Stress Reduction Stress Reduction and Managementand Management

Stephanie Taddeo, LISW-SStephanie Taddeo, LISW-S

Senior Manager of Development Senior Manager of Development

and Mental Healthand Mental Health

Visiting Nurse Association of OhioVisiting Nurse Association of Ohio

Defining StressDefining Stress

Essentially, stress is the emotional Essentially, stress is the emotional and physical response you and physical response you experience when you perceive an experience when you perceive an imbalance between demands placed imbalance between demands placed on you and your resources at a time on you and your resources at a time when coping is important.when coping is important.

Why do we care?Why do we care?

The psychological and mental harm The psychological and mental harm caused by stress can adversely affect caused by stress can adversely affect quality of lifequality of life

It can cause a great deal of distress to you It can cause a great deal of distress to you and the people in your lifeand the people in your life

It can affect your ability to work and It can affect your ability to work and engage in your personal lifeengage in your personal life

Everybody has stress, but our Everybody has stress, but our reactions can be very differentreactions can be very different

Some stress is good. Stress is helpful Some stress is good. Stress is helpful when it increases our ability to be alert when it increases our ability to be alert energized, switched on and resourceful in energized, switched on and resourceful in facing challenges we enjoy or have to deal facing challenges we enjoy or have to deal with. with.

Stress becomes unhelpful when it leaves Stress becomes unhelpful when it leaves us feeling fatigued, tense, anxious, burnt us feeling fatigued, tense, anxious, burnt out or overwhelmed.out or overwhelmed.

Everyone’s Unique!Everyone’s Unique!

The tipping point between helpful and The tipping point between helpful and unhelpful stress is different for each of us unhelpful stress is different for each of us and can also depend on what has and can also depend on what has happened and what is happening in our happened and what is happening in our lives.lives.

Stress can be caused by:Stress can be caused by:

Family or relationship problemsFamily or relationship problems Work/CaregivingWork/Caregiving Care receiving/illnessCare receiving/illness Family member who is under stressFamily member who is under stress The newsThe news Recent major changesRecent major changes

Physical SymptomsPhysical Symptoms

Pounding heart Pounding heart Elevated blood Elevated blood

pressure pressure Sweaty palms Sweaty palms Tightness of chest Tightness of chest Aching neck, jaw and Aching neck, jaw and

back muscles back muscles Headache Headache Chest pains Chest pains Abdominal cramps Abdominal cramps

Nausea Nausea Trembling Trembling Sleep disturbance Sleep disturbance Tiredness Tiredness Susceptibility to minor Susceptibility to minor

illness illness Itching Itching Easily startled Easily startled ForgetfulnessForgetfulness

ThoughtsThoughts

You may experience:You may experience: Your mind racing or Your mind racing or

going blank going blank Not being able to ‘switch Not being able to ‘switch

off ’off ’ A lack of attention to A lack of attention to

detail detail Your self esteem and Your self esteem and

confidence plummeting confidence plummeting Disorganized thoughts Disorganized thoughts

A diminished sense of A diminished sense of meaning in life meaning in life

A lack of control or the A lack of control or the need for too much control need for too much control

Negative self statements Negative self statements and negative evaluation and negative evaluation

Difficulty in making Difficulty in making decisions decisions

A loss of perspective. A loss of perspective.

Thoughts (cont.)Thoughts (cont.)

You may be:You may be: Making ‘mountains out of molehills’ Making ‘mountains out of molehills’ Driving yourself too hard with ‘I must do Driving yourself too hard with ‘I must do

this, ought to do that, should do the other’ this, ought to do that, should do the other’ or demanding too much of others as well or demanding too much of others as well as yourself. as yourself.

BehaviorsBehaviors

You may:You may: Become withdrawn and Become withdrawn and

not want to socialize not want to socialize Increase your alcohol, Increase your alcohol,

nicotine or drugs intake nicotine or drugs intake Under eat or over eat Under eat or over eat Become accident prone Become accident prone

and careless and careless Become impatient, Become impatient,

aggressive or compulsive aggressive or compulsive – pacing, fidgeting, – pacing, fidgeting, swearing, blaming, swearing, blaming, throwing and hittingthrowing and hitting

Work longer hours – not Work longer hours – not take breaks, take work take breaks, take work home, procrastinate with home, procrastinate with important projects, take important projects, take the ‘headless chicken’ the ‘headless chicken’ approach when under approach when under pressure, and manage pressure, and manage time poorly time poorly

No longer have time for No longer have time for leisure activities. leisure activities.

FeelingsFeelings

You may feel:You may feel: Irritable Irritable Angry Angry Depressed Depressed Jealous Jealous Restless Restless Anxious Anxious Unreal or hyper alert Unreal or hyper alert Unnecessarily guilty Unnecessarily guilty PanickedPanicked

Consequences of StressConsequences of Stress

Chronic stress=Chronic fight or flight Chronic stress=Chronic fight or flight

Consequences of Stress (cont.)Consequences of Stress (cont.)

Physical IllnessesPhysical Illnesses such as such as heart disease, migraines, heart disease, migraines, hypertension, IBS, Muscle, hypertension, IBS, Muscle, back and joint pain, ulcers back and joint pain, ulcers

Consequences of Stress (cont.)Consequences of Stress (cont.)

