STRESS & BURNOUT

Emma Hamel

AGENDA

• Welcome & Introductions

• Are you Stressed or Burnt Out?

• What is the impact of stress in your life?

• What can you do about stress in your life?

• Review, consolidation & feedback

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Check-In

• Introduce yourself to the person next to you that you don’t know– Tell them on a scale of 1 to 10 how stressed you

are– Coping with stress 1, 2 or 3

Don’t Think of a Pink Elephant

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What is Stress?

• Physiological or Biological Stress is an organism's response to a stressor such as an environmental condition or a stimulus.

• Stress is a body's method of reacting to a challenge.

• According to the stressful event, the body's way to respond to stress is by sympathetic nervous system activation which results in the fight-or-flight response.

• In humans, stress typically describes a negative condition or a positive condition that can have an impact on a person's mental and physical well-being.

• Wikipedia, 28 March 2014

What is Burnout?

• Burnout is a psychological term that refers to long-term exhaustion and diminished interest in work.

• The Maslach Burnout Inventory uses a three-dimensional description of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy (inefficiency & ineffective).

• The antithesis of burnout is engagement, which is characterised by energy, involvement and efficacy, the opposites of exhaustion, cynicism and inefficacy.

• Wikipedia, 28 March 2014

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What is the Difference Between Stress and Burnout?

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What Triggers Stress

• How you view things• Work / Family• Unpredictable events• Poor health habits• Negative attitudes• Unrealistic expectations• Perfectionism

Response to Stress

Symptoms of Stress

• Physical Symptoms– Sleeplessness– Loss of appetite– Headaches– Blood pressure– Fatigue/flu..– Hair loss

Symptoms of Stress

• Emotional Symptoms– Nervousness– Anxiety– Moodiness– Irritability– Memory problems– Over reactions– Out of control

Symptoms of Stress

• Relationship Symptoms– Increased arguments– Social isolation– Conflicts with peers– Road rage– Violence

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Effects of Stress on the Body

Ten Signs and Symptoms of Burnout

Difficulty Sleeping

Feeling Like You’re at The End of Your Tether

Easily Distracted

Putting on a Brave Face

Feeling Snappy and Irritable

Trying to Avoid Situations that Cause Distress

Never Taking a Break From Your Desk

Feeling Out of Control

Feeling Like You’re Not Really Getting Anywhere

Feeling Trapped

Burnout Phases ("Burned Out", Scientific American Mind, June/July 2006)

• The Compulsion to Prove Oneself• Working Harder• Neglecting Their Needs• Displacement of Conflicts• Revision of Values• Denial of Emerging Problems• Withdrawal• Obvious Behavioural Changes• Depersonalisation• Inner Emptiness• Depression• Burnout Syndrome

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Burnout/Adrenal Burnout

• Adrenal glands secrete stress hormones (eg. adrenaline) to prepare body for acute emotional & physical stress

• When you keep pushing yourself, adrenal glandswill fatigue & won’t be able to produce enoughadrenaline

• Adrenal fatigue causes fatigue, cravings, weight gain, mood swings & other health problems

Different Ways to Deal With Stress

• Let’s take a look at some ways to reduce your stress levels in your life.

Lifestyle Changes

1. Drink more water – rejuvenate your cells, dehydration causes cortisol to be released

2. Exercise – release the happy hormones3. Look up! – you can’t feel down!4. Take time out – move away for 10 minutes5. Relaxation exercises – clear your mind6. Eat healthier – sugars & processed food7. Get more sleep – women 8 hours, men 6 hours8. Keep a journal – getting out of your head

Mental Changes

1. Reframe – turn the negative thinking into a positive2. Take control – Cause or Effect?3. Don’t worry about things that can’t be changed – True,

not true or don’t know4. Seek out support – work, friends & family5. Put manageable structure into your life6. Identify what causes you stress & do something about it.

– Knowledge!7. Learn to say ‘No’ – feel in control & empowered8. Take a risk - Challenge those that stress you.

Exercise

• Write down 5 positive things you can implement immediately to reduce your stress.

• How do you feel?

Communication

• Rapport• The meaning of your communication is the

response that you get• Fake it till you make it!

What is Rapport?

• Rapport is about connection or relationship• French, from rapporter to bring back

relation; especially : relation marked by harmony, conformity, accord, or affinity - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

• Rapport is that feeling of being comfortable with someone and trusting them.

• Often rapport is defined as a dance

Rapport – The Basics

• People do business with people that they know, like and trust.

• If you could build stronger relationships with your work colleagues and others that you interact with on a day to day basis – would that be of value to you and to your business?

• Mind – conscious & unconscious• Rapport happens on the unconscious level• It works best when feelings are authentic – that is you

genuinely care about other people and have their interests at heart

Indicators of Rapport

Overview of Rapport

• Breathing – Rising & dropping of shoulders• Body Posture, Facial Expressions, Gestures • Eye Connection & Blink Rate• Tone, chunk & speech pace, pitch & tempo• Words:

– Visual - “I see what you mean”– Auditory - “I hear what you’re saying”– Kinaesthetic - “I get the feeling that…”

• SOLAR – Sit, Open, Lean, Attentive, Relaxed• Think . . . MATCH – PACE – LEAD it can work at every level

– Mirroring & Matching– Pacing & Leading

• Mismatch– IT Manager– Grant and Lente– Group of engineers

Mismatch of Communication Style

Exercise

• Exercise: In pairs Person A is to share a positive emotional story and person B is to listen intently matching body posture and gestures.

• Person A is to share the same story and Person B must break rapport by turning around or deliberately breaking rapport

• Change over• How did it feel?

• Consciously use when wanting a specific result• When would it be necessary to break rapport?

Consciously Using/Breaking Rapport

Communication

• Rapport• The meaning of your communication is the

response that you get

• Clearing

Clearing ProcessThe Questions

1. What is working?2. What is not working?3. What are you carrying?

The Rules4. Elect a chairman5. All sit in a circle6. Rotate the questions to each person7. When person has finished they say clear8. Frequency9. When10. Compulsory11. Different levels for the audience – family is different to partners12. Max 20 people13. No minutes taken – can only say thank you – not a problem solving exercise

Emma Hamelc: 072 396 0869e: emma@time2beme.co.zawww.time2beme.co.za