Enhancing Workplace Resiliency Flashcards
1
Q
What is the definition of stress according to Hans Selye, the Austrian-Canadian physician? Does he see it as good or bad?
A
The non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it. It is neither defined as good nor bad.
2
Q
What are the two major factors that can impact our susceptibility to the negative impacts of stress?
A
The nature / level of stressful demands and the resources we have available to meet the stress.
3
Q
What is the Yerkes Dodson law of arousal and performance?
A
If we are laid back or relaxed (under-aroused), we may not perform at our best. If we are stressed (over-aroused) we will be tense and unfocused. Optimum performance occurs at a moderate level of arousal.
4
Q
According to the Yerkes Dodson law of human performance, how might you know you are under aroused, optimally aroused, or overaroused in your day-to-day tasks?
A
Under: feel bored
Moderate: work is effortless, energized, focused
Over: fatigued, exhausted, poor health, burnout and breakdown
5
Q
What would a lot of eye blinking / lack of eye blinking in a golfer making a put mean?
A
Lot: anxiety
Lack of: focus, and low anxiety
6
Q
Describe a possible physiological process of performance anxiety in a basketball player shooting a free throw?
A
Before the game, must get his arousal level up with sensory stimulation of the amygdala, like shouting, cheering, loud noises, movement, etc. For a free throw, a very technical operation, the athlete must bring his arousal level down very quickly. The frontal lobes must muffle the amygdala, to calm emotions, breathe slower, lower heartrate. But the frontal lobes can be distracted by thoughts, like fear of failure. If the thought has strength it can trigger a fear response in the limbic system, making focus on a complicated action very difficult.
7
Q
What are the big 4 skills that sports psychology and military resiliency training can teach us to enhance performance?
A
- Goal Setting
- Visualization
- Self-Talk
- Tactical Breathing
8
Q
What are 3 phases of a task?
A
Preparation, Performance, Recovery
9
Q
How can the Big 4 skills be used in the 3 stages of a task?
A
Preparation: Goal setting, visualization
Performance: Self-Talk and Tactical Breathing
Recovery: Rest, reflect
10
Q
Describe how goal setting as a skill can be helpful manage stressful situations?
A
Break things down into specific, manageable, atteinable pieces. For example: read for 1/2 hour every other evening. Bad example: read a book a week, lose 25 pds
11
Q
Describe how visualization as a skill can be helpful manage stressful situations?
A
See the successful outcome. Studies show that imagining self making free throws improves accuracy.
12
Q
Describe how self-talk as a skill can be helpful manage stressful situations?
A
Under stress, self-talk can become negative. “I can’t do this.” “People like me are no good at this.” Replace this with positive self-talk. “I can do this. I have done this before. Everything will be okay.”
13
Q
Describe how tactical breathing as a skill can be helpful manage stressful situations?
A
Stress leads breath to become shallow, quick, and ineffective. This leads to increase in anxiety and panic.
14
Q
Who developed the Mental Health Continuum Model?
A
Canadian Armed Forces
15
Q
How is the Mental Health Continuum Model helpful in conceptualizing mental health?
A
Captures the idea we are neither healthy or ill but, rather, there is a continuum on which we move in both directions. This normalizes fluctuations in mental health, creates expectancy for recovery, and may contribute to early recognition, early intervention, and better health outcomes.
16
Q
What are the 4 main domains on the Mental Health Continuum Model?
A
Healthy (Green) Normal function
Reacting (Yellow) Common and reverseable distress
Injured (Orange) Severe, persistent functional impa
Ill (Red) Clinical disorder, functional impairment
17
Q
On the Mental Health Continuum Model, what are some indications one is in a Healthy (Green) state?
A
Normal mood fluctuation Calm, rolls with punches Sense of humour Performing well Mental control Good sleep Good energy levels Physically and socially active Limited alcohol / gambling
18
Q
On the Mental Health Continuum Model, what are some indications one is in a Reacting (Yellow) state?
A
Irritable / Impatient Nervous Sadness / Overwhelmed Displaced sarcasm Procrastination Forgetfulness Sleep issues Nightmares Intrusive thoughts Muscle tension / headache Low Energy Decreased activity / socializing Regular but controlled alcohol use / gambling
19
Q
On the Mental Health Continuum Model, what are some indications one is in a Injured (Orange) state?
A
Anger Anxiety Pervasively sad / hopeless Negative attitude poor performance / workaholoic Poor concentration / decisions Restless disturbed sleep Recurrent images / nightmares Increased aches and pains Increased fatigue Avoidance Withdrawal Increased alcohol use / gambling hard to control
20
Q
On the Mental Health Continuum Model, what are some indications one is in an Ill (Red) state?
