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Stress managmentandmanagingambiguity final
This document discusses skills for coping with stress and ambiguity in challenging times. It begins by defining stress and discussing its causes and symptoms. It then provides several coping strategies for managing stress, including time management, controlling interruptions, exercise, nutrition, sleep, and humor. The document also discusses defining and analyzing ambiguity and managing uncertainty. It suggests learning to make decisions with incomplete information, examining unknown topics, and scenario planning. The overall message is that being prepared and using various coping skills can help people deal with stress and ambiguity.
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Stress managmentandmanagingambiguity final
- 1. Skills for Copingin Challenging TimesJune 17, 2010FIO PARTNERS, LLC
- 2. Skills for Copingin Challenging Times
- 3. “I cannot andshould not be cured of my stress, but merely taught to enjoy it. “ – Hans Selye
- 4. ObjectivesStress ManagementDefining StressCauses& SymptomsSkills to Cope with StressUnderstanding AmbiguityDefining AmbiguityLinking Personality to Experience with AmbiguityStrategies for Coping with Ambiguity
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- 8. STRESS = ANYDEMAND TO CHANGE
- 9. THIS IS AWESOME!ISTHE PARACHUTE WORKING?
- 10. STRESS IMPACTS USON MANY LEVELS
- 11. Stress can reducethe bodies ability to fight illnesss and infection
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- 15. External Causes ofStressMajor life changesWork Relationship difficultiesFinancial problemsBeing too busyChildren and family
- 16. Internal Causes ofStressInability to accept uncertaintyPessimism Negative self-talkUnrealistic expectationsPerfectionismLack of assertiveness
- 17. The Body’s StressResponse
- 18. FOOT ON THEGAS?
- 19. STRESS IMPACTS USON MANY LEVELS
- 20. Signs & SymptomsCognitiveSymptomsMemory problemsInability to concentratePoor judgmentSeeing only the negativeAnxious or racing thoughtsConstant worrying Emotional SymptomsMoodiness Irritability or short temperAgitation, inability to relaxFeeling overwhelmedSense of loneliness and isolationDepression or general unhappiness
- 21. Signs & SymptomsPhysicalSymptomsAches and painsDiarrhea or constipationNausea, dizzinessChest pain, rapid heartbeatLoss of sex drive Frequent colds Behavioral SymptomsEating more or lessSleeping too much or too littleIsolating yourself from othersProcrastinating or neglecting responsibilitiesUsing alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relaxNervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
- 22. HOW DO YOUREACT?
- 23. WHAT ARE YOURSTRESSORS?
- 24. Skills for CopingWith Stress
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- 27. Make your todo list!
- 29. SUCCESSFUL TIME MANAGEMENT:Setpriorities
- 30. Set specific amountsof time for tasks in key categories
- 31. Schedule specific timesfor tasks
- 32. Control interruptionsLet’slook at that to do list again
- 34. HomeworkKeep a logfor a week or two to see if you actually invest time in the way you think you do. Each evening, make a list of no more than 6 things that you will do the next day. Make sure that you have included items that reflect your categorized priorities. Estimate how much time each will take and, using Outlook, box them into your calendar. Adjust the list or adjust your existing schedule. Then work from your calendar, spending the time you have allocated.
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- 37. FIND A QUIETPLACE…AND REHEARSE
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- 47. What you don’tknow has a structure
- 48. What roles mustbe played?Who will play which role?Task Ambiguity
- 49. What work willbe done?How will we organize to do it?Structural Ambiguity
- 50. Environmental AmbiguityMaking senseof the environment
- 51. HOW YOU EXPERIENCEAMBIGUITY
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- 54. Important PrinciplesPrinciple 1– you can always control your response to a situation. Your reaction is your choice. Principle 2 – recognizing what you can and can’t control will increase the likelihood of a successful outcome and lower your anxiety.
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- 57. Suggestions for Masteringthe UnknownLearn to make a decision with incomplete informationRead upExamine five ideas or trends that you know nothing about
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- 59. Skills for CopingBePreparedTime ManagementBehavior RehearsalReduce TensionHealthy ChoicesHumorVisualizationExplore Creative ApproachesGuided ImageryPositive ThinkingManage AmbiguityKnow YourselfAnalyze Ambiguity
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- 61. Connect with FIOPartners at www.fiopartners.com
Editor's Notes
- #7 Are you stressed quiz?
