Self-Care: Remaining Resilient The Presenter Shanti Douglas is a - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Self-Care: Remaining Resilient

The Presenter Shanti Douglas is a mindfulness and stress management coach, energy practitioner, corporate trainer, and professional speaker. Her mission is to empower others to create inner peace and harmony, to embrace all challenges as opportunities, and to cut through the filters and belief systems that separate us from our Truth. Shanti blends her unique and diverse experience and education to bring a fresh perspective to life’s challenges. In 2007 she left her corporate finance management position at a global software company to open 8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC. Attempts to balance the extenuating demands of corporate life and an active family placed many demands on her health and inner joy. Choosing what’s truly important, goals of financial wealth and professional attainments shifted to desired abundance in personal freedoms, family, and peaceful streams of life. 2

Learning Objectives • Recognize the physical and emotional signs of stress • Assess your own life balance situation • Reduce the stress of transitioning from home to work • Create an effective family unit • Implement time management skills • Become mindful of the benefits of self-care 3

Is Stress Good or Bad? The answer…BOTH good and bad! • Good Stress – Contributes to productivity and success • Bad Stress – Drains productivity and ability to focus 4

Poll Which statement best describes your response to stress? A. I take a deep breath and move ahead B. I smile and think, “Oh well…” C. I get angry and vent to anyone who will listen D. I cry and want to run and hide E. I think about solutions to the problem 5

Reactions to Stress • Seeing the situation as a challenge – You have more of an impact on stress than the stress or event • Seeing the situation as a problem – Stress or the event has more of an impact on you 6

The Effects of Stress on You • Emotional - Stress often impacts our mood, causing us to be easily agitated or to feel depressed or emotionally depleted • Cognitive – Stress may lead to an inability to concentrate or forgetfulness • Behavioral - Stress may cause us to change our behaviors: overeating, increasing caffeine intake or alcohol consumption, or neglecting our exercise routine • Physiological – M uscle tension, gastrointestinal concerns, or general fatigue may all be associated with stress 7

Symptoms of Stress • Headaches • Pounding heart • Temper outbursts • More frequent cold/flu • Moodiness/irritability • Sleep problems • Increased aggression • General anxiety • Hyperventilation • Problems concentrating • Inability to concentrate • Frustration • Compulsive eating • Constant fatigue/low • Inability to relax energy • Sweaty hands/feet • Increased defensiveness • Constant inner tension 8

Finding Balance • List all of the activities and responsibilities that you are dealing with in both your personal and professional lives • Approximately how much time do you spend per week on each? - Work/career - Time alone - Home/family - Friends - Spirituality - Education - Community/service - Exercise/nutrition/sleep 9

Determining Work–Life Balance • Does it mean a 50/50 balance? • Achievement and enjoyment? • How can you work with the parameters of your current situation to ensure that everyone, including yourself, is benefiting? • What areas specifically need balancing? • In what ways is your strategy working well? • What would you like to change? 10

Being unbalanced can result in stress. How can we combat that? 11

How to Deal With Stress Identify and accept that you are stressed, then deal with it in three steps: 1. Short Term: Use quick-fix methods to get you through the short term until you are in a position to think about your situation 2. Medium Term: Take at least 10 minutes for yourself as soon as you can with no computer or cell phone, if possible, and try these techniques 3. Long Term: Identify how to prevent/deal with situations of high stress in the future 12

Coping With Extreme Stress • Don’t let stress rule your life – Concentrate on caring for yourself – Talk about it with other people – Keep your schedule as routine as possible – Allow time for hobbies – Participate in physical fitness activities – Utilize spiritual resources – Do not to turn to alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, or sweet foods – If you can, postpone major life decisions – Don't hesitate to accept help 13

Tips to Reduce Stress at Work • Improve time management/organizational skills • Relax/breathe deeply • Take frequent short breaks • Lighten up • Learn to listen • Change your environment • “Don’t sweat the small stuff” • Find a mentor • Spend time with optimistic people 14

Quote “Time is the scarcest resource; unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed.” ~ Peter Drucker 15

Poll My biggest issue with time management is… A. Planning B. Following a schedule C. Prioritizing D. Multitasking E. All of the above F. None of the above 16

The Time Management Process • Plan - Specify goals • Organize - Plan activities to achieve your goals • Staff - Ask for help, delegate tasks, take advantage of supportive programs • Direct - Use positive reinforcement - Reward yourself • Evaluate - Monitor your attitude and behavior - Track your accomplishments 17

Key Performance Activities • Improving communication • Better planning and organizing • Better self-care • Seizing new opportunities • Personal development • Empowerment 18

Effective Delegation at Work • Determine tasks • Choose the right person – Request; don’t order – Give clear expectations and outcomes – Provide proper tools and training – Give sincere recognition • Accept that it may be done differently 19

Effective Delegation at Home • Strategies for Home: Getting Chores Done – Call a family meeting – Combine tasks – Rotate which tasks get completed – Use incentives – Use natural consequences – Lower your standards – Use the “10-minute” system – Consider hiring a cleaning service 20

Effective Delegation at Home, Continued • Strategies for Work and Play – Use discretionary time – Set limits – Communicate your needs – Get support – Be supportive 21

Tips for Maintaining Balance • Distinguish between what can be controlled and what cannot be • Remember that maintaining balance is an ongoing process • Regularly discuss how effectively each party is balancing work and personal priorities • Keep your sense of humor • Keep it in perspective 22

Balance in relationships is necessary; however, self- care is the most important thing. You have to take care of yourself. 23

Taking Care of Yourself – Stress Reducers • Exercise • Get plenty of sleep • Eat well • Relax, breathe, and meditate • Schedule downtime • Try to maintain routines associated with your everyday activities • Know your limits • Get support 24

Tips for Taking Care of Yourself • Remember you are not the only one • Take some quiet time to reflect • Acknowledge your reactions • Remember that work is just one part of your life • Avoid spending time with negative people 25

Thank You Questions? Please complete the short online evaluation after exiting from this webinar. 26

Works Cited Cleveland Clinic. (Reviewed 2011, December 31). Diaphragmatic breathing . Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.cchs.net/health/health-info/docs/2400/2409.asp?index=9445 Scott, E. (Updated 2014, June 1). Reduce tension with progressive muscle relaxation . Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://stress.about.com/od/generaltechniques/ht/howtopmr.htm Scott, E. (Updated 2014, August 18). Use guided imagery for relaxation . Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://stress.about.com/od/generaltechniques/ht/howtoimagery.htm Scott, E. (Updated 2014, May 23). Benefits and different types of meditation techniques . Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://stress.about.com/od/lowstresslifestyle/a/meditation.htm Posture for a Healthy Back. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/back_health/hic_posture_for_a_healthy_bac k.aspx 27

Works Cited Smith, M., & Segal, J. (Updated 2014, November). Laughter is the best medicine . Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm Reh, F. J. (n.d.). How to help reduce stress at work . Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://management.about.com/od/yourself/ht/ReduceStress05.htm Stress Management for Health. (n.d.). Physical effects of stress . Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.stress-management-for-health.com/physical-effects-of-stress.html 28