Stress Management

CDR Mark Mittauer

 Enabling Objectives
Identifycauses of stress
Discuss the harmful effects of stress
Discuss how to eliminate avoidable
sources of stress
Discuss how to adjust to unavoidable
sources of stress
 Enabling Objectives (cont.)
Discuss techniques for improving
assertiveness
Discuss techniques for better anger
management
Describe and practice three stress
management exercises
 Causes of Stress
What are sources of stress in your life?
Stress may result from daily hassles
Stress may result from major life
events
Stress may result from welcome life
events (e.g., promotion, marriage)
CHANGE is a major source of stress
 Harmful Effects of Stress
Illness- infections, cancer progression,
high blood pressure, obesity from
overeating, heart disease, ulcers
Fatigue - that may lead to mistakes and
injury or death
 Useful Stress
Stresscan be helpful when it motivates
us to accomplish a task now!
 Symptoms of Stress
Physical
Emotional
Cognitive
Behavioral
 Physical Symptoms of Stress
muscle tension
headache
fatigue
sleep problems
gastrointestinal problems
high blood pressure
 Emotional Symptoms of Stress
irritability
arguing
anxiety
depression
lack of enjoyment
mood swings
suicidal thoughts
homicidal thoughts
 Cognitive Symptoms of Stress
inattention
distractibility
forgetfulness
confusion
poor concentration
 Behavioral Symptoms of Stress
social isolation
work problems
conflicts with coworkers, friends, and loved
ones
unhealthy habits - overeating, alcohol
misuse, nicotine use, caffeine misuse,
workaholism
aviator: conflicts with peers, disregarding
rules and checklists
 Better Stress Coping
Eliminate avoidable causes of stress
Handle unavoidable causes of stress
more effectively
 Avoidable Causes of Stress
Nicotine
Alcohol
Overeating
Caffeine
Sleep problems
 Nicotine
Chewing tobacco (dip) can cause
mouth or lip cancer
Exhaled secondhand smoke can
cause lung cancer, heart disease, and
respiratory infections in nonsmoking
bystanders
Smokers miss twice as much work as
nonsmokers due to illness
 Nicotine (cont.)
The medical effects of nicotine use should
be well known
Children exposed to smoke develop colds,
ear infections, asthma, bronchitis, and
pneumonia
To stop smoking - talk to a medical
department representative about smoking
cessation classes and nicotine replacement
products
 Alcohol
Medical problems from alcoholism -
depression, liver disease, ulcers, high blood
pressure
Almost one half of sailors who suicide are
drunk
A blood alcohol level of .15 increases your
chance of a car wreck 24 times
NATOPS 3710.7Q: no alcohol within 12
hours of flight planning; no hangover!
 Alcohol (cont.)
Drinking only two drinks at bedtime
causes less restful sleep - leading to
fatigue the next day
If you drink too much - talk to your
command DAPA or medical
department representative, or visit
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
 Overeating
Medical problems from overeating - obesity,
high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease,
stroke, high lipid levels
Strict dieting or fasting does not result in
sustained weight loss - your metabolism
slows and you regain weight when you
resume normal eating
Overeaters Anonymous may help
 Overeating (cont.)
Commercial weight reduction programs and diets
are costly and no more effective
Eat three meals a day - to avoid evening binges
Select a high fiber, low fat diet
Cut calories by using sugar substitutes, sugar-free
sodas, fat-free salad dressing, and skim milk;
avoid gravy, deserts
Healthy snacks - carrots, celery, pickles, lettuce,
fruit
 Caffeine
Caffeine increases your alertness for several
hours - but then causes increased fatigue
Health problems from caffeine use - high
blood pressure, anxiety, irritability,
withdrawal headaches, sleep problems
Insomnia may result from any caffeine use
after noon
Mountain Dew, chocolate, and tea have
caffeine
 Caffeine (cont.)
Decrease your caffeine intake to two or
less cups of coffee (or the equivalent)
per day
Decrease your caffeine use by
eliminating one cup of coffee from
your daily intake every few days
 Sleep Problems
80% of Americans do not get enough sleep
Poor sleep causes fatigue, irritability,
depression, work inefficiency, and accidents
Optimal sleep - 8 to 8.5 hours per night
(need minimum of 5 hours to avoid
performance difficulties - especially for
sedentary persons making complex
decisions or needing to be attentive)
 More Sleep Facts:
Causes of fatigue:
1) sleep debt
2) circadian rhythm disruption
3) prolonged effort (mental, physical)
Myths about sleep:
1) cannot bank sleep
2) wakeful rest does not replace sleep
 Even More Sleep Facts:
Symptoms of sleep deprivation:
1) hallucinations (REM intrudes into day)
2) excessive yawning
3) impaired concentration and memory
4) head bobbing (due to microsleep)
Remedy for sleep deprivation:
1) caffeine
2) naps for 60 minutes max (if longer, allow
20 minutes to reach alert state)
 How to Improve Sleep
avoid heavy exercise and alcohol before bed
avoid caffeine use after noon
go to bed and awaken at the same time
if unable to fall in 30 minutes, arise and
read until you feel sleepy
avoid naps longer than 30 - 60 minutes
relax for 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime
relaxation techniques may induce sleep
do not check your alarm clock during night
 How to Approach Unavoidable
Stress
Try specific stress management
techniques discussed later
Change your outlook on how you view
stress
 Specific Stress Management
Techniques
Talk to someone (friend, chaplain, mentor,
Family Service Center counselor, flight
surgeon)
Create a support network of friends
Schedule fun activities - noncompetitive
hobby, reading, music, sightseeing
Schedule down time when you have no
other activities planned
Introduce spirituality into your life
 Specific Techniques (cont.)
