Dealing With Stress Some Practical Questions

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The Portable Mentor Presentation Series
Dealing WithStress Some Practical Questions
Answers
A Presentation for the SOMC Medical Imaging
Department Kendall L. Stewart, MD, MBA,
FAPA March 2, 2002
SOMCPress
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Whats in this for me?
Even the smallest sustained change takes real
effort. Parking the Impala

• Stress happens!
• Stress can and does diminish the quality of our
  lives.
• You can learn to cope more effectively with
  stress.
• Individualized approaches are the only ones that
  work.
• This presentation may produce some insights that
  you can use.

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What is stress?
We are all like balls connected with strings.
Jonathans trials as a first year teacher.

• A physical, chemical or emotional factor that
  causes bodily or mental tension and may be a
  factor in disease causation
• Bodily or mental tension resulting from factors
  that tend to alter an existing equilibrium

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What are some of the common unpleasant stresses
in our lives?
And we call it womens liberation. Claudia
gesturing, on phone and pulling away with the
door open.

• Illness
• Unemployment
• Conflict
• Increasing demands
• Crime
• Death
• Information overload

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What are some of the common pleasant stresses in
our lives?
A woman won the lottery. She asked the preacher
to tell her husband.

• Retirement
• Vacation
• New baby
• Moving
• New job
• New phase of life
• Children leaving home
• Family visits

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How are stress and health related?

• More than 200 points on the Social Readjustment
  Assessment Scale in one year was associated with
  an increased incidence of
• Myocardial infarction
• Psychiatric illness
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Infection

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What are the relative scores of some common life
events?
Your first day on a new job, look cool. You look
more like one of us.
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What disorders are negatively affected by stress?

• Psychiatric disorders
• Cardiovascular disorders
• GI disorders
• Neurological disorders
• Musculoskeletal disorders

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What are some psychological responses to stress?
Denial is a powerful defense. Your racehorse,
Suzy, called today.

• Irritability
• Preoccupation
• Difficulty with concentration
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Sleep changes
• Avoidance
• Psychological defense mechanisms

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What are some physiological responses to stress?
Stress can be very uncomfortable. Treating a MI
patient in the Air Force

• Increased heart rate
• Increased respiration
• Increased perspiration
• Diarrhea
• Tremor
• Flushing

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What factors often distract us from the
realization that we are stressed?
You can know too much. We hope to get better
speakers next year

• Time pressure
• Demand for productivity
• Emphasis on quantity
• Materialism
• Competition
• Selfish interests
• No sense of purpose or meaning
• Longer task lists
• Resentment

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What are some unhealthy strategies?
Forget changing others. Change yourself. Waiting
on my wife

• Working harder
• Taking it out on others
• Withdrawing
• Ignoring issues
• Congregating with other miserable people
• Doing nothing

• Eating
• Drinking
• Using chemicals
• Indulging in pathologic relationships
• Ruminating
• Being a couch potato

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What are some healthy mental strategies?
Even ugly pictures look better in an attractive
frame. Reframing on call duties as ministry

• Meditation
• Healthy distraction
• Thought stopping
• Ventilation
• Reframing
• Ignoring
• Assertiveness
• Prayer

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What are some healthy physical strategies?
Few of us enjoy vigorous exercise. Combine it
with something your do enjoy.

• Exercise
• Proper diet
• Recreation
• Avoidance of stressful situations
• Lifestyle change
• Physical labor
• Use of sensory override techniques

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What are some suggested next steps?
Celebrate small accomplishments. Climbing
Camelback mountain

• Decide whether stress is an issue you want to
  address in your life.
• Decide on your priorities.
• Make a commitment.
• Identify measures of your success.
• Organize your project team.
• Set incremental goals.
• Celebrate all progress.
• Be realistic.

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What insights can I take away?

• Stress happens.
• Not all stress is bad.
• There are many successful strategies for
  minimizing the negative impact of stress on our
  lives.
• The most effective strategies are individualized
  and dynamic.
• Dealing more effectively with stress will improve
  your productivity and the quality of your life.

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Where can I learn more?

• Stewart, Kendall L, Stress Management Dealing
  Effectively with Stress at Work and in Life. A
  SOMC White Paper, 2002. (Watch for it on
  http//www.somc.org)
• Davis, Martha, McKay Matthew and Eshelman,
  Elizabeth Robbins, The Relaxation Stress
  Reduction Workbook. 5th ed., New Harbinger
  Publications, 2000.
• Carnegie, Dale, How to Stop Worrying and Start
  Living. Pocket Books, 1985.
• Weeks, Claire, Hope and Help for your Nerves.
  Signet, 1991.
• Davidson J. The Complete Idiots Guide to
  Managing Stress, Alpha Books, 1996
• How to Master Stress http//www.mindtools.com/smpa
  ge.html

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How can we contact you?
Kendall L. Stewart, M.D. Medical
Director Southern Ohio Medical Center 1805
27th Street Portsmouth, Ohio 45662 740.356.8153 st
ewartk_at_somc.org www.somc.org
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What questions do you have?
Southern Ohio Medical Center
? Safety ? Quality ? Service ? Relationships ?
Performance ?
www.somc.org