STRESS RELEASING AND COUNSELLING LECTURE 3 STATES OF STRESS • THERE ARE 5 MAIN STATES OF STRESS THAT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF: • STATE 1 – IN THIS STATE WE FEEL GREAT, WE FEEL LOVING, WE DO NOT HAVE DRIVES FOR EXCESS, WE FEEL COMPASSIONATE, WE WILL BE CREATIVE, WILL BE FULL OF ENERGY, WILL BE COOPERATIVE • STATE 2 – IN THIS STATE WE FEEL PRESENT, HOWEVER, WE WILL NOT FEEL A TOTAL SENSE OF HAPPINESS AS THE FEELING OF WARMTH ON DOING THE RIGHT THING AND ACCOMPLISHING WILL NOT BE FULLY PRESENT • STATE 3 – THIS STATE IS WHEN STRESS START TO COME INTO PROMINENCE. OUR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS START TO INCREASE AND OUR THOUGHTS BECOME MORE RIGID • STATE 4 – THIS STATE IS WHEN WE FEEL THE FULL EFFECT OF STRESS AND FEEL NEEDY AND DISCONNECTED • STATE 5 – AT THIS STATE THE STRESS LEVELS HAVE REACHED ITS’ PEAK AND THE FUNCTIONS OF DAILY WORK WILL BE DIFFICULT WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF REWARDS. EX: CHOCOLATES, COFFEE, ALCOHOL, CIGARETTES, DRUGS, TV, ETC. BASICS OF RESILIENCE • HUMOR – TRY TO FIND HUMOR IN THE SITUATION OR ANY OTHER MATTERS AROUND YOU • PATIENCE – THIS WILL LEAD TO PEACE OF MIND • FORGIVENESS – ABILITY TO FORGIVE WILL HELP US LET GO OF THE HARDSHIPS FACED AND MOVE ON • OPTIMISM – FINDING THE SILVER LINING IN SITUATIONS WILL GIVE HOPE TO HOLD ON • COMPASSION – BEING COMPASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU ENGAGE IN WILL HELP YOU ENJOY MORE THAN FEELING STRESSED STIGMA SURROUNDING STRESS • PEOPLE TREAT THEIR STRESS LIKE A BADGE OF HONOR. IT FEELS GOOD TO SAY YOU ARE BUSY ALL THE TIME. • PEOPLE THINK RELAXATION IS AKIN TO LAZINESS. IF WE’RE RELAXING, WE MUST NOT BE WORKING HARD ENOUGH. • DOCTORS GET LITTLE OR NO TRAINING IN STRESS-RELATED CONDITIONS. • DOCTORS USUALLY PRESCRIBE A PILL THAT ONLY MASKS THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS. • PILLS ONLY ADDRESS THE SYMPTOMS, NOT THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM ROADBLOCKS TO STRESS REDUCTION • THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WHY PEOPLE REJECT IDEAS OF STRESS RELEASE • NO TIME • TOO BUSY • TOO MANY THINGS TO LEARN • TOO MUCH WORK EFFORT • NOT THEIR PREFERRED RELEASE SYSTEM • TRIED ONCE AND DID NOT WORK AVOIDING ROADBLOCKS TO STRESS REDUCTION • TAKING IT A STEP AT A TIME – STARTING WITH 15-20 MINUTES OF STRESS MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES A DAY WILL BE A GOOD START AND PROGRESS AFTERWARDS • DIFFERENT STROKES – SAME APPROACH TO MANAGING STRESS MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL. IDENTIFYING WHICH APPROACH WOULD HELP YOU THE BEST WAY USING TECHNIQUES SUITED FOR YOUR PERSONALITY • TRYING NEW METHODS – SOME TECHNIQUES MAY NEED SOME GETTING USED TO AS IT MAY FEEL FOREIGN, GIVING THE METHOD A TRY BY GETTING USED TO IT WILL PROVE BENEFICIAL IN THE LONG RUN • PRACTICE – USING YOGA METHODS AND OTHER EXERCISE METHODS WILL NEED PRACTICE TO MASTER THE SKILL UNTIL THE BODY AND MIND IS USED TO IT • FINDING A QUIET PLACE – HAVING A QUIET PLACE TO YOURSELF IS IMPORTANT TO PRACTICE ANY STRESS RELIEVING TECHNIQUE • FINDING A STRESS BUDDY – HAVING A FRIEND TO ENGAGE IN ANY STRESS RELIEVING ACTIVITY MAY HELP IN MOTIVATING YOURSELF TO CONTINUE REFLECTIVE SKILLS • WHAT IS A REFLECTIVE PRACTICE? • THINKING ABOUT OR REFLECTING ON WHAT YOU DO. IT IS CLOSELY LINKED TO THE CONCEPT OF LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE, IN THAT YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU DID, AND WHAT HAPPENED, AND DECIDE FROM THAT WHAT YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME. • CASUAL ‘THINKING’ AND ‘REFLECTIVE PRACTICE’ IS THAT REFLECTIVE PRACTICE REQUIRES A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO THINK ABOUT EVENTS, AND DEVELOP