Volunteer to help someone - your life will
feel meaningful
Aerobic Exercise (biking, running, walking,
swimming, aerobics) at least 30 minutes
three times a week - improves mood and
mental alertness and relieves tension
Unclutter your brain - keep an appointment
book; write down tasks and prioritize them
Allow extra time (arise 10 minutes earlier)
 Improve Time Management
review your calendar and list of tasks daily
prioritize your tasks
tackle difficult or irksome tasks first
have an agenda for meetings - develop time
limits for each agenda item
avoid taking office work home
work efficiently - you do not have to
complete all tasks perfectly
make a plan of attack and set milestones
 Reduce Job Stress
Remember that your job is important (hull
technician example)
Be cheerful - the world will not end if you
are grim and serious all the time!
Praise your coworkers often - with formal
and informal awards
Take fun breaks at work - talk to someone
or review pictures of momentos of fun times
 Reduce Job Stress (cont.)
Divide the work day into time chunks
Plan a fun activity after work
Delegate work to others
If you fall behind, request help and inform
your supervisor
Set limits on what you are asked to do
Establish realistic goals
If you feel overwhelmed, do something!
 Change Your Outlook on Stress
When you feel stressed - take a break,
breathe slowly, walk around
View life as a challenge or opportunity to
excel - and not as a crisis
When something goes wrong - think of
three ways the situation could be worse
Live life one day at a time - do not dwell
on past mistakes, worry about the future, or
wait (miserably) for future happiness
 Change Your Outlook (cont.)
Learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of life
Do not wait for others to make you happy
(maintain an internal locus of control)
You cannot control how you feel - but you
can control what you do with those feelings
and how long you keep them (example:
when you are angry, do something fun after
30 minutes)
Find the positive part of every situation
 Change Your Outlook (cont.)
Stop wasting time worrying - develop a plan
to approach the problem and do something
Be prepared to wait - carry book to read, a
portable cassette player, or hobby materials
Be wary of the grass is always greener
syndrome before you leave your current
situation
Always have a back-up plan
Decide now what is really important
 Faulty Thinking Causes Stress
Catastrophizing - anticipating a terrible outcome;
overexagerating the importance of a situation
I cant stand it - deciding that you cannot
handle a situation, without trying
- alternative: I can handle this!
Should statements
e.g. I should always be happy
- alternative: Im human. I am allowed to
make a mistake or have a bad day.
 Faulty Thinking (cont.)
Beating yourself up about past mistakes
that you cannot change
Worrying about situations over which you
have no control, or cannot change
e.g., If only I had 20/20 vision
Overgeneralizing - viewing one negative
event as predicting a never-ending pattern
of defeat
e.g., My girlfriend dumped me. I will
 Faulty Thinking (cont.)
Emotional reasoning - thinking, I feel it,
so it must be true.
e.g., I am anxious today, so something
terrible will happen!
Personalizing - blaming yourself for
something that is not your fault
Fairness fallacy - becoming angry when
something disappoints you because you
think, life is supposed to be fair!
How to Correct Faulty Thinking
Recognize your faulty thought patterns
Replace irrational ideas with more
accurate and realistic ideas
 Anger Management
You can choose to control how you express
your anger (others wont respect you if you
curse, yell, or use violence - and you are too
important to let situations control you)
Speak calmly when disagreeing
If you are about to lose control - count to
10 slowly, breathe deeply, and walk away
if necessary
 Anger Management (cont.)
Set limits on how long you choose to
be angry - then do something nice for
yourself
When you disagree with someone,
stick to the present issue (and avoid
dredging up past hurts)
Criticize someones behavior, not their
character
 Assertiveness/Better
Communication
Ask for what you desire
Refuse a tasker if you do not really want
to do it, or if you lack the time to do it well
When you make a request, give a reason
Be specific with your request (tell the
receiver exactly what you want done)
Be a good listener - give your full attention,
show interest, and summarize what you
heard
 Relaxation Techniques
Slow deep breathing
Progressive muscle relaxation
Guided imagery
 Slow Deep Breathing
Inhale slowly through your mouth or nose
for 5 seconds, while allowing your stomach
to push out
Without pausing, exhale slowly for 5
seconds, and tell yourself to relax
Perform this techniques for at least 5
minutes whenever you feel stressed, angry,
anxious, overwhelmed, or unable to sleep
 Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Sit in a comfortable chair or lie down
Practice slow deep breathing for
several minutes
Then, tighten and relax each major
muscle group in turn (you may choose
to relax each muscle group twice)
 Guided Imagery
Practice slow deep breathing for
several minutes
Then, practice progressive muscle
relaxation
Finally, imagine yourself in a pleasant,
relaxing setting (example, the beach)
Use all of your senses to observe your
surroundings
Any Questions?
Finis