Education about the impact of stress is another essential PRR skill (PSR indicator C.2.2- “Demonstrates the ability to support individuals with self-monitoring of triggers, early warning signs of illness, and identify strategies to self-manage distress”). Perhaps asking the individual about their knowledge, values, strengths and challenges regarding stress could provide a basis for developing some smart goals to promote wellbeing. The following points may help shape your conversation re managing stress with people.
- What is stress: stress is a typical response to situational pressures or demands, especially when perceived as threatening or dangerous. Stress is your body’s response to anything that requires attention or action.
- Everyone experiences stress from time to time – this is normal and a little bit of stress can be positive by helping us accomplish everyday tasks, meet deadlines, bre productive and arrive on time for important events, or protect ourselves.
- On the other hand, long term stress can be harmful and increases the risk for mental health and medical problems, such as anxiety, depression, substance use and sleep issues, as well as gastrointestinal problems, a weakened immune system, difficulty conceiving, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
- The important thing to understand is that how we respond to stress makes a big difference to our overall wellbeing.– that is, it is how we perceive the stress/ stressor, versus the stress or situation itself that most influences our reaction and ultimately the impact of the stress.
- Everyone responds differently to stress, and both the impact of stress and coping styles can vary from person to person. So how we respond to the stress being experienced will greatly influence our wellbeing. This means we do have some choice and opportunity to influence how stress impacts us.
Some suggestions to offer when someone is feeling stressed:
- Recognize symptoms of stress, and that it is normal to experience stress, especially if we are feeling unwell.
- Consider reviewing your wellness plan and prioritize self care
- Ask for help from treatment providers and team when you need to
- Stay connected to your support network
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a daily routine
- Get enough sleep
- Eat healthy
To support people to respond and cope with stress, there are a variety of tools and resources available to build resilience and coping strategies.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness practices are evidence based approaches to managing stress.
- Exercise is another best practice approach.
- Research overwhelmingly supports that physical exercise improves mental health, particularly depression and anxiety. Guidelines indicate a combination of cardiovascular and strength training at moderate to high intensity several times per week improves mental health via social, self-efficacy and biological pathways.
To learn more and build awareness of several evidenced based CBT and mindfulness resources, as well as tools to incorporate exercise into services:
- https://exerciseanddepression.ca/ to access the depression toolkit
- https://www.johnwbrickfoundation.org/move-your-mental-health-report/
- https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/stress
- https://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/community-resource-sheets/mindfulness-resources-pdf.pdf
- https://www.anxietycanada.com/resources/mindshift-cbt/https://www.anxietycanada.com/