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RESILIENCE – DEALING WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS 1

Chamberlain Early Assessment Program

Focused Activity

Topic Area Resilience – Dealing with Stressful Situations

Focused Objective: Apply strategies to help build a repertoire of coping skills for dealing with stress in different situations

Coping Skills for Reducing Stress

Realistic Expectations & Judgments ‘Appraisals’

· Life is full of complications. Instead of ‘appraising’ them as problems and failures, reframe them as part of normal everyday life.

· Ask yourself if you have a realistic appraisal of your daily activities. Do your beliefs include a lot of “musts” and “shoulds”? Do you expect perfection in yourself and those around you?

· Idealistic but Unrealistic: “I should block all interruptions and must have all my assignments completed by mid‐morning.”

· Realistic: “I cannot stop all interruptions and complications in my day and need to allow time for them. Some things at school or at work may not go my way. An unexpected test or assignment may come up. So I may need to look at ways to keep my routine flexible.”

· If you find yourself getting wrapped up in the hassles, ask if your reaction is in proportion to the problem.

· Seeing reasonable boundaries and expectations from yourself and others can help differentiate serious issues from daily hassles.

Talk Through Challenges

· Try to coach yourself through difficult challenges by doing using positive self‐talk.

· Give yourself a pep talk before starting.

· “This will be tough, but I will gain a lot from the project.”

· “My experiences have prepared me to succeed.”

· Sustain yourself during the challenging times.

· “This part of the project is difficult but completing it will allow me move on to more enjoyable pieces.”

· “I’m feeling stress right now. I need to relax and trust my original plan.”

· Visualize yourself coping after completing the challenge.

· “There were difficult times, but I finished and it turned out well.”

· “I did a great job taking time to relax at the beginning but took less time at the end. I will remind myself of the importance of relaxation for the next project.”

RESILIENCE – DEALING WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS 2

Physical Stress Management

· Regular exercise is an excellent, healthy coping skill. Going for a walk, a jog, stretching or yoga are all valuable activities that can improve physical and mental health.

· Physical fitness activities do not have to involve expensive memberships or equipment:

· Check local community resources for very inexpensive, and sometimes free, exercise classes. Many yoga studios hold a donation‐only class a few times a week, where participants pay what they can afford.

· Take a walk through your neighborhood or the local park instead of giving into stress-produced comfort food cravings.

· Check your local library for exercise video rentals. The internet can also be a good resource for free tutorials.

· Always ask your doctor if you are well enough to start a new exercise regimen.

· Sometimes our bodies let us know we are under stress even when our mind does not. Tension is often felt in the head, neck, back and hips. Progressive muscle relaxation can help to relieve both physical and psychological stress. In the next section, we will go through a progressive muscle relaxation exercise.

Time Management

· Try to keep some balance with your schedule.

· Balance between school, work, and family life in the areas of daily responsibilities, exercise, and downtime

· Plan short breaks during the day to clear your thoughts, get up and walk, or get away for lunch

· Prioritize tasks and take them on in order of importance

· Break projects down into manageable steps

RESILIENCE – DEALING WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS 3

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Find a comfortable place where you will not experience any interruptions. Lie down and stretch out comfortably.

1. Take a few depth breaths to center yourself before beginning the exercise. Close your eyes.

2. Breathe in. Tense the first muscle group between 5 and 10 seconds. Muscles should be tensed hard but not to the point of cramping. Visualize your muscles tensing.

3. Breathe out. Quickly release the muscle group. Visualize your muscles relaxing.

4. Spend 15 seconds relaxing. Be aware of how relaxing feels as you go through each muscle group.

5. Repeat this sequence for each muscle group listed below.

6. After the last tense and release is finished, take a few deep breaths before you slowly open your eyes. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Slowly bring yourself up into a seated position.

Relax Muscles in Succession:

Scalp and forehead: Wrinkle as if you are frowning

Eyes and nose: Squeeze eyes tightly

Cheeks and jaws: Make a wide smile

Mouth: Purse your lips

Back of the neck: Press your head back

Front of the neck: Touch your chin to your chest

Shoulders: Raise your shoulders to your ears

Upper arms: Flex your biceps

Lower Arms and wrists: Bend your wrists back and flex your forearms

Hands: Make fists

Chest: Puff your chest out (as with a deep breath)

Back: Pull your shoulder blades together

Stomach: Flex your abdominal muscles (feel as if you are pulling your belly button to your spine)

Hips and buttocks: Squeeze the buttocks together

Thighs: Clench your thighs

Lower legs: Point toes up and then down, curling the toes in

Exercise 1:

Name 5 stressors within your life you currently are dealing with on a daily basis.

RESILENCE IN DEALING WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS

What are some healthy, positive coping skills that prove effective in relieving stressful situations in your life?

Exercise 2: Create A Personal Mantra/Inspiring Quote

Your personal and academic growth is imperative to your focus. By creating a personal mantra, you may become empowered to succeed with your goals. A personal mantra is an authentic, individualized expression that is written as a declarative statement. Consider the following questions/responses from above. Focus on how you can encourage yourself daily, thus battling challenges and relieving stressful situations. Your personal mantra or inspiring quote can be original or even a quote from someone else that inspires you. Example: “It always seems impossible until it’s done. – Nelson Mandela.” “I will succeed no matter the circumstances.” “I can’t let my fear get to me during my exams.” “I am strong and smart.”

What is your personal mantra or inspiring quote that helps you during stressful situations? And why?