A
Angry outburst / agression Excessive anxiety / panic Depressed / suicidal thoughts Overt insubordination Can't perform duties, control behaviour, or concentrate Can't fall asleep or stay asleep Sleeping too much or too little Physical illnesses Constant fatigue Not going out or answering phone Alcohol or gambling addiction Other addictions
21
Q
In addition to the big 4 and CBT, what are the most important things to do to manage stress?
A
Proper sleep, diet, and exercise
22
Q
Describe the concept of automatic thoughts to a client:
A
We have thousands of thoughts every day. Some thoughts are brief and unimportant, while others can stick with us for days, weeks, or years. Many of our daily thoughts are automatic - they ‘pop’ into our minds without conscious intent. Automatic thoughts can help us get through our daily life. For example:
“I should look both ways before crossing this street”
“If I’m friendly to people, there’s a good chance they will be friendly back”
“Breakfast is important, even if I’m in a rush”
We may not always be aware of these thoughts until we reflect back. For example, when we speak with strangers, it is likely we have an automatic assumption they will treat us with respect.
23
Q
What is the basic CBT model?
A
Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours all affect one another.
24
Q
What are the three domains upon which we can evaluate our thoughts? What would be an indication of the most problematic automatic thought?
A
1) Accuracy / validity
2) Helpfulness
3) Strength / intensity
Low in accuracy, low in helpfulness, high in intensity thoughts are the most problematic
25
In this example: "You see two of your coworkers laughing as you walk toward the lunchroom", how might a problematic thought play out?
Automatic thought: they must be laughing at me (low accuracy, not helpful)
Your thoughts start to snowball: Is it my new haircut? etc (not helpful and intense)
You lose confidence and spend much time by yourself
26
What happens with negative automatic thoughts when we are stressed?
They skew in even more in a negative direction, increasing negative feelings about our situation
27
What is a helpful way to get another perspective on negative or stressful thoughts?
Writing them down.
28
On a Friday afternoon as you are leaving work, you wish a new, usually-cheery co-worker a great weekend. She mumbles 'thanks' in a hurried fashion, and doesn't make any eye contact with you. (You find out later that she had a death in the family). How might your perception of the situation be skewed by negatively charged, emotionally driven, thoughts
"She doesn't like me." and you ruminate on that.
29
We all have 'go to' negative thoughts when we get stressed out. What are 5 domains to ask about common negative thoughts? "When I'm stressed, I tend to have negative thoughts about..."
1) Myself
2) Others
3) Future
4) Personal Life
5) Work life
30
What is the cognitive triad? (of negative thoughts)
1) Negative views of world (People are cruel and selfish)
2) Negative views of oneself (I have nothing to offer)
3) Negative views of the future (Things won't get better)
These patterns of negative thinking sustain each other
31
What is the problem with someone outside saying your thoughts aren't realistic?
They FEEL all too real when we experience them. It is invalidating.
32
What is an effective way to interrupt the cognitive triad?
It isn't easy, so breaking thought patterns down into smaller components and replacing negative thoughts with realistic ones can be helpful
33
What are cognitive distortions?
When we are under stress or experiencing negative emotions, we are more likely to engage in negative thinking – specifically having negative thoughts that are simply not true, or are grossly exaggerated. These sorts of thoughts are known as cognitive distortions, which are a form of unrealistic – and unhelpful – thinking. (We can also have cognitive distortions that are positive – for example, seeing others in an exaggerated positive light.)
34
What is the impact of cognitive distortions on an individual?
Excessive cognitive distortions can cause and perpetuate negative psychological states and disorders, such as stress, anxiety, and depression.q
35
Can cognitive distortions provide a protective function?
Unlike some negative thoughts that serve a protective function, cognitive distortions may sound reasonable to the individual affected by them (and typically no one else), but they are misplaced and ultimately serve to make us unhappy and limited in our thinking.
36
Can cognitive distortions be reversed?
Thankfully, cognitive distortions can be reversed! The process of reversing these distortions is highly supported by empirical research, and is one of the core components of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Psychologists and other regulated health care professionals practicing CBT regularly have their patients identify and begin to reverse their cognitive distortions.
37
What are some common cognitive distortions?
1) All or nothing thinking: “I never have a successful relationship”
2) Blaming (self or other) "I feel sad because I don't have what it takes to meet my goals"
3) Discounting the positives; "I only got one job offer after three interviews; what is wrong with me?"
