Stress ManagementHandling and Pulling the Plug on Stress at Work

About Mimi Darmstadter

• Owner: My Life’s Work - Coaching & Consulting• Executive/leadership and career transition

coaching• Working MAMA Coaching Groups• Human Resources consulting

• 20+ years in Human Resources• Education

• BA University of Michigan• MA University of Chicago • ACC Coaching Certification - Georgetown

University• Fitness instructor (fun fact!)

Context and Biology

• Stress isn’t entirely bad• Four filters through which to examine:

• Physical• Emotional• Mental• Spiritual

• Bodies respond to “harm” – real or perceived• Brain is the “boss”

• Amygdala and pre-frontal cortex• Called a “fight or flight” or stress response• Breathing quickens, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises• These days, our alarm system rarely turns off

Scientific and Medical Research

Organization ResearchHarvard Medical School A study of 1,623 heart attack survivors found that when subjects became angry during

emotional conflicts, their risk of subsequent heart attacks was more than double that of those that remained calm.

UCLA 85 participants completed either a value-affirmation task or a control task prior to participating in a laboratory stress challenge. Participants who affirmed their values had significantly lower cortisol responses to stress, compared with control participants.

Mayo Clinic In a study of individuals with heart disease, psychological stress was the strongest predictor of future cardiac events, such as cardiac death, cardiac arrest and heart attacks.

Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, University of London

In a study of 5,716 middle-aged people, those with the highest self-regulation abilities were over 50 times more likely to be alive and without chronic disease 15 years later than those with the lowest self-regulation scores.

Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

An international study of 2,829 people between the ages of 55 and 85 found that individuals who reported the highest levels of personal “mastery ” – feelings of control over the life events – had a nearly 60% lower risk of death compared with those who felt relatively helpless in the face of life’s challenges.

Institute of PsychiatryUniversity of London

Three 10-year studies concluded that emotional stress was more predictive of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease than smoking, people who were unable to effectively manage their stress had a 40% higher death rate than non-stressed individuals.

© One21five, Inc. 2012

Symptoms

PHYSICAL EMOTIONAL MENTAL SPIRITUAL

Low energy Agitation Racing mind De-motivated

Headaches Frustration Forgetfulness Uninspired

Upset stomach Moody Unfocused Passivity

Muscle aches Overwhelmed Poor judgment Boredom

Chest pain Depression Pessimistic Purposeless

Rapid heartbeat Anxiety Indecisive

Insomnia Isolation/loneliness Lower productivity

Colds/infections Low self regard

Sexual desire Unforgiving

Dry mouth, swallowing hard Bossy

Clenched jaw, grinding teeth

Nervousness/shaking

Sweaty palms

How does your stress show up?

Renewal

• Physical• Healthy Diet (meal content, meal plan, meal pace)• Exercise• Sleep

• Emotional• Humor• Positive/cognitive re-framing• Connectedness (friends, family, cute animals/babies)• Breathing/“Counting to 3”• Boundary management• Activity planning and prioritizing• Kindness

Renewal cont.

• Mental• Creative outlets• Mediation• Yoga• Massage/body work• One thing at a time• Positive visualization• Boundary management• Activity planning and prioritizing

• Spiritual• Values clarification• Purposeful work and hobbies• Boundary management• Kindness

What do you do best to manage your stress? What requires more of your attention?

At Your “Desk”

• Physical • Emotional• Mental• Spiritual

At Your “Desk” cont. • Breaks

• Calling a friend • Power naps• Meditative moments • Right brain activities• Stretching and other body breaks

• Office environment• Music• Posters/screen shots • Plants

• Daily “plan” • “One screen only” rule• Healthy eating (process and content)

Organizational Culture Makes a Difference

• Company mission/vision and its articulation • Permissive and trusting environment• Fun• Leadership competency

• Ability to model renewal behavior• Ability to manage “work” messaging and pace• Ability to reward and recognize

• Stress mindfulness and responsiveness

From Tactics to Individual Behavior Change

• Making requests• Managing professional/personal boundaries (“yes” and “no”)• Building emotional intelligence• Being optimistic• Examining, re-framing and/or silencing stress-feeding

gremlins• Control• Perfectionism• Martyrdom• Fear of failure• Invincibility• Anti Self-care

From Today’s Job to Tomorrow’s Career

Stress assessment considerations:• Industry and organizational culture • Your personality• Your values• Your tried and true stress management techniques

Resources

• Making of a Corporate Athlete by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2001

• Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-management/MY00435

• The Energy Projecthttp://theenergyproject.com

• Harvard Business Review http://hbr.org/search/stress%20management/0

• CRM Learninghttp://www.crmlearning.com/stress-profiler-instrument

THANK YOU!

Mimi Darmstadterwww.mylifesworkcoaching.com

www.workingmamagroup.com mimi@mylifesworkcoaching.com

301.728.6487