life skills for stress, health & wellbeing

1. life skills for stress, health & wellbeing

2. goals for the first evening • to get an overview of the whole course & relate it to your own personal goals • to be clear about the specific “home work” you want to focus on for the rest of the week • to introduce autogenic training, physical exercise, autonomous motivation, & skilful goal setting

3. main components of the journey • basic skills: exercise, diet, weight, alcohol, smoking, sleep • meditation: autogenic training, applied relaxation, visualisation, mindfulness, compassion • wellbeing: positive emotions, self-determination, happiness • relationships, emotional intelligence, social networks

4. your personal goals • what are your personal goals for this course - how will you know if you’ve attained them? • what do you think are the main personal obstacles to achieving your goals? • how do you reckon you can best tackle these personal obstacles?

5. assumptions & rules of the journey • skills learning • active involvement • support • confidentiality

6. first four sessions of the course • autogenic training • physical exercise • diet • weight • motivation • self-determination • goal setting • stages of change

7. autogenic training background: developed by Dr Johannes Schultz, a Berlin based neurologist and psychiatrist, in the early 1900’s from interviews with good hypnotic subjects. major aim: to develop a method that went beyond the passivity & dependence so often found in hypnosis. To hand the power and control back from therapist to subject - hence “auto-genic” or “self-generated”. a typical exercise: first scan the body from feet to head checking for any obvious areas of tension; then go through the specific autogenic focuses; then “cancel”. Luthe W & Schultz JH Autogenic Therapy: Volume I, Autogenic Methods New York: Grune & Stratton, 1969

8. four aspects of helpful inner focus reducing negative states nourishing positive states exploring & processing encouraging mindfulness

9. fight or flight response the adrenaline, “war time” response • increased metabolic rate • increased heart rate • rise in blood pressure • blood flow to voluntary muscles • breathing quickens • tendency to sweat • brain wave changes, etc.

10. the relaxation response the “peace time” rest & recovery response • decrease in metabolic rate • slowing of the heart • blood pressure decreases • blood flow to digestion and the body surface • breathing slows & deepens • immune system enhanced • changes in brain activity, etc.

11. relaxation response & metabolism Benson H with Klipper MZ The Relaxation Response London: Collins, 1977 average decreases of 10-20% after just a few minutes but decreases of over 60% are achievable Benson H, Malhotra MS et al Three case reports of the metabolic & EEG changes during advanced Buddhist meditation techniques Behav Med 1990;16:90-5

12. focus attention the crucial balancing skill release letting go remember: specific sensations such as heaviness are unimportant but balancing focus & release is important.

13. 1st week’s exercise: The right arm is heavy The left arm is heavy Both arms are heavy The right leg is heavy The left leg is heavy Both legs are heavy in the second half of the week, add in: the practice for this week 3 x each day:two of these practices should be at least 10 to 15 minutes long; the third practice could be just 3 or 4 minutes. At least one longer practice each day should be without a tape. Get competent at practising both sitting and lying. keep a record:use the record sheet to keep notes on your practice. This can be very helpful when there is a need to troubleshoot - on one’s own or in the group.

14. exercise: stamina & strength • a comment about walking intensity • 2008 US guidelines – longer versions online • various blog postings – january & february • links too to a variety of exercise resources

15. motivation especially important “comparisons between people whose motivation is authentic (literally, self-authored or endorsed) and those who are merely externally controlled ... typically reveal that the former ... have more interest, excitement, & confidence which in turn is manifest both as enhanced performance, persistence, & creativity, and as heightened vitality, self-esteem, & general well-being” Ryan, R. M. and E. L. Deci (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am Psychol 55(1): 68-78

16. non self-determined “controlled” motivations self-determined “autonomous” motivations external motivations = because someone else wants you to or because the situation seems to compel it introjected motivations = because you would feel ashamed, guilty or anxious if you did not have this goal integrated motivations = because you really identify with this goal intrinsic motivations = because of the enjoyment or stimulation this goal provides you encourage wellbeing unrelated to wellbeing motivations & wellbeing for more details, see Ken Sheldon’s research at : http://web.missouri.edu/~psycks

17. crucial external to integrated shift • good rationale & clear achievement pathway provided (autonomy & competence) • within a supportive relationship that allows expression of feelings (relatedness) • genuine choice is offered (autonomy) social context encourages this shift when ...

18. self-determination theory (SDT) looking at well-being through the lens of self-determination theory – www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT • SDT is a general theory of motivation & personality that has evolved over the past three decades • SDT suggests humans, like plants or other animals, intrinsically ‘strive’ for need satisfaction & flourishing • social contexts can support or thwart this need striving with major effects for health & well-being Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, Plenum. Deci, E. L. and R. M. Ryan (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry 11: 227-268.

19. competence autonomy relatedness three key psychological needs • autonomy – personal choice not compulsion by outside forces • competence – capable & effective not incompetent & inefficient • relatedness – regular emotional intimacy & shared activities not isolation & loneliness Reis, H. T., K. M. Sheldon, et al. (2000). Daily well-being: the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 26(4): 419-435. Sheldon, K. M., A. J. Elliot, et al. (2001). What is satisfying about satisfying events? Testing 10 candidate psychological needs. J Pers Soc Psychol 80(2): 325-39.