Managing Stress in the Online Community

1. Managing Stress in the Online Community Patricia Laury Director, Human Resources – Academics Dr. Ellen Manning, Professor, Composition

2. Stress – What is it? Stress is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be caused by both good and bad experiences. (Understanding and Dealing with Stress, n.d.) STRESSis the uncomfortable gap between... a) how we would like our life to be and b) how it actually is (Meredith, 2001)

4. No Need to be a Superman or Superwoman Today, so many of us feel the need to fulfill the role of superman or superwoman. We struggle to balance our work and personal lives, both of which compel us to manage multiple priorities and expectations. However, we do not have an arsenal of “powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men” to tackle these issues. The result? Negative Stress.

5. Not all Stress is bad! “A certain amount of stress in our life can be beneficial and can actually be a driving force behind our productivity, up to a certain point. After that point, which is different from person to person, stress becomes a distress, when things begin to rapidly deteriorate.” (Zablotskyy, n.d.)

6. When Stress becomes Distress… • Anxiety & Fear – “Where will it all end?” • Frustration & Depression – “Nothing seems to work!” or “I feel helpless to stop this!” • Anger – “Who is responsible for this situation?” • Anxiety – “How much more can I take?” or “Can/will anyone help me?” • Helplessness & Depression – “No one seems to care!” • Depression – “What have I done to deserve this?” (Meredith, 2001)

7. Stressors – The Obvious & Not So Obvious • Work • Family • Multiple priorities, projects, etc. • Our expectations of others • Our expectations of ourselves • Distractions at home • Conflict • CHANGE • Almost anything else!!

8. What the studies reveal • Hans Selye, the Hungarian medical doctor and scientist, first identified the stress syndrome, the process by which the body produces “noxious agents.” (Brain Connection, n.d.) • Standing on his shoulders, thousands of scientists, doctors and psychologists, have furthered these early studies and today it is widely accepted that stress does indeed lead to illnesses of all kinds • Many stress studies over the years have also shown that emotions directly influence health. • The Mind-Body connection is real and provable.

9. Some of the Symptomatic Results of Negative Stress • “Stress is indeed a major contributor to diseases such as heart attacks, high blood pressure, ulcers and nervous disorders.” (Myss, Shealy, 1988). • Stress left uncontrolled for too long a period of time can cause sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, lack of confidence, depression, irritability, muscle tension and pain, low energy, headaches, changes in appetite, shortness of breath, to name a few. (Stress, 2000)

10. More Effects of Negative Stress on the Body • Headaches & migraines • Weight gain • Inability to sleep – insomnia • Memory impairment • Digestive problems • Immune system suppressed (frequent colds, flu, etc.) • Rashes • Asthma attacks • Nervous conditions – anxiety attacks • Stroke or heart attack

11. Stress at Work – Interesting Info… Marcia Robinson provides the following additional data on workplace stress, showing the pervasive nature of this phenomenon and the ramifications on employee productivity. • 40% of employee turnover is attributable to stress-related issues. -Bureau of National Affairs • One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. -Northwestern National Life • Three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. -Princeton Survey Research Associates

12. Stress at Work, cont… • Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. -St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. • Workplace stress causes approximately one million U.S. employees to miss work each day. -American Institute of Stress • 80% of workers feel stress on the job, nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress and 42% say their coworkers need such help. -Attitudes In The American WorkplaceVI, Gallup Poll 2000 • 10% said they work in an atmosphere where physical violence has occurred because of job stress and in this group, 42% report that yelling and other verbal abuse is common. -Integra Survey, 2000

13. Profile of the Online Learner • Mostly working adults • More women than men A study of “600 women in online health and accounting professional programs found that the women were managing a mean of six other major responsibilities in addition to their class work.” (Cragg, Andrusyszyn, & Fraser, 2005) • Family responsibilities • Children • Caring for aging parents or other relatives • Health issues

14. How Do You Deal with Stress?

15. Negative Ways We Deal With Stress • Overworking or over-committing • Smoking • Overeating or not eating well • Sleeping • Not Communicating • Being Angry – at others, at ourselves • Taking it out on others • Internalizing our feelings • Turning to alcohol or drugs

