Managing CVS Stress and Anxiety

11th International Family & Adult Conference CVSA

Overview

Nature of StressNature of Stress Coping with Stress: Coping with Stress:

Physical and mental responses to Physical and mental responses to stress stress

Changing our relationship with Changing our relationship with stressful thoughts, feelings, sensationsstressful thoughts, feelings, sensations

Mindfulness & acceptance exerciseMindfulness & acceptance exercise What about panic?What about panic? ?s and discussion?s and discussion

What is stress?

Physical and mental arousal-Physical and mental arousal-triggered by perception that triggered by perception that something is challenging our ability something is challenging our ability to copeto cope

““Fight or flightFight or flight””

Your Stress Response

What do you notice about what is What do you notice about what is happening in your body?happening in your body?

Stress Response: Body Responses

Muscle tensionMuscle tension Increased heart rateIncreased heart rate Increased blood pressureIncreased blood pressure Faster breathingFaster breathing Digestion slowsDigestion slows Increased sweatingIncreased sweating Hands & feet can become coldHands & feet can become cold Pupils dilatePupils dilate

Your Stress Response

What is your mental response to What is your mental response to stress?stress?

Stress Response: Mental Responses

Attention narrows Attention narrows

Vigilance increasesVigilance increases

Negative thoughts and feelings can Negative thoughts and feelings can occur when we feel we canoccur when we feel we can’’t copet cope

Why Manage Our Responses to Stress?

Stress is cumulativeStress is cumulative Chronic stress can lead to changes in Chronic stress can lead to changes in

the immune system and brainthe immune system and brain Ruminative thoughts and worries may Ruminative thoughts and worries may

perpetuate and prolong the physical perpetuate and prolong the physical responses to stressresponses to stress

Goal is not to get rid of stress but to put Goal is not to get rid of stress but to put it itit it’’s proper places proper place

Coping with Stress

If we believe there are things we can do If we believe there are things we can do to manage a stressor, the threat is to manage a stressor, the threat is reduced and we are less likely to reduced and we are less likely to experience a stress responseexperience a stress response

First steps: Is the stress First steps: Is the stress Controllable?Controllable? Uncontrollable?Uncontrollable?

Controllable stressors

Take action:Take action: Seek informationSeek information Problem solveProblem solve Communicate assertivelyCommunicate assertively Learn and practice a relaxation Learn and practice a relaxation

exerciseexercise Identify stress and CVS TriggersIdentify stress and CVS Triggers Modify lifestyle (sleep, exercise, Modify lifestyle (sleep, exercise,

eating, recreation, social support)eating, recreation, social support)

Uncontrollable stressors:Managing our psychological

responses

Our evaluation of a stressor, how we Our evaluation of a stressor, how we thinkthink about it and what we say to ourselves about it and what we say to ourselves about it has a very direct impact on:about it has a very direct impact on:

how we feel how we feel

our physical responses our physical responses

what we do in response to a stressorwhat we do in response to a stressor

Managing Thoughts: The Challenge

We cannot choose:We cannot choose: What comes into our minds What comes into our minds Our feelingsOur feelings Our physical sensationsOur physical sensations

We can choose:We can choose: WhatWhat we pay attention to we pay attention to HowHow we pay attention and we pay attention and What we doWhat we do

What We Can Change

Our relationship with the thoughts, Our relationship with the thoughts, memories and images that trigger stressmemories and images that trigger stress

Our relationship with the feelings and Our relationship with the feelings and physical sensations we experiencephysical sensations we experience

Reaction to thoughts, feelings and Reaction to thoughts, feelings and physical sensations vs. stress itselfphysical sensations vs. stress itself

Acceptance vs. Avoidance of Thoughts

Pink elephant paradoxPink elephant paradox Challenge the veracity of thoughts: Challenge the veracity of thoughts:

Treating thoughts as if they are the Treating thoughts as if they are the same thing as experiences or same thing as experiences or events. events. Your brain can lie to you.Your brain can lie to you.

Noticing thoughts: I’m thinking the Noticing thoughts: I’m thinking the worst right nowworst right now

Treating recurring, stress inducing Treating recurring, stress inducing thoughts as Pop-up or Spamthoughts as Pop-up or Spam

What Acceptance is:

Intentional stance of Intentional stance of nonjudgmental awareness of:nonjudgmental awareness of: ThoughtsThoughts FeelingsFeelings MemoriesMemories SensationsSensations

In the context of a triggering In the context of a triggering eventevent

What Acceptance is:

I am willing to go through thisI am willing to go through this I can make room for these I can make room for these

thoughts, the way I feelthoughts, the way I feel I will face this situation and do the I will face this situation and do the

best I canbest I can I know my reactions are a normal I know my reactions are a normal

part of me even if I donpart of me even if I don’’t like themt like them

What Acceptance Is:

Action you take on purposeAction you take on purpose Staying present in the face of a Staying present in the face of a

distressing experiences rather than distressing experiences rather than avoiding itavoiding it

Withholding judgment and Withholding judgment and evaluationevaluation

An action, not a resultAn action, not a result Varies from moment to momentVaries from moment to moment

Acceptance of feelings

Fear and anxiety serve adaptive functionsFear and anxiety serve adaptive functions Emotions are like waves, they come and goEmotions are like waves, they come and go

What Acceptance is NOT:

ResignationResignation Doesn’t mean you have failedDoesn’t mean you have failed DoesnDoesn’’t mean tolerating personal t mean tolerating personal

painpain Tolerance up to a certain level, Tolerance up to a certain level,

no furtherno further

What Acceptance Is NOT:

I just need to put this behind meI just need to put this behind me I want to get rid of these, feelings, I want to get rid of these, feelings,

thoughts, memoriesthoughts, memories I want to be able to control what I I want to be able to control what I

feelfeel