Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance

- Kurt Vonnegut

Transforming the Workplace with

Healthy ThinkingJohn Weaver, Psy.D

What Works Best in Health Promotion?Art & Science of Health Promotion March 17, 2009

Objectives• Participants will understand the emotional

factors that interfere with attempts to make healthy lifestyle changes

• Participants will be familiar with a tool to assess the six dimensions of wellness

• Participants will be able to identify and understand how to address learned helplessness through training in optimism

• Participants will be able to identify and understand how to address burnout through training in resilience

• Participants will be able to identify and understand how to maintain long term change through training in mindfulness

The Problem

Resistance to lifestyle changes

The ProblemPhysical• About 66% of adults over

20 are classified overweight or obese

• 75% regain weight after 1 year, 95% regain it after 3 years.

The Problem

Intellectual• 5.2 million people in the US

have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia

• It is the 7th leading cause of death

• Rates are climbing

The Problem

Social• The divorce rate for the 1st

marriage is approximately 41%, for the 2nd 60%, and for the third 73%

• At least 50% of children will spend part of their growing years in a single parent family

The Problem

Vocational• 8.1% unemployment in the US in

February, 2009.• Today less than half of all Americans

are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61% twenty years ago.

• 70% of employees said you have to work late and work overtime to get ahead, 61% of employers agreed.

The Problem

Spirituality• About 1 in 4 Americans is

devoutly religious• Those who identify

themselves as “Christian” has dropped 20% in the past 20 years

• 15% now say they have no religion

The Problem

Emotional• Estimated 9.5% of adults and 5%

of children have a depressive disorder in a given one-year period

• Depression is the leading cost of health care and is approximately 70% higher than the next leading cost.

The Best Ideas for Motivation

What are you doing that works?

Moving from external motivation

to internal motivation

The Good NewsPositive Psychology Research

– Focus is on STRENGTHS easier lifestyle change – Focus on POSITIVE RECOGNITION it’s continuation– Focus on “should”/“shouldn’t” demoralization

Mental Fitness Coaching Assessment

Wellness

Behavior

Wellness

Emotional State

Behavior

Wellness

Thinking Skills

Emotional State

Behavior

Wellness

Thinking Skills

Emotional State

Behavior

Wellness

Optimism

Learned Helplessness

Learned Helplessness

The Experiment

Learned Helplessness

The Experiment

Applications to Real Life

I can’t…

I always fail…

I’m no good at…

I tried that before…

With my luck…

Optimism can be

learned!

Optimists believe that good things are:

Optimists believe that good things are:

Personal

Optimists believe that good things are:

Personal

Pervasive

Optimists believe that good things are:

Personal

Pervasive

Permanent

Resilience

Chronic

Hypervigilant

Disconnected

Apathetic

Irritable

Tired

According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, 68% of American workers say that their employer should offer a program to build Resilience to stress.

The Vitamin C’s of Emotional Health

The Vitamin C’s of Emotional Health

Commitment

The Vitamin C’s of Emotional Health

Commitment

Challenge

The Vitamin C’s of Emotional Health

Commitment

Challenge

Control

Mindfulness

Mindless Eating

Lacking Motivation

Information Overload

Slave to Emotions

Magical Thinking

Social Isolation

Exercise Injuries

There is more right with you than wrong with you!

Paying attention in a particular way:

Paying attention in a particular way:

On purpose,

Paying attention in a particular way:

On purpose,

In the present moment,

Paying attention in a particular way:

On purpose,

In the present moment,

And without judgment.

Selected Bibliography

• Lambert, K. (2008). Lifting Depression. New York: Basic Books.• Pert, C. & Marriott, N. (2006). Everything You Need to Feel

Go(o)d. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House.• Sapolsky, R. (1994). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. New York:

W.H. Freeman and Company.• Nussbaum, P. (2003). Brain Health and Wellness. Tarentum, PA:

Word Association Publishers.

Select Bibliography

• Prochaska, J., Norcross, J., & DiClemente. (1994). Changing for Good. New York: Avon Books.

• Revich, K. & Shatte, A. (2002). The Resilience Factor. New York: Broadway Books.

• Seigel, Z; Williams, J.M., & Teasdale, J. (2002). Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. New York: Guilford Press.

• Seligman , M.E.P. (1991). Learned Optimism. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

John Weaver, Psy.D.

DirectorThe Healthy Thinking Initiative2717 N. Grandview Blvd. #303Waukesha, WI 53188(262) 544-6486

jweaver@preventingdepression.com Watch for my new book:

The Prevention of Depression(Publication Date: April 2009)