4/15/2019

Staying Well in Conflict of Times of Stress Interest and Disclosure Jonathon Sikorski, Phd @mindfulphd

About the presenter

• PhD Psychologist from UNL • Director of wellness education • Office 4007 Poynter Hall • Office 402‐552‐6299 • Office Hours by appt. • If my door is open come one in.

Stress – how do we define it?

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Central Nervous System Autonomic Nervous System Perception ‐ Narrowed Heart rate  Memory ‐ Coarse, Imprecise  Learning ‐ Blocked Blood pressure Why does this  Conditioning ‐ Defense Oxygen need  happen? Tendency ‐ Regress or Perseverate Breathing rate Palms, face sweat Expectancies ‐ Negative  Tone ‐ Flee or Destroy Blood sugar Adrenalin flows • Sometimes we work really hard to control Digestive tract shunts what is out of our control blood to muscles • Sometimes we struggle to make the Blood vessels constrict in hands present moment different Muscular System and face • Sometimes we judge ourselves for failing to reach our goals Tension Ready for Action Jaws Clench Body Braces for Action

Image from Sapolsky, 2005

Chronic stress causes your brain to SHRINK!

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“When I look back on all these Resiliency worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of troubles in his life, most of which had never happened.” Winston Churchill

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Some things we use How do we foster gratitude? to de‐stress (but shouldn’t…)

• “Don’t worry, be happy” • Avoiding the stressor Recognize • Numbing the pain Acknowledge that the through something source is Gratitude • Alcohol good outside of you • Other drugs • Other distracting behaviors • Social media

Contrast that with depression How does gratitude impact our happiness?

Happiness

10% Discount 50% external Internalize 40% Depression positive negativity events

Genetics Choices Everything Else

Lyubomrisky, Sheldon, & Schlkade, 2005

It’s all about perspective…

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Easier said then done

Gratitude Journaling

• Write out two to five things that you are grateful for at the end of each day. • Diversify time, people, experiences • Try to recognize others in your gratitudes • Look for ways to include how painful experiences strengthened you or provided new opportunities

Benefits Exercise

•Reduces anxiety •Enhances mood •Improves concentration •Raises level of brain‐derived neurotrophic protein (BDNF)

“Exercise is like taking a little bit of Prozac and Ritalin every day.”

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#3: Sleep is the best .

His Holiness The of Tibet

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Get off of your phone.

#4: Practice • Relaxing Routine • Warm bath/shower • Quiet activities • Lower lights • Regular sleep schedule • Go to bed and get up around the same time • Limit naps • Limit stimulating behaviors before bedtime • Limit caffeine after 2 pm • Limit alcohol after dinner Sleep Hygiene • Limit large or spicy What contributes to good sleep? meals • Limit vigorous exercise 4‐6 hours before bed

Start with existing habits

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 8 week MBSR training for 25 healthcare employees  Followed by influenza vaccine  Increased left anterior brain activation  This was associated with increased antibody titers to influenza vaccine

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#5: Meditate The “Relaxation Response”

• Term coined by Herbert Benson, M.D. • Basic tenet: stress response and relaxation response are both hard wired, and mutually exclusive

Stress response

Relaxation response

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Cortical Thickness

GENES Lazar, 2005

Dusek, 2008 36

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5‐Minute Self Compassion Elicit (RR)

•Sit quietly in a comfortable position. •Close your eyes. Assume a passive attitude. Don't worry about how •Breathe slowly and naturally well you're doing. When other thoughts come to •Imagine your hand as full of kindness and caring mind, simply say to yourself, "Oh well," and gently •Rest it gently where you feel pain or hurt return to your repetition. •Imagine the kindness and warmth flowing to you

•Best if done 10 to 20 minutes a day •Start with a few minutes and build

The five take‐aways When to seek additional supports • Practice Gratitude • Prolonged feelings of depression and • Better relationships & emotional processing hopelessness (more than two weeks) • Exercise • Feeling like your life is out of control • Reduces anxiety, improves conceFOCUS ON REAL RELATIONSHIPSntration, and neuroplasticity • Inability to concentrate or make • Sleep decisions • Improves health and mental processing • Difficulty getting along with friends • Be Mindful and family • Improved emotional regulation and perspective • Intense fears • Meditate • Persistent difficulty sleeping • All of the above  • Avoiding work or school activities • Inability to abstain from destructive behaviors (e.g., drinking, binging, etc.)

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Summary of Benefits Reduced rumination Chambers et al., 2008 Questions? Stress reduction Hoffman et al., 2010 Please feel free to contact me for more information. Boosts to working memory Jha et al., 2010 For a patient consultation, call 402- Focus Moore and Malinowski, 2009 552-6007 More cognitive flexibility Cahn & Polich, 2006; Davidson et al., 2003 Clinic Practice Location: Poynter Hall, 42nd and Dewey St. Relationship satisfaction Barnes et al., 2007; Wachs & 985575 Nebraska Medical Center Cordova, 2007 Omaha, NE 68198-5575 E-mail: [email protected] @mindfulphd

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