4) Emotional Reasoning: "I feel dumb around my boss so I must be a dumb person"
5) Fortune Telling: "I'm sure I'm going to trip and fall walking across the stage"
6) Labeling and mislabeling: Labeling is when you use a single instance or quality to concretely define yourself (or someone else); mislabeling is when you justify using extreme and negative language to describe yourself or someone else.
Labeling: E.g., "I received a poor mark on my history paper; I'm a terrible student"
7) Mislabelling: E.g., "I had to take two days off from work because of illness; I am a terrible and uncommitted employee, I may as well quit"
8) Overgeneralization: "I had a difficult time making friends at my old workplace so I will probably always have a difficult time making friends"
9) Personalization: (Taking it personally) Personalization is when you overestimate the degree to which other people's behaviours are related to you.
E.g., "I noticed that the boss took a long time to respond to my email; she must not like me"
38
What are 3 ways we can create distance from negative thinking, in order to focus on the purpose of the thoughts rather than the content?
1) Treat your mind as an external entity/character (e.g., “my mind is panicking again”)
2) Treat negative thoughts as annoying advertisements (e.g., an internet ad, a doorstop salesman)
3) Identify the purpose your negative thoughts are serving, and whether they are in your best interest (e.g., ask yourself: “what purpose or function are these thoughts serving?”; if you can't find a useful purpose or function, actively tell yourself to not buy into those thoughts)
39
Which state on the Mental Health Continuum Model are indicated by:
```
Irritable / Impatient
Nervous
Sadness / Overwhelmed
Displaced sarcasm
Procrastination
Forgetfulness
Sleep issues
Nightmares
Intrusive thoughts
Muscle tension / headache
Low Energy
Decreased activity / socializing
Regular but controlled alcohol use / gambling
```
Reacting (Yellow) state
40
Which state on the Mental Health Continuum Model are indicated by:
```
Anger
Anxiety
Pervasively sad / hopeless
Negative attitude
poor performance / workaholoic
Poor concentration / decisions
Restless disturbed sleep
Recurrent images / nightmares
Increased aches and pains
Increased fatigue
Avoidance
Withdrawal
Increased alcohol use / gambling hard to control
```
Injured (orange)
41
Which state on the Mental Health Continuum Model are indicated by:
```
Angry outburst / agression
Excessive anxiety / panic
Depressed / suicidal thoughts
Overt insubordination
Can't perform duties, control behaviour, or concentrate
Can't fall asleep or stay asleep
Sleeping too much or too little
Physical illnesses
Constant fatigue
Not going out or answering phone
Alcohol or gambling addiction
Other addictions
```
Ill (red)
42
What is an effective short-term problem solving solution that involves an approach rather than avoidance strategy?
Behavioural Activation
43
What are three common, maladaptive problem-solving strategies? Why are they maladaptive?
Avoidance, procrastination, doing nothing will typically lead to a self-sustaining cycle of unresolved and often escalating problems
44
What are some effective and ineffective short-term coping strategies?
Effective: letting house get messy when you are sick; calling a friend to vent after a long day at work
Ineffective: drinking alcohol to aide sleep; procrastinating on a difficult assignment
45
What are some helpful questions to ask in the problem solving process?
What about the problem makes it difficult to solve?
What cognitive distortions might be playing a role in your perceived inability to solve this problem? (All or nothing thinking, blaming, discounting the positives, emotional reasoning, fortune telling, labelling and mislabelling, overgeneralization, personalization)
Think about any evidence that truly suggests problem is unsolveable, with distortions in mind?
What evidence is there that problem is solveable?
What changes or ideal outcome would you like to see - be specific?
46
What are the 6 steps in making behavioural changes that stick?
1. Identify goal
2. Identify readiness to change
3. Identify barriers
4. Implement change
5. Revisit and revise
6. Reward your self
47
In relation to identifying a goal in making behavioural changes, what does SMART stand for?
Specific: One or two spec behaviours, with specific ideas about what you want to acheive, with whom, where and why
Measureable: What observable manifestation of the goal can be used to measure acheiving it
Attainable: Can the goal be reached given a realistic assessment of resources, time, and circumstances?
Relevant: What is the objective behind the goal, and will the goal move you towards the objective
Time-bound: Create a realistic schedule of changes and steps towards the goal
48
What are questions to ask when identifying readiness to change?
How ready am I?
Is this the right time to make a change?
What are the pros and cons of changing?
What would life be like if you did / did not make change?
What supports, resources, info do you need to make change?
Can you sustain this change in behaviour over time? How?
How could you build on this behaviour over time?
49
What are questions to ask in identifying barriers to behavioural change?
