often. “We really do
need to spend time together” but never seem to
find the time, be honest with yourself. Sometimes
an underlying anxiety or negative feeling can be
getting in the way. For example:
 I’m
bored, nothing seems to happen when we are
together.
 Although we start with the best of intentions, we just
seem to argue when we spend time together.
 I’m afraid I’ll be rejected if I share what I really think
or feel.
Five ways to create a mindful
relationship:
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Becoming aware and clarifying our own thoughts
and feelings is good for our relationship too. It is
much easier to resolve issues if we are aware of
what we are unhappy about and can be clear
about what we want. For example, “I feel
overwhelmed by (whatever the partner did) and
that triggers my (unconscious) defences and makes
me want to withdraw. I’ve consciously decided to
stay in contact this time, and I’m interested in how
that impacts on you”
Next time....
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Next time you find yourself on auto-pilot, I invite
you to switch to Mindfulness, take note of what
happens, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Five ways to create a mindful
relationship:
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Give yourself permission to make mistakes, research
shows that when you feel you are allowed to make
mistakes, you are significantly less likely to actually
make them! When you do make one be
accountable, repair any ruptures in your
relationship, for instance if you know you have been
snappy with your partner recently, reach out and
acknowledge this. Be curious about your partners
feelings and explore your own; how do their
defences work?