Stress Management for the Academic Professional

1. Stress Management for the Academic Professional Gerald Gurney, Ph.D. Carmen Tebbe, Ph.D. Carla Winters, ATC

2. How Stress Affects Your Body • “Fight or flight” response • Physiological changes • Acute vs. Chronic • Changes to heart • Deterioration of arteries

3. Physical Indicators of Mental Stress • Facial tautness • Muscle aches, stiffness, or tension • Profuse sweating or facial flushing • Cold, clammy hands • Facial tics: rapid eye blinking, etc. • Tapping feet or drumming fingers • Headaches • Sleep problems • Dizziness • Back pain • Change in appetite • Palpitations • Fatigue • GI symptoms: nausea, etc. • Skin disorders: rashes, hives, acne

4. Mental Stress and the Development of Heart Disease Heart Rate (> 50 – 100 bpm) Blood Pressure Damage to Arteries

5. Blood Pressure Chart American Heart Association Guidelines

6. Risk Factors for Disease • Those you CAN control • High blood pressure • High cholesterol • Cigarette smoking • Obesity • Diabetes/Insulin resistance • High stress environment • Those you CAN’T control • Age • Gender • Heredity

7. Lack of: Exercise Proper Nutrition Sleep Good Sense

8. WARNING SIGNS AHA/ASA Heart Attack – Chest pain/pressure; pain in one or both arms; pain in the back, neck, jaw or stomach; shortness of breath; cold sweat; nausea Women: shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, back & jaw pain Stroke – Sudden numbness/weakness of the face, arm or leg; sudden confusion; trouble speaking; sudden trouble seeing; sudden trouble walking; dizziness; loss of balance; sudden severe headache with no known cause TIA & Angina – Your body’s best helpers

9. The Sooner, The Better!Quick Actions Save Lives Call 9-1-1. Know if this is different for campus emergency personnel. Begin CPR. Hook up AED. Aspirin, if conscious. Be prepared to be insistent. Saving time means saving lives.

10. “To be prepared is half the victory” - Miguel De Cervantes • Being resourceful • CPR training • AED (Automatic External Defibrillators) • Location • Training • Purchased at discount • Blood pressure cuffs • Medical kit – Aspirin available • Know your staff/co-workers

11. Personal Accommodations • Some feel-good tools to help around the office: • Microwavable hot pack • Thera Cane • Scheduling “out” time • Stretching • Neck • Chest • Hands

12. In Summary. . . • Get yearly physicals • Be honest with your physician • Know your risk factors & control those that you can • Create an awareness of self • Keep a close eye on each other

13. We are no good to others if we don’t care for ourselves….there is a point of diminishing return

14. Stress • Situation x Personality Characteristics = Perception of Stress (Lazarus) • Personality Characteristics (Shank, 1983) • Perfectionism – high standards for self and others • Lack of assertive interpersonal skills – difficulty saying no or expressing negative feelings without feeling guilty • Being other-oriented – strong need to be liked and often sensitive to criticism • Situation • Athletics is highly demanding • Slow periods are non-existent

15. Fetsch’s (1992) Predicament – Problem Continuum • Brainstorm your stressors • Determine how much control you have over these stressors • Predicament – no control • Problem – yes control • Accept the predicaments • Examine the problems • What meaning have you attached to the problem • Brainstorm ways to reframe the problem • Determine available resources (personal, emotional, financial, etc) for problems

16. Explore REAL Source of Stress Are you or coworkers resistant to change? Do you need to brush up on leadership/management skills? Compare short-term discomfort with long-term satisfaction Do you feel appreciated?

17. Mindfulness • Observe thoughts/emotions but allow to pass without judgment • Does not change the problem or predicament, but does prohibit oneself from ruminating and creating excessive anxiety, which ultimately creates other stressors • With practice, you can start accepting negative emotions/thoughts as natural and inevitable without allowing it to ruin the present moment

18. Stress Responses • Psychologist Connie Lillas • Foot on the gas – Angry, agitated, and keyed up • Foot on the brake – Withdrawn, shut down, little emotion or energy • Foot on both – Tense, freeze, paralyzed from doing any action Know your weaknesses/tendencies when stressed

19. How to Help Others • Recognize differences in stress responses in others • Let people know how much you appreciate them and they will be willing to do anything for you • Validate their experience - don’t dismiss their complaints • feel they can vent without being punished yet don’t create a negative cycle • Focus on solutions • Be clear and realistic with your demands • Validate others’ perception of stress even when you may not understand • Emotional Bank Account • Attend to key relationships • Mutual respect and understanding of each other’s perspective can compensate for differences in goals/agendas

20. Skills Lessen expectations where appropriate Prioritize your tasks Set boundaries and don’t overcommit yourself Control the controllables and be able to have accurate discernment about what is under your control Decide beforehand when you will leave the office Take a daily break from technology – you don’t have to be accessible ALL the time

21. In terms of efficiency, it is difficult to maintain solid focus for much more than 2 hours.  • Given the nature of Athletics, you are constantly interrupted with students and emails that are pressing and important, yet also distracting to the work you may be doing.  • Set the first 2 hours of the day aside for focused work….no emails, limited interaction with others, etc.  OR • Simply taking a break at the hour to answer all emails may be more productive than immediately responding and thus having to constantly redirect your attention.

22. Symptoms of Stress • Sleep disturbances • Loss of self confidence • Fatigue • Apathy • Irritability • Emotional and motivational imbalance • Appetite disturbances • Anxiety • Sneakier Symptoms • Loss of typically enjoyable activities • Substance abuse • Diminished interest in social relationships • Feeling less detached to the outcome • Less idealism or passion

23. Coping with Stress • Adequate sleep, exercise, and nutrition • Problem focused coping • Emotion focused coping • Time management skills • Time-outs and breaks are not luxuries, they are necessities • Improve time management skills • Counseling and/or Journaling • Use coping skills that reflect your stress response • If overexcited, use relaxing techniques • If underexcited, use energizing techniques • Even small amounts of physical activity can help

24. Be proactive • Create rituals that are stress relieving • Go straight to the gym • Spend time in your garden after work • Listen to music on the way to work rather than the news or your mental to-do list

25. Use your senses • Movement – even small amounts will help • Touch • Petting an animal • Warm bath • Hugs • Massage • Smell • Candles • Flowers • Lotion • Fresh air • Taste • Favorite food or beverage (in moderation if unhealthy) • Sound • Music that is appropriate to your stress response • Sight – • decorate your office with paint, pictures, and mementoes that make you feel good • Visualization exercises

26. Exercise Benefits:Control of risk factors Obesity, stress, high blood pressure, high cholesterol Positive lifestyle changes (better nutrition, smoking cessation, sense of control, enhanced self image) Physiological Benefits Lungs take in and expel greater volume of air Heart becomes accustomed to pumping more blood in a single stroke Fewer beats per minute Enables the body to burn more fat as fuel

27. How Much is Enough? ACSM Guidelines Frequency:3 – 5 days/week Intensity:Measured in heart rate 220 – age (60% - 90%) Duration:20 – 60 minutes