What are the pros and cons of not changing?
What are possible setbacks?
If you tried this change in the past, what got in the way before?
50
What are 3 cognitive strategies that can help implement change?
```
Increase knowledge (b/g knowledge necessary for change)
Understand benefits of change in your life
Identify options: what options / resources do you have to help change?
```
51
What are 8 behavioural processes which can increase likelyhood of behavioural change?
Commit (to yourself, to others)
Substitute alternatives (dif ways to acheive goal)
Enlist supports ( a friend who wants to make same change)
Set reminders of goals
Obtain baseline of behaviour (track reg behaviour for a week)
Realize the powerful impact of conditioning
Approach behavioural change gradually
Make a schedule to build the activity into your life
52
What are a few questions to ask when revisiting and revising behavioural change process?
What is behind the setback? Were expectations too high? Was goal too ambitious? How could I revise the goal to make it more atteinable?
53
What are the 3 physical health factors that have a major impact on emotional and psychological health?
Sleep, exercise, and diet
54
What are the two main types of sleep?
REM and non-REM
55
What are the 5 stages of sleep?
1) Light sleep, easily awakened
2) Eye movement and brain waves slowing
3) Delta waves begin to appear
4) No eye movement, no muscle activity, difficult to wake
5) REM stage - breathing is rapid, irregular and shallow
56
What is the name for the 24-hour biological processes of the body?
Circadian rhythm
57
What quality of activity are circadian rhythm processes coordinated to allow?
High activity during the day, low at night
58
What are some of the main bodily functions regulated by circadian rhythms?
Sleeping, waking, digestion, secretion of adrenalin, body temperature, blood pressure, and pulse
59
What are a couple of common activities that can disrupt circadian rhythms?
Travel and shift work
60
What is the ideal average amount of sleep per night? What are the consequences of more or less?
6-9 hours. Consistently less than 6 leads to health consequences, and more than 9 leads to fatigue and lethargy
61
What resets our circadian rhythm and should therefore be consistent?
Wake up time.
62
When should you go to sleep?
When you are sleepy, not just tired
63
What should you do if you can't fall asleep and start worrying? Why?
Get up after 20 minutes so as not to associate the experience of worrying with your bed.
64
If you had to choose between naps and going to bed earlier, which is better?
From a sleep efficiency perspective, going to bed earlier is better.
65
What is caffeine's half-life? What are the implications for sleep?
5 hours, meaning for ideal sleep, no caffeine after 12pm.
66
How many drinks of alcohol does it take to interfere with sleep?
1 will affect quality of sleep in a negative way
67
How long should you abstain from smoking before bed for best sleep?
2-3 hours, as nicotine stimulates the brain
68
How does exercise affect sleep?
2-3 hours before bed, vigorous exercise can make it difficult to fall asleep. However, stretching, yoga, etc. can help fall asleep.
69
How long are sleeping medications helpful for? What happens if you use them for too long?
5-10 days at a time, max. More extended use may lead to drug tolerance, dependence, withdrawal effects, side effects, and rebound insomnia
70
What is rebound insomnia?
Where sleep problems after medication cessation become worse than they were prior to taking medications
71
What are two safety precautions around sleep medications?
Don't mix with alcohol, and allow 7-8 hours of sleep after taking them
72
What is a supplement that is effective for some people in improving sleep? What dosage?
Melatonin, up to 3mg an hour before sleeping.
73
What are 5 strategies shift workers can use to improve sleep?
1. Increase / decrease light at appropriate times... e.g., sunglasses, blinds after work; light box when waking up
2. Resist temptation to do errands after shift
3. Avoid caffeine, esp in latter part of shift
4. Less frequent shift rotations (change every two weeks rather than 2 days)
5. Short naps, 30-45 minutes, before shift to increase alertness
74
According to the research, what are the short and long-term mental health benefits of frequent physical activity?
Researchers have consistently found that frequent physical activity is greatly associated with reduced depressive, anxiety, and stress-based symptoms, as well as resilience among those without serious mental health issues AND long-term; disciplined physical activity is associated with a lasting decrease in symptoms of stress-based factors such as job-related burnout and exhaustion
75
What is a general guideline for amount of exercise as recommended by American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association?
Moderate intensity aerobic endurance-based physical activity 5 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes, or 20 minute sessions at high intensity. Exercises promoting muscular strength and endurance are additionally recommended for a minimum of 2 days each week.
76
What did a 2012 Swiss Health Survey show in regards to nutrition on mental health?
Individuals consuming appropriate daily portions of fruit and vegetables over a 1-month period had lower psychological distress than those who did not adhere to the plan.