Mental Health ProblemsMental Health Problems such such as anxiety, depression, as anxiety, depression, insomnia, feelings of insomnia, feelings of inadequacyinadequacy

Ineffective Ways of CopingIneffective Ways of Coping

DrinkingDrinking EatingEating ShoppingShopping SmokingSmoking ??????

Effective Coping StrategiesEffective Coping Strategies

ExerciseExercise Prayer/meditationPrayer/meditation SocializationSocialization Breathing Breathing YogaYoga HumorHumor

Effective Coping Strategies Effective Coping Strategies (cont.)(cont.)

Recognizing ControlRecognizing Control Make it a great day vs. Have a great dayMake it a great day vs. Have a great day

Change Your MindChange Your Mind

Do you believe stress is harmful for your Do you believe stress is harmful for your health?health?

Belief Belief stress response is negative led to stress response is negative led to deathdeath

Effective Coping Strategies (cont.)Effective Coping Strategies (cont.)

Use your senses:Use your senses: Listen to soothing musicListen to soothing music Take a long hot bath or showerTake a long hot bath or shower Look at a beautiful picture or visualize a Look at a beautiful picture or visualize a

calming scene in your mindcalming scene in your mind Soothing scentsSoothing scents

Vegging out in front of the TV is not Vegging out in front of the TV is not enough!enough!

Use what you know AND learn new Use what you know AND learn new techniquestechniques

Have a planHave a plan

Hope and HelpHope and Help

Scale back.Scale back. Cut back on your obligations Cut back on your obligations when possible. While it may seem easier when possible. While it may seem easier said than done, take a close look at your said than done, take a close look at your daily, weekly and monthly schedule and daily, weekly and monthly schedule and find meetings, activities, dinners or chores find meetings, activities, dinners or chores that you can cut back on or delegate to that you can cut back on or delegate to someone else. someone else.

Hope and Help (cont.)Hope and Help (cont.)

Prepare.Prepare. Stay ahead of stress by Stay ahead of stress by preparing for meetings or trips, scheduling preparing for meetings or trips, scheduling your time better, and setting realistic goals your time better, and setting realistic goals for tasks both big and small. Stress for tasks both big and small. Stress mounts when you run out of time because mounts when you run out of time because something comes up that you didn't something comes up that you didn't account for — build in time for traffic jams, account for — build in time for traffic jams, for example. for example.

Hope and Help (cont.)Hope and Help (cont.)

Reach out.Reach out. Make or renew connections Make or renew connections with others. Surrounding yourself with with others. Surrounding yourself with supportive family, friends, co-workers, or supportive family, friends, co-workers, or clergy and spiritual leaders can have a clergy and spiritual leaders can have a positive effect on your mental well-being positive effect on your mental well-being and your ability to cope with stress. and your ability to cope with stress. Volunteer in your community. Volunteer in your community.

Hope and Help (cont.)Hope and Help (cont.)

Take up a hobby.Take up a hobby. It may seem cliche, but It may seem cliche, but when you engage in something enjoyable, when you engage in something enjoyable, it can soothe and calm your restless mind. it can soothe and calm your restless mind. Try reading, gardening, crafts, tinkering Try reading, gardening, crafts, tinkering with electronics, fishing, carpentry, music with electronics, fishing, carpentry, music — things that you don't get competitive or — things that you don't get competitive or more stressed out about. more stressed out about.

Hope and Help (cont.)Hope and Help (cont.)

Relax.Relax. Physical activity, meditation, yoga, Physical activity, meditation, yoga, massage and other relaxation techniques massage and other relaxation techniques can help you manage stress. It doesn't can help you manage stress. It doesn't matter which relaxation technique you matter which relaxation technique you choose. What matters is refocusing your choose. What matters is refocusing your attention to something calming and attention to something calming and increasing awareness of your body. increasing awareness of your body.

Hope and Help (cont.)Hope and Help (cont.)

Get enough sleep.Get enough sleep. Lack of sufficient Lack of sufficient sleep affects your immune system and sleep affects your immune system and your judgment and makes you more likely your judgment and makes you more likely to snap over minor irritations. Most people to snap over minor irritations. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep a day. need seven to eight hours of sleep a day.

Hope and Help (cont.)Hope and Help (cont.)

Get professional help.Get professional help. If your stress If your stress management efforts aren't helpful enough, management efforts aren't helpful enough, consult a professional. Chronic, consult a professional. Chronic, uncontrolled stress can lead to a variety of uncontrolled stress can lead to a variety of potentially serious health problems, potentially serious health problems, including depression and pain. including depression and pain.

Sweet ReliefSweet Relief

We must learn to employ stress-reduction We must learn to employ stress-reduction techniques techniques duringduring stressful times. stressful times.

People, in general, can employ these People, in general, can employ these same techniques in their everyday lives.same techniques in their everyday lives.

Learn to identify feelings. Practice self-Learn to identify feelings. Practice self-evaluation.evaluation.

In the MomentIn the Moment

Controlled breathingControlled breathing Guided imageryGuided imagery StretchingStretching Muscle RelaxationMuscle Relaxation Music TherapyMusic Therapy

Social SupportSocial Support

Help create a positive, supportive Help create a positive, supportive environmentenvironment

Practice positive feedbackPractice positive feedback Foster a team approachFoster a team approach

PerspectivePerspective

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” ― Mother Teresa

Thank You!Thank You!