16. Effective Ways of Managing Stress • Getting Exercise • Eating right – good nutrition & vitamins • Getting plenty of sleep – but not too much • Keeping Hydrated – drink plenty of water • Setting boundaries – learn to say no (or negotiate) • Taking a “time out” – deep breathing & stretching • Talking to someone you trust • Managing your time • Thinking realistically – about what you can control and what you can’t

17. What we can do for ourselves • Create a relaxing home or work environment • Do something pleasant • Avoid people who are demeaning & irritating • Let go of things you can’t control • Laugh • Seek Support (EAP – ComPsych) (Donaldson, 2008)

18. A Relaxation Activity…

19. What we can do for our students Identify Stressed out students from their e-mails; discussion board posts; comments during seminar Offer reasonable extensions on assignments Provide wellness tips regularly in Announcements or via e-mails Refer students to Advisors or set up small cohort groups to help each other through the class (a support system is necessary) Refer students to helpful websites like www.thesandwichgeneration.com or www.stressbuster.com

20. Sample Wellness Tips for Students (even good advice for ourselves) • Become aware of your stress • Take time every day just for you – even 30 minutes • Take a bubble bath or use aromatherapy • Listen to soothing or energetic music • Exercise (walking and dancing are excellent) • Go to a movie or play • LAUGH as often as possible • Learn time management skills – prioritize activities • Learn to meditate (sit quietly and breathe deeply) • Visualize a special place that relaxes you

21. Most important!! • Learn to say “no” when necessary • Be happy where you are • Learn to be kind to yourself as well as others; the rewards are amazing

22. Remember:   “There are very few certainties that touch us all in this mortal experience, but one of the absolutes is that we will experience hardship and stress at some point.” - Dr. James C. Dobson

23. Learn about yourself • become conscious of your own patterns of behavior and response mechanisms. • turn your observations inward and recognize that your reactions are the main cause of your problems. • even Superman couldn’t be a superman 24-hours a day; sometimes it’s okay just to be Clark Kent.

24. References Brain Connection – Hans Selye and the Discovery of Stress. Retrieved on July 10, 2008 from www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/selye Donaldson, J. (2008, March 15). Reduce Your Stress Simply - Excerpted From Life's Little How To Book. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Reduce-Your-Stress-Simply---Excerpted-From-Lifes-Little- How-To-Book&id=1048864 Maurer, Robert .(September 2002). Why Stress Doesn’t Exist. Men’s Health, 17 (7), 96. Retrieved on July 16, 2008 from Academic Search Premier Meredith, M. (2001). What is Stress? Retrieved March 18, 2008, from Michael Meredith BSc (Physiol) MA PhD, Physiologist - Stress Management Consultant – Healer – LifeSkills Coach Web site: http://www.stress-counselling.com.uk/management/definition.htm Myss, C. & Shealy, N. (1993). The Creation of Health. New York: Three Rivers Press NIH Senior Health: Alzheimer’s Disease. Accessed on July 27, 2008 from http://nihseniorhealth.gov/alzheimersdisease/defined/03.html O’Sullivan, Michael. (n.d.) Dehydration and Stress. Retrieved on July 18, 2008 from www.health-concern.com

25. References (cont’d) Robinson, M. C. (2007, November 11). Identify Workplace Stressors and Take Steps to Manage Your Day. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Identify-Workplace- Stressors-and-Take-Steps-to-Manage-Your-Day&id=828248 Selye, H. (1956). The Stress of Life. New York: McGrawHill Retrieved on July 7, 2008 from Academic Search Premier Stress: Helping your family cope with life’s challenges. (November 15, 2000) American Family Physician 62 (10), 2353-2354. Retrieved on July 17, 2008 from Health Source Nursing The Superman Radio Show. Accessed on July 27, 2008 from http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug02/superman/radio.html Understanding and Dealing with Stress. (n.d.) Mountain State Centers for Independent Living. Accessed on July 29, 2008 from http://www.mtstcil.org/skills/stress-definition-1.html Zablotskyy, Volodymyr. (June 12, 2007). How do you define stress. Retrieved on July 27, 2008 from http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Do-You-Define-Stress&id=602310