77
What are five main relaxation and stress management techniques?
Diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness, visualization, sports or recreation, and progressive muscle relaxation
78
What is another term for diaphragmatic breathing from sports psychology and military?
Tactical breathing
79
What is diaphragmatic breathing?
Slow, deep breaths from the abdomen, not just from the chest.
80
What is four part breath? How much practice is required?
4 count inhale, 4 count hold, 4 count exhale, 4 count hold (square). Recommend practicing 5-10 minutes when you wake up and before you go to bed.
81
What symptoms of stress are addressed by progressive muscle relaxation?
Muscle tension, and tension headaches (scalp muscles)
82
What are the basic principles of progressive muscle relaxation?
Contract muscle groups for about 5 seconds, then relax. Focus or visualize those muscles. Continue slow and deep breathing throughout. (Breathe in relaxation, breathe out tension)
83
What are two main ways visualization can be applied?
1) Visualize a positive outcome. Imagine yourself running a race, feeling good, or doing a job interview and feeling confident, relaxed.
2) Visualize a calm, pleasant, scene from a memory or imagination. Incorporate the 5 senses.
84
What mental health concerns are addressed by mindfulness?
Mood and anxiety disorders
85
What is the main positive benefit of mindfulness?
Being in the present moment reduces dwelling or ruminating on the past and worrying about the future.
86
What are the main principles in picking a recreation activity?
It should be unrelated to work or school.
Something you enjoy, possibly an activity you used to do and gave up
Challenge is to schedule the activity and commit to it without feeling guilty about doing it
87
Who introduced the field of positive psychology and when?
Martin Seligman in the late 1990s
88
How is positive psychology a departure?
Instead of focusing on pathology and what holds you back, it focuses on resilience, acheiving goals, thriving, strengths based approach, success, happiness, and achievement, gratitude
89
What is the core idea of positive psychology?
The core idea is that there are many positive things within us and around us but we need to notice them and at times seek them out. We need to have gratitude for the good in our lives that we take for granted. We need to realize that we can control to a large extent who our “future self” can be.
90
How was Victor Frankl the embodiment of positive psychology?
He wrote "Man's Search for Meaning" about his life in a concentration camp, and his self psychotherapeutic technique that not only allowed him to survive, but thrive. He identified a “purpose in life” that one could feel positively about and the immersive imagining of that outcome. Frankl purported that the way a prisoner imagined his future impacted his longevity.
91
What is a key positive psychology principle in relation to mood and goals?
That you do have control over mood and achieving goals.
92
What positive psychology exercise emerged from the story of Alfred Nobel?
He was the inventor of dynamite. When his brother died, the newspaper accidentaly printed Alfred Nobel's obituary and called him the "merchant of death." He did not want it to be his legacy, and ended up donating his fortune to the peace prize.
The positive psychology exercise is to write your own obituary.
93
How would you do the obituary exercise?
1) What would you most like to be remembered for? (Values, personality, characteristics, strengths, or relationships)
2) What are your unique contributions and whatever fears, obstacles, and social expectations you have overcome to express authenticity?
3) Write not only about career, but about family, social, and spiritual dimensions of your life
This can help you come up with tangible goals
94
Gratitude is finding happiness in that which we already have. What are three gratitude exercises?
1) The Can of Beans, which was first described by Seph Fontane Pennock. Buy a can of white beans. Eat only that can for a meal one night. Take your time and reflect on the experience of eating that can.
2) Gratitude in the morning. Before getting out of bed, say 3 things that you are grateful for.
3) Journaling - every day if you can. At least once a week. Spend about 5-10 minutes writing about things you are grateful for and why. Be specific. Things that happened to you that you were involved in.
95
What is the best possible life exercise (HOPE)?
Imagine yourself at some point in the future, perhaps 1, 2 or 3 years from now. en imagine the best possible life that you can. All aspects of your life should be considered including health, relationships, career, school, hobbies and tness. Imagine your best possible future life and what would happen in each of these areas of your life.
For this exercise, it is very important to focus on the future. Imagine the future best life possible and that future circumstances have changed enough to permit that life to happen.
For 15 minutes, write continuously about this Future Self with as much detail as possible. For example, if you are in a new job, describe it in detail. If you achieve a tness goal, imagine and describe it in detail.
ere are a few things that can interfere with this exercise and its full impact with regards to instilling hope. First is focussing too much on the present and those things that can interfere with the desired change in circumstances. e second is too much focus on past and outcomes that were less desirable. is exercise de- mands a future focus.
