Managing Stress

Enhancing the wellbeing of adults who work with children and young people

Priya Ramu

School Psychologist, DoE

Mental Health & Wellbeing – why a focus on workplace?

Work has an important social role for the individual in offering an avenue to self-fulfillment, a forum for social interaction and a sense of community.

- Haglund, B., Pettersson, B., Finer, D. & Tillgren, P. (1996),

Creating supportive environments for health, p 115

Work sites are to many adults what schools are to children and youth – places where most of the daylight hours are spent, where friendships are made, where many of the rewards that make one feel worthy are dealt, and where one can be reinforced by peers and significant others. They are also places where one feels pressures to perform and deliver.

- Green, L. & Kreuter, M. (1999). Health promotion

Planning: An educational and ecological approach, p 322

Health and Wellbeing at Work Model (Staff Matters)

Stress

• Part of human life• Associated with survival – securing food,

looking after family, avoiding danger• 2 types of stress

– Distress: chronic feeling of being overwhelmed and oppressed, with little opportunity for relief

– Eustress: ‘good’ stress, helps us take on challenges, energises us so we can perform better

Does this remind you of anyone?

Stress System

• Activated when there is a mismatch between what’s there

and what you expect; when demands on us are not met

with equally effective coping strategies

• Very powerful system that the body spends considerable

resources keeping in check

• Involves parts of the brain, some glands and several

hormones

• The body’s attempt to help us cope with a ‘stressor’

Limbic System• Amygdala – emotional

memories; fear, rage,

aggression registered &

generated

• Hypothalamus & pituitary –

adjust body to environment;

release stress hormones

• Thalamus - ‘relay station’

• Hippocampus - long term

memory; some emotions

Older mammalian brain – emotions, appetites, urges

Stress

or

1. Hypothalamus receives information, probably from its neighbour, the amygdala. It responds by secreting the hormone CRH.

2. CRH travels to nearby pituitary gland, which secretes another hormone, ACTH, into the blood.

3. ACTH reaches adrenal glands (above each kidney), which release the stress hormone, cortisol.

4. Cortisol travels via the blood to several other sites around the body, adjusting functions to help it cope with the stress. It also goes back to the brain, promoting some functions and inhibiting others.

Stress Response

Cortisol• Turns off stress response in brain by shutting off

CRH and ACTH

• Very strong substance; too much is risky

• If stress persists, cortisol increases supply of

glucose to brain and heart

• When stress continues, brain can override the

message to “turn off” and cortisol begins making

long-lasting (sometimes permanent) changes to

body

During Periods of Intense Stress…

• Explicit memory functions of temporal lobe can break down

• Hippocampus begins to shut down

• If stress continues, dendrites begin to shrivel up

• If stress continues longer, cells die and the hippocampus begins to shrink in size

• An unconscious emotional memory is stored in the amygdala

The Stress Response

Burnout!

Burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental

exhaustion caused by long

term exposure to

demanding work

situations.

Burnout!• Who’s at risk?

Lack of balance between work and personal life, trying to be everything to everyone, monotonous job, helping professions

• The signs

Dragging yourself to work, becoming irritable and less patient, feeling a lack of energy for being productive

• The causes

Lack of control, unclear role, dysfunctional workplace dynamics, mismatch in values, poor job fit, extremes of activity

• Time for action?

Don’t ignore the signs, they can have serious health consequences, talk to a doctor, mentor, mental health professional, counsellor

Indicators of stress

• Emotional reactions: Frustration, anger, apprehension, worry, irritability, depression

• Mental reactions: difficulty concentrating, day-dreaming, slowed thinking, increased mistakes in thinking

• Physiological reactions eg Autonomic arousal: sweating, dizziness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, stiff muscles, grinding teeth etc.

• Behavioural reactions: changes in sleep patterns, appetite changes, nail biting, increase in substance use, work avoidance

Value of Adult Resilience

Kids can walk around trouble, if there is some place to walk to and someone to walk with.

McLaughlin et al (1994)

To create these places and to be that ‘someone’ we must, first and foremost, support our own resilience.

Bonnie Benard (1996

How do you bounce back?

Protective factors

• connectedness • social support and belonging• handling demands of work• self esteem• belief in own ability to cope• sense of control• individual disposition • personal circumstances

Based on Frydenberg, E. (1997). Adolescent Coping:Theoretical and research perspectives

Positive Psychology – Character Strengths Activity

• Transcendence• Justice• Wisdom and Knowledge• Courage• Humanity• Temperance

Pick 3 out the stack of cards that you believe best represents you and then pick 3 that you believe best represents the person next to you.

Most Closely Related to Life Satisfaction/Well-being:

Gratitude Optimism Hope & Future-mindedness Love and be loved Curiosity and Interest in World Zest Enthusiasm Energy

Most Likely Buffers Against Mental Illness :

Hope and Optimism Interpersonal Skills Work Ethic Honesty Perseverance

- Martin Seligman, Authentic Happiness:www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu

Myself, my colleagues and my work

• What could you do to improve your own wellbeing?

• What is one thing that you could do that would improve

the wellbeing of other staff?

• What is one thing that could happen at your worksite

that would improve your wellbeing?

• How could you help for this to happen?

Taking care of yourself

• 30 eggs of energy• 3 baskets

• Self• Significant other(s)• Work

• Current distribution?• Aim?

How do you manage your stress?

Self talk

• Words we tend to use…– should, must/mustn’t, always, never…

• Some common beliefs we have…– need for approval– perfectionistic expectations– low frustration threshold

Self-talk and challenging beliefsDysfunctional belief - Students who misbehave must be

punishedReframe - All students misbehave from time to time

Dysfunctional belief - Every lesson should run perfectly every time.

Reframe – Some lessons will go better than others

Dysfunctional Belief – Students must like me Reframe – teachers gain respect by consistently applying

rules.

Muscle Relaxation Activity

Blurb about PRIMEXL…

• Providing counselling services since 1987• PRIME Corporate Psychology Services

– Established separately in 1994– Provides psychological services to public and

private sector organisations– Now trading as PRIMEXL

– Adapted from PRIMEXL: Keeping the Balance Presentation 2011

What is an EAP?

An Employee Assistance Program is a confidential counselling service to help you:

– Clarify a problem– Identify available options– Evaluate options and decide which to pursue– Identify ways to achieve your goal– Provide support as you work towards your goal

Who can access this service?

• All employees• Partners• Dependent children (17 years and under)

Key features of an EAP

• Free• Voluntary• Confidential• Preventative in nature• Experienced psychologists and

counsellors with professional qualifications

Counselling can help with . . .

• Personal issues– Relationship and family– Depression/anxiety– Parenting– Domestic Violence– Financial and legal– Grief and bereavement– Addictions

Counselling can help with . . .

• Work related issues– Managing stress– Workplace conflict– Organisational change– Work/life balance– Fitness for work– Fatigue/shift work– Career

PRIMEXL locations

• Counselling is available at– Most regional locations– Osborne Park – West Perth – Fremantle– Rockingham– By telephone– After Hours

Making an appointment

• 08 9492 8900 or• Freecall 1800 674 188

• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

THE ENDHope you found this presentation helpful…

References:

- PRIMEXL (DoE Briefing 2011)- Building Resilience and Managing Stress PPT- Stress Management PPT