stressed out to chilled out: tips for managing in a stressful world by jenni clark, phd
TRANSCRIPT
Stressed out to chilled Stressed out to chilled out: tips for managing in out: tips for managing in
a stressful worlda stressful world
Jenni Clark, PhD, DClinPsy7th May 2016
OverviewOverview• ‘Lowdown’ on stress: what is it and how does it
affect us?
• Introducing the cognitive-behavioural model of stress
o Thoughtso Feelings o Behaviours
• Are there ways of managing that might be more helpful? How?
• Where to look for more information and support
What is stress?What is stress?• Stress occurs when the demands placed on us by
life threaten to overwhelm our capacity to cope
• ‘Good’ vs ‘bad’ stress
• Short term stress: fight-or-flight response• Recurrent stress: take less care of physical health,
increase in harmful behaviours• Long term stress: change in the way you view the
self, world and others
Jane walks past you in the street.
Feelingsentertained,
mildly irritated
Feelingssympathy,
gratitude, worry
Bodycalm, relaxed
Behaviour (reaction)Get on with your dayGive Jane a ring later
Thought“Jane’s really in a hurry. She looks like she has a lot on her
mind”
Thought“Look at that, Jane’s forgotten
her glasses again!”
Jane walks past you in the street.
Feelingsangry,
irritated, indignant
Feelingssad, anxious,
stressed
Bodytired, exhausted
wired or ‘on edge’
Behaviour (reaction)Cancel plans for this
eveningSend Jane an angry
message
Thought“I’ve upset Jane and now she won’t talk to
me”“What did I do? I always get it wrong”
“I’m a terrible friend”“Nobody likes me”
Thought“Who does she think she is, ignoring
me?”“I’m sick of people treating me badly”
Do you take better care of yourself or your Do you take better care of yourself or your
car?car?
Back to basics: self care 101Back to basics: self care 101
• Eating well (fuel to function)• Getting good enough sleep (alert and rested)• Taking regular exercise (lifts mood, reduce tension
and build stamina)
• Making time for relaxationo Activity you enjoy e.g. reading a book, spending time with friendso Progressive muscle relaxationo Deep breathingo Guided imagery
ShortShort‐‐sighted coping strategiessighted coping strategiesSometimes we all do things that are actively unhelpful, or at best short-sighted•Saying yes because it’s easier than saying no•Procrastination•Indulging unhealthy habits
Develop new ‘stress-busting’ habits•Just say no!•Problem solving skills•Take care of yourself in times of stress more than ever
Changing perspectiveChanging perspective• Thoughts are just thoughts• They are not facts and we shouldn’t treat them as
such
• Mindfulness meditationo focused on present moment o non-judgemental stance
towards thoughtso observing and accepting
Cognitive Cognitive ‘‘restructuringrestructuring’’
Cognitive restructuringCognitive restructuring• More analytical, challenging the unbalanced
perspective
o Will this bother me in one hour, tomorrow or next week?o What’s the worst possible outcome? The best? The most
likely?o What would I tell a friend or loved one who had this
thought? What would they tell me?o When I’m not so bothered by this, do I see it differently?
How so?o Am I being critical of myself? Is that helpful?
• Is there a more balanced perspective to take on this situation? How does that make me feel?
ResourcesResourcesApps•Buddhify: short meditations for a variety of situations•Headspace: learn to meditate in 10mins per day•Take a break: work break and stress relief guided mediations (free download)
Websiteshttp://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htmhttp://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/wellness-modules
WorkbooksPositive coping with health conditions: a self care workbookhttp://www.comh.ca/pchc/ (also links to relaxation audio)
Resources cont.Resources cont.• We are here to support your psychological as well
as physical wellbeing
• Can consult with nursing staff if problems are becoming longer term, or feel overwhelming
• PACH clinic psychologist may be able to offer an assessment to help us work out how best to support you