- #9 Walter B. Cannon (1914, as cited in McCance, 1990) was the first to use the term “stress” to describe physiological and psychological demands on organisms and their attempts to return to something called “homeostasis” or back to the way they were before the stressor. You see nobody likes to change. Even positive change (like getting married, starting an exercise program or losing weight) can be stressful. In general, we like to stay the way we are. Stress is anything that pressures us to change. Illness is stressful. Watching your favorite team lose is stressful. Jumping out of perfectly good airplanes is stressful. However, what causes one person distress may be entertaining to another.
- #10 Hans Seyle (1946, as cited in McCance, 1990) popularized the concept of “stress”. He showed that hormones are released by our body in response to both psychological and physical stressors. This explains why our heart races, our breathing and perspiration increase, and why we are ready to fight, flee, or freeze when we are feeling stressed. Adrenaline rushes through our body helping make us ready for action. If we perceive the stressor as good (for example, our team is winning) the adrenaline rush we feel is seen as positive (that is, exciting, energizing). However, if we think of the stressor as bad (“I know I should have double checked that parachute”) the rush we feel is viewed as negative (that is, sick to my stomach, queasy).
- #11 Philosophers, theologians, and scientists have divided a person into many different parts in an effort to describe what makes us unique from the rest of the animal kingdom. However, recently the focus has been on how the body works together as one unit. We know that it does not matter where stress starts, it soon spreads to affect all the parts that make up who we are. Physical stressors affect the way we think (our mind) and the way we feel about our self (our soul). The way we feel about our self (for example, feelings of guilt or shame) affects the way we think about our self and impacts on the way our body works.
- #12 In either case, Seyle pointed out that chronically high cortisone levels can lead to diseases such as high blood pressure, peptic ulcer disease, and heart disease. Too much of a good or bad thing can damage your body. For example, scientists have discovered that “life changes and/or emotions resulting from life changes occurring for a prolonged period of time were associated with decreases in one or more immune functions” (McCance, 1990). This is not really a new finding. Galen, a physician during the 2nd century A.D. observed that depressed women developed breast cancer more often than non-depressed women (McCance, 1990). We now know that depression (feeling sad or blue) lowers your body’s ability to fight infection. This in turn can lead to illness. The two new fields of psychoneuroimmunology and neuroimmunology look at the relationship between our perceptions of stressors and their affect upon our immune system.
- #13 Stress is any demand (positive or negative) that requires our mind, emotions, or body to change. Is all stress bad? No, some stressful situations we seek out because of the thrill. Some changes stressful situations bring make us change for the better. Also, the right amount of stress can help us function at our best or “Be All You Can Be.” However, too little stress and we feel bored; too much stress and we may feel “burned out”. The proper balance of stress is important to function effectively.
- #18 The Body’s Stress ResponseWhen you perceive a threat, your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rouse the body for emergency action.Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength and stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus – preparing you to either fight or flee from the danger at hand.
- #19 Foot on the gas – An angry or agitated stress response. You’re heated, keyed up, overly emotional, and unable to sit still.Foot on the brake – A withdrawn or depressed stress response. You shut down, space out, and show very little energy or emotion.Foot on both – A tense and frozen stress response. You “freeze” under pressure and can’t do anything. You look paralyzed, but under the surface you’re extremely agitated.
- #20 Philosophers, theologians, and scientists have divided a person into many different parts in an effort to describe what makes us unique from the rest of the animal kingdom. However, recently the focus has been on how the body works together as one unit. We know that it does not matter where stress starts, it soon spreads to affect all the parts that make up who we are. Physical stressors affect the way we think (our mind) and the way we feel about our self (our soul). The way we feel about our self (for example, feelings of guilt or shame) affects the way we think about our self and impacts on the way our body works.
