Creating Positive Outcomes with Education amp Practice Tiana Shivers LPC Bridging the Gap Awareness and education are important in order to improve upon brain health and condition Our brain is our biggest tool that we need to learn how to use and teach how deal with stressors ID: 752162
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Slide1
Tools for Managing Stress and Anxiety
Creating Positive Outcomes with Education & Practice
Tiana Shivers, LPCSlide2
Bridging the Gap:Awareness and education are important in order to improve upon brain health and conditionOur brain is our biggest tool that we need to learn how to use and teach how deal with stressorsIt is important to engage the brain to create healthy brain fitness, to help it grow and sustain abilities to deal with stress and anxiety
Brain training improves efficiency, helps individuals ignore distractions (increase focus) and quickly process information for active problem-solving (instead of creating stress)Slide3
Negative Thought PatternsNeed to use the brain to help shape thoughts and break negative thought patterns These negative patterns continue to reinforce the anxious brain and stress responsesWithout addressing these, we cannot effectively manage stress and anxietyAverage of 60,000 thoughts/daySlide4
Stress EffectsBody’s way of protection against a perceived threat or fear Fight or Flight Response (Sympathetic Nervous System)Heart rate becomes more rapid, muscles tense up, breathing moves into
shallow, chest
breathing and the blood flows away
from
internal organs and
towards
muscles of the
limbs
Individuals experience stressors
in
everyday life. When they don’t
have a means of coping with
this stress, their bodies
and nervous systems develop
a habit of continued stress responses.Slide5
Stress EffectsWhen the body becomes over-stressed and the sympathetic nervous system stays in a constant (habitual) state
of fight or flight, there can be negative effects both emotionally and physically
.
Habits make brain connections stronger
Negative effects on mood: anxiety, restlessness, lack of focus, lack of motivation, irritability, agitation, anger, sadness, depression
Negative behavioral responses: extreme changes in eating, anger outbursts, conflict with others, substance abuse, social withdrawal, poor impulse control Slide6
RelaxationRelaxation: state of being free from tension and anxietyGoal moderate the functions of the sympathetic nervous system, which is activated under stress
Vagus
Nerve
activates the
p
arasympathetic
nervous
system, the
“
rest
and
relaxation” response
Responsible for bringing the body back to state of balance and equilibriumNormal blood pressureDecrease in oxygen consumptionDecrease in respiratory rate and heart rateLessen muscle tensionSlide7
Relaxation & The BrainRelaxation can lead to:
Alleviating stress and anxiety
Helping with focusing attention
Enhanced confidence
Providing a sense of control
Relaxation is most effective when integrated into daily
structure
Being proactive is important to create healthy habits for the brain
Attitude and power of positivity
Successes and commitment to progress
Motivation for putting in the work
Helps avoid things negatively impacting life (taking hardships in strides)Slide8
Power of BreathingBy controlling our breathing we can control our nervous systems response to stress.
Controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system
(relax, rest, renew) and
creates a state of calm in the mind and body.
Calming
our breath creates a calming nervous system, altering the basic activity of your cells with your mind
Calm nervous system = calm mindSlide9
Controlled Breathing EffectsLowered blood pressureLowered heartrateReduced levels of stress hormones in the body
Balanced levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide
Increased physical energy
Increased immune system functioning
Increase feeling of calmSlide10
Breathing Control TechniquesDiaphragmatic Breathing- includes the downward expansion of the chest cavity that causes the belly to expand
Try to feel the ribs expand and move as air is inhaled
Try to concentrate on the ribs recoiling when exhaling
If an individual’s chest or shoulders rise more than their belly, then their air is constricted and will continue to contribute to stressors and anxiety Slide11
Breathing Control TechniquesRatio Breathing – a deep-breathing technique with a focus on the number of inhalations compared to exhalations Individual counts the number of seconds when breathing
4-7 Breathing (inhaling for 4 seconds, exhaling for 7 seconds)
4-7-8 Breathing (inhale, hold, exhale)
The longer exhalations activates the parasympathetic nervous system to initiate relaxation
Distracts from automatic negative thoughtsSlide12
MindfulnessMindfulness – “a mental state resulting from voluntarily focusing one’s attention on one’s present experience in its sensorial, mental, cognitive, and emotional aspects, in a non-judgmental way” (
Cottraux
, 2007)
Focus on the HERE and NOW
Use of breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind to help reduce stress
Encourages individuals to engage in
non-judgmental awareness of their internal experience
occurring in the moment, with attention to sensations, cognitions, and emotions, and any environmental stimuli
Attempts to get away from the focus of the past or future (letting go of anxiety, worry, and regret or pain)Slide13
Mindfulness (cont.)Basketball coach, Phil Jackson, won 10 NBA championships with mindfulness being an essential part of his coaching. Used “One Breath, One Mind”
Focused on putting “spirit” back into things by using mindfulness (even in the repetitious)
Taking a breath and taking a moment to collect yourself; learning to sit and regroup Slide14
Positive of MindfulnessStudies have shown that 8 weeks of consistent use of Mindfulness has resulted in:More positive thought patterns (overall)Lessening the size of the amygdala Lessening frequency of stress and anxiety
Ability to be more self aware
Ability to problem-solveSlide15
Mindfulness ActivityMindful Eating ActivityFocusing attention with open mind, and sense of curiosityTake-Away Applying these principles to other areas of lifeSlide16
Sensory Grounding5, 4, 3, 2, 1
5
things you can
see
4
things you can
feel
3
things you can
hear
2
things you can
smell1 good thing about yourself
5
Finger Senses
Trace
your hand on a piece of paper.
