Ch 19 Learn to Deal Behaviorally with Stress

Mariajosé Bowden

Caldwell College

Spring 2010

Outline

• Definition• Causes of Stress• Symptoms • Effects on Behavior• Traditional Solutions• Organizational Change• Behavioral Approach to Handle Stress

• Stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.

National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Heath Administration (1999)

Just a Few Causes of Stress

• Difficult clients• Public eye, criticism from those who do not know

our methodology• Poorly trained staff• Commute from one client to another• Parents unrealistic expectations• Supervisors

Common Symptoms• A little stress is not a bad thing, it can sharpen your

focus and give you an adrenaline boost.• Prolonged stress, however can cause

– Headaches– Chest pain, – Stomach aches– Tiredness– Sleep problems

• This in turn can cause – Anxiety– Irritability– Mood swings– Resentment – Burnout

Effects on Behavior

• The effects on behavior can include– Not eating– Overeating– Having angry outbursts– Crying– Decreased productivity

Traditional solutions

– Exercising– Relaxing– Getting lots of sleep– In some cases counseling and psychotherapy

• These standard stress-management solutions do not deal with the cause of stress

• A contrasting approach is to promote organizational change, analyzing the stressful factors in a work environment and making changes in the environment to reduce the stress.

The Big Three Factors

• If properly balanced can mitigate stress– Proper diet– Adequate sleep– Sufficient exercise

Organizational Change to Handle Stress

• Taking a Pilates class or listening to a “Nature’s Sounds” CD is not going to improve the situation and reduce the stress

• Best approach to handle stress– Are you having problems saying “No”?– Are you managing your time right?– Do you need help with a difficult case and don’t know

who to ask?

• Chapter 17 Time Management Tips

What to do About Stress: A Behavioral Approach

• Behavior Analysts reject traditional literature and advice on how to “find the signs of stress”

• We look at it as any other human behavior

• Pinpoint the stressful behavior – functional analysis?

• Many sources of stress– Work– Family life– Friends– Neighbors

Step 1: Pinpoint the Stressful Emotions, Feelings, and Behaviors

• Pinpoint the cause or result that is causing the problem– Is it physical?

• Chest pains• anxiety

– What behaviors have you adopted in response?• Overeating• Crying spells• Decreased productivity

• Chart your symptoms– Frequency– Antecedents

Behavior Analysis of Stress

Setting Events

● Not enough

sleep

● Argued with boyfriend in the morning

● Migraine

Step 2: Perform a Functional Analysis

• Tricky because you are experimenting on yourself

• Record problematic behavior and troublesome emotional states

• Looking at you schedule objectively might help you isolate the factors that are causing your stress

Scatter Plot of Times of Day that Occasion Emotional Reactions

7am

9am

11am

1pm

3pm

5pm

7pm

M T W Th F M T W Th F M T W Th F M T W Th F

• “You owe it to yourself to apply what you know to solve your own personal problems”

(Bailey & Burch, 2010)

Step 3: Develop a Short-Term Intervention

• Work out a short-term solution that will provide some relieve while you work on a long-term solution– More sleep– Less TV, caffeine– No new cases– Talk to your supervisor about difficult client

Step 4: Develop and Adopt a long-Term Plan

• Could involve some major changes in your life

• Long-term – 6 to nine months– Changing jobs– Getting rid of argumentative boyfriend or girlfriend– Moving to a less hectic city– Opening own practice

• Could produce some short-term hardship and stress

Summary• Behavior Analysts posses a thorough and deep

understanding of human behavior and the skills necessary to change the lives of others in a positive manner

• We should be aware of the effect of the environment on our own behavior

• We should know when something is not right with or health and our stress levels

Summary

• We should be able to analyze our behavior and provide our own interventions, making sure our physical and emotional health are in order with proper diet, sufficient sleep, and vigorous exercise

• Conducting a functional analysis of our own behavior(s) should allow us to develop short-term and long-term goals

• Plenty of practice with our clients, it should not be difficult to improve and enhance our own lives

References

• Bailey, J. S., & Burch, M. R. (2010). Twenty –five essential skills & strategies for the professional behavior analyst. New York: Routledge Publishing.

Questions