- #23 Discussion:DISCUSSION: Take a few moments and answer the following question: How do you react to being under stress? Note some of your “tell-tale” signs or symptoms of stress below:Personal Stress Inventory
- #24 Personal Stress Inventory
- #26 VisualizationTime Management
- #28 STACATO SOCIETYTasks that take 5 or 10 minutes get doneGive us a feeling of accomplishmentTasks that take time and focus get delayedDelayed tasks are usually more important, more impactfulMore productive work is done in longer chunks, not bits and pieces
- #34 Phone CallsEmailsMeetings
- #37 Healthy ChoicesHumor TherapyVisualization
- #38 Regular Exercise/Physical ActivityGetting regular exercise is another wonderful way to keep your weight in check, manage overall stress levels, and stay connected with others. Exercise can also help keep many health conditions at bay, and is well worth the effort. (The trick is Healthy EatingOne of the most popular changes people like to make to live a healthy lifestyle is to eat differently. Because of the negative health consequences of obesity, the influence fitness has on our self-esteem, and the effects of nutrition on our stress levels and longevity, switching to a healthier diet brings some of the greatest benefits for wellness. Quality SleepPeople often underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep, and getting the right type. However, lack of adequate sleep has many negative consequences--they're subtle, but significant. Getting enough sleep isn't one of the most popular changes that people resolve to make, but it should be. Because stress can rob you of sleep, and because many of the techniques that promote sleep can also reduce stress (and vice versa), it's a very good idea to learn more about how stress affects sleep and how to get quality sleep when stressed. DISCUSSION: Take a few moments and answer the following question: What are other health-related choices that help you reduce tension? Note some of your strategies below:
- #40 The mind has an incredible ability to project itself to many places – some places the body might have been to, some only the mind visits in dreams. Traveling on the thoughts generated by the mind, we can go anywhere. No ticket or baggage required, only a desire and your imagination. If you had the ability to project yourself anywhere to relax for an hour or so, where would you go? Visualization is said to be able to heal the body by using your imagination to create a vision of restored health. It is one of the leading techniques in mind-body medicine. The purpose of this exercise is to sharpen your imagination and relaxation skills so that when you recognize your need to unwind you can escape, if only momentarily to a place that gives you peace of mind. When drafting these images, give a much detail as possible so you can not only see them in your mind’s eye but actually feel yourself there through all five senses. What is the place that brings you the most peace or relaxation? What do you see? What colors? Textures? Shapes? Images? What do you hear? What are the sounds that you associate with the images? What do you smell? Is there a prevalent scent where you are? What do you taste? Are there tastes you can associate with the place of comfort? What do you touch? What does it feel like? Can you imagine yourself there right at this moment?
- #42 Guided Imagery
- #53 What’s the outcome? A situation is uncertain when there are a multitude of outcomes, not all of them desirable. Build up your tolerance for ambiguity by remembering that even in the toughest situation, there are always two sound principles you can rely on. Principle 1 – you can always control your response to a situation. Your reaction is your choice. Principle 2 – recognizing what you can and can’t control will increase the likelihood of a successful outcome and lower your anxiety.
- #54 Think clearly about each of the possible outcomes? List all of them, even the scary ones that only crop up in the dead of the night. So you are made redundant – there is plenty you can do to make the most of that situation. Maybe the check will fund that teaching qualification you’ve always dreamt of? Sort it out or fugeddabouditTake each outcome in turn and figure out how likely it is to happen, and what you can actively do to influence it. When you’re done, you’ll have a comprehensive action plan, bettering your chance of success. So even if the worst thing does happen, you’ve already done something to lessen the impact and know what you can do next. And for all the things you can’t control or influence, forget them. Write them down and then scrunch up the paper and throw it away. At some point you have to let go.
- #56 What’s the outcome? A situation is uncertain when there are a multitude of outcomes, not all of them desirable. Build up your tolerance for ambiguity by remembering that even in the toughest situation, there are always two sound principles you can rely on. Principle 1 – you can always control your response to a situation. Your reaction is your choice. Principle 2 – recognizing what you can and can’t control will increase the likelihood of a successful outcome and lower your anxiety.
- #58 What’s the outcome? A situation is uncertain when there are a multitude of outcomes, not all of them desirable. Build up your tolerance for ambiguity by remembering that even in the toughest situation, there are always two sound principles you can rely on. Principle 1 – you can always control your response to a situation. Your reaction is your choice. Principle 2 – recognizing what you can and can’t control will increase the likelihood of a successful outcome and lower your anxiety.
- #59 StressorSkills/Strategies to CopeBy When