Label
each finger as one of the five senses and identify something special representing each of the senses (that is unique to you).
Try
and memorize these, so they can be recited to help ground in the future when the drawing isn’t in front of youSlide17
Cognitive AwarenessOrienting to Place & Time:Where
am I?
What
is today?
What
is the date?
What
is the month?
What
is the year?
How
old am I?
What season is it?Brain Games: Name all the red things you see around the room.Count the number of ceiling tiles there are in the hallway.
Going through the alphabet, what can you name that begins with A, B, C…Slide18
Guided Imagery & SoundsGuided Imagery includes scripts to read or listen to, requiring focus and taking to place of peace and sensation
Songs:
Weightless
by Marconi Union
can reduce anxiety by 65%
Anything that is not fast-paced with any heavy drumming or sharp instrumentals
Preferably songs without wordsSlide19
Progressive Muscle RelaxationTense specific muscle groups (arms, hands, neck and shoulders)Hold for 5 secondsRelease the muscle group and note how you feelWork head-to-toe to better understand all muscles affected by anxietySlide20
Talk and FidgetWhen an individual needs to talk it out and is unable to take a walk around, due to being too worked up/aggressive, provide options of fidgets to use (preferably malleable)
Ideas: playdough, deck of cards, putty, stress ball, bean bag/bean animal, water/oil, plastic slinky, items that buckle, zip, Velcro, button, snap, click, fidget spinner, Rubik’s cube, ice, coloring (pencils), puzzle, Sudoku, word finds, heating/cooling pad, lotion, scented
markers
This can be something done together or just something that the individual can focus some energy on by themselves Slide21
Talk BackGive the individual the power to talk back to the stress in their brains to help empower them to dealHave the individual talk back “You’re not in charge of me, stress brain. I can handle this!”Talk back to negative thoughts “That’s not true. I AM smart.” to interrupt automatic negative thought cycles
Characterization: create a character that represents anxiety to help visualize and externalize the anxiety/stress Slide22
Write It OutWrite worries on a piece of paper, read them to an adult, and tear them up and throw them away (externalizing by writing it out and reading it out loud)Have the individual write
something that is positive – a sort of “Gratitude Journal” – to help reduce the anxious thoughts residing in the brain, and stopping the production of new anxious thoughts
After writing a few entries, just going back and reading them can help
an individual refocus
on a positive outlook
Write an Affirmation Journal – have the
individual note
good things that have happened that day, or something they have done wellSlide23
Get MovingGo OutsideNature can calm an anxious brainChanging
atmosphere itself has a calming effect – getting away from where the stressor occurred.
Ask
the individual to
observe the environment/surroundings to help them focus on something tangible. What color is the sky? How many different flowers can you find?
Incorporate Walking and Movement
Endorphins help calm the anxious brain – they are released with exercise
Blood gets pumping and helps alleviate the anxious energy that has been built up and makes you feel badSlide24
How You Can Help with Anxiety: SupportValidate emotionsAcknowledge that the change is scary and that the fear/anxiety is understandable. When you are validating someone’s
emotions, you are letting them know that you can empathize with them and what they are going through.
Try reflective listening
Help the
individual
articulate emotions, feelings, thoughts that have been unsaid/hidden
Communicate the understanding of where the
person
is at
Make sure the
individual
has your full
attentionSlide25
How You Can Help with Anxiety: SupportProblem solve by sharing your experience and coping strategies; demonstrate as needed
Develop
a plan of different routes to deal with anxiety
before it is needed
Give different scenarios that might spark some anxiety and work through them
them (role-play)
This gives them the tool of problem-solving and helps with mastery of the situation
Make a list of effective skills or options to use and give a copy to those who might need it to help
them when anxiety
climbs
Keep lines of communication open – reiterate
to the individual they
can come back to you when needed, and you can also help communicate needs to others, if that would be helpfulSlide26
Ultimate Goal Bridge the gap to help with understanding of how things work and whyThe BEST way to help with lessening anxiety and stress is to help with the education behind the applicationBuild confidence, self-esteem and successes in utilizing coping skills and initiating the relaxation response
Fulfill a sense of mastery in dealing with stress and anxiety
Create a healthy brain fitness that can calm and not stay in habitual cycles of stress