INSIGHTS INTO THEM WHEREAS CASUAL THINKING ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED • REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IS AN ACTIVE, DYNAMIC ACTION-BASED AND ETHICAL SET OF SKILLS, PLACED IN REAL TIME AND DEALING WITH REAL, COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT SITUATIONS STEPS IN REFLECTIVE PRACTICE • READ - AROUND THE TOPICS YOU ARE LEARNING ABOUT OR WANT TO LEARN ABOUT AND DEVELOP • ASK - OTHERS ABOUT THE WAY THEY DO THINGS AND WHY • WATCH - WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU • FEEL - PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR EMOTIONS, WHAT PROMPTS THEM, AND HOW YOU DEAL WITH NEGATIVE ONES • TALK - SHARE YOUR VIEWS AND EXPERIENCES WITH OTHERS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION • THINK - LEARN TO VALUE TIME SPENT THINKING ABOUT YOUR WORK ACTIVITY • IDENTIFY A SITUATION YOU ENCOUNTERED IN YOUR WORK OR PERSONAL LIFE THAT YOU BELIEVE COULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH MORE EFFECTIVELY. • DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE: WHAT HAPPENED? WHEN AND WHERE DID THE SITUATION OCCUR? ANY OTHER THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE SITUATION? • REFLECTION: HOW DID YOU BEHAVE? WHAT THOUGHTS DID YOU HAVE? HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL? WERE THERE OTHER FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED THE SITUATION? WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THE EXPERIENCE? • THEORIZING: HOW DID THE EXPERIENCE MATCH WITH YOUR PRECONCEIVED IDEAS, I.E. WAS THE OUTCOME EXPECTED OR UNEXPECTED? HOW DOES IT RELATE TO ANY FORMAL THEORIES THAT YOU KNOW? WHAT BEHAVIOURS DO YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME? • EXPERIMENTATION: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU COULD DO OR SAY NOW TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME? WHAT ACTION(S) CAN YOU TAKE TO CHANGE SIMILAR REACTIONS IN THE FUTURE? WHAT BEHAVIOURS MIGHT YOU TRY OUT? BENEFITS OF REFLECTIVE PRACTICE • INCREASES SELF-AWARENESS • INCREASES EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE • DEVELOPS BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS • DEVELOP CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS • ENCOURAGES ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN WORK PROCESSES BIOLOGY OF STRESS STRESS RESPONSE SYSTEM • THE STRESS RESPONSE SYSTEM TAKES ACTION BY SPEEDING UP YOUR HEART RATE TO INCREASE BLOOD FLOW, SPEEDING UP YOUR BREATHING TO TAKE IN MORE OXYGEN, AND SLOWING YOUR DIGESTION TO STORE AWAY FAT AND SUGAR FOR ENERGY • WHEN THE BRAIN DETECTS STRESS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, THE STRESS–RESPONSE SYSTEM GOES INTO ACTION • THIS BEGINS WITH THE HYPOTHALAMUS–PITUITARY–ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS; THE MESSENGER SYSTEM THAT BEGINS IN THE BRAIN. IT SIGNALS THE ORGANS TO REACT TO STRESS BY GOING INTO SURVIVAL MODE. IT INCLUDES THE HYPOTHALAMUS, THE PITUITARY, AND THE ADRENAL GLAND. • HYPOTHALAMUS • THE HYPOTHALAMUS KICKS OFF THIS PART OF THE STRESS RESPONSE BY RELEASING A HORMONE CALLED CRH (CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE) • THIS HORMONE SIGNALS THE PITUITARY GLAND TO RELEASE ANOTHER HORMONE CALLED ACTH (ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE) • ACTH TRAVELS THROUGH THE BLOODSTREAM FROM THE PITUITARY GLAND AND SIGNALS THE ADRENAL GLANDS TO RELEASE CORTISOL • ADRENAL GLAND • EACH ADRENAL GLAND HAS TWO MAIN PARTS: AN OUTER CORTEX, WHICH MAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF THE GLAND, AND AN INTERNAL MEDULLA • DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE CORTEX PRODUCE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT HORMONES, INCLUDING CORTISOL • CORTISOL IS A GLUCOCORTICOID RELEASED DURING THE LATER PART OF THE STRESS RESPONSE • CORTISOL IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE STRESS HORMONE • CORTISOL IS A MESSENGER THAT SETS OTHER ORGANS IN THE BODY INTO ACTION • CORTISOL HELPS THE BRAIN TO THINK CLEARLY, SENDS ENERGY TO IMPORTANT MUSCLES, AND INCREASES HEART RATE AND BREATHING • THE MEDULLA PRODUCES EPINEPHRINE/ADRENALINE (E) AND NOREPINEPHRINE/NORADRENALINE (NE). EPINEPHRINE IS THE PRINCIPAL HORMONE THAT INTERACTS WITH THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IN THE INITIAL PART OF THE FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT RESPONSE • IF THE PERCEIVED THREAT REMAINS BEYOND THAT FIRST RUSH OF EPINEPHRINE, A SYSTEM CALLED THE HPA AXIS WILL KICK IN TO HELP THE BODY STAY ALERT AND READY FOR ACTION • CORTISOL HELPS GIVE THE BODY THE ENERGY IT NEEDS TO STAY ON HIGH ALERT FOR A BIT LONGER BY SIGNALING SEVERAL ORGANS IN THE BODY TO MAKE CHANGES IMPACTING BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS • WHEN CORTISOL LEVELS ARE HIGH, THE LIVER WILL INCREASE GLUCONEOGENESIS, THE PRODUCTION OF GLUCOSE FROM STORED GLYCOGEN • AMYGDALA • IT IS THE SIZE OF A SMALL KIDNEY BEAN AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRAIN • THE AMYGDALA IS THE BRAIN STRUCTURE THAT ACTUALLY DETECTS STRESS AND TELLS THE HPA AXIS TO RESPOND • IT CAN DETECT BOTH EMOTIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL STRESSORS • AN EMOTIONAL STRESSOR IS SOMETHING IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT MAY CAUSE YOU TO FEEL SCARED, SAD, OR FRUSTRATED, LIKE THE BEAR • A BIOLOGICAL STRESSOR IS INTERNAL STRESS FELT BY THE BODY, BECAUSE OF AN INJURY OR ILLNESS • THESE FUNCTIONS OF THE AMYGDALA ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR SURVIVAL • PREFRONTAL CORTEX • IT IS THE CONTROL CENTER OF THE BRAIN THAT CONTROLS THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS. ITS MAIN JOB IS TO CONTROL THE EMOTIONAL RESPONSES TO STRESS BY REGULATING THE AMYGDALA. • IT CAN BE CALLED THE CONTROL CENTER OF OUR BRAINS BECAUSE IT HELPS TO CONTROL OUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS • THE AMYGDALA QUICKLY SIGNALS A THREAT OR STRESS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX HELPS THE AMYGDALA TO SEE STRESSFUL EVENTS AS A LITTLE LESS SCARY OR FRUSTRATING • IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THE BRAIN TO HELP SLOW THE PRODUCTION OF CORTISOL IN THE HPA AXIS • THIS PROCESS HELPS US CALM DOWN DURING A NORMAL STRESSOR BY PERCEIVING THE SITUATION AS NON-LIFE THREATENING • EX: WHEN FACED WITH A BEAR IN THE JUNGLE, ONCE THE BEAR RUNS AWAY, THIS PROCESS WOULD HELP US TO CALM DOWN • RECOVERING FROM AN (EVERYDAY) ACUTE STRESS RESPONSE USUALLY TAKES BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MINUTES • ACCORDING TO THE GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME (GAS) MODEL OF STRESS RESPONSES, THE PERIOD IN WHICH THE BODY STARTS TO WIND DOWN FROM A FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT RESPONSE IS CALLED THE RESISTANCE PHASE • CORTISOL LEVELS (HOPEFULLY) DROP, THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DIALS DOWN ITS ACTIVITY, AND THE PARASYMPATHETIC CAN RESUME ITS “REST AND DIGEST” FUNCTIONS • IF THE BODY IS NOT ABLE TO RECOVER, IT WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME EXHAUSTED, LEADING TO FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY • THIS IS WHEN STRESS CAN TAKE ON IT’S MOST INSIDIOUS FORM: CHRONIC STRESS MAJOR HEALTH RISKS OF ACUTE STRESS • HEART DISEASE • LUNG DISEASE • CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER • CANCER • DIABETES • DEPRESSION • ANXIETY • OBESITY • HYPERTHYROIDISM • ULCERS • SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION THANK YOU!
