We hear so much about the negative efects of stress on health, but we seldom
hear anything about the positive efects of stress.
We may talk about cutting the stress from our lives, but we need those confronted with an unexpected, needed-it-yesterday deadline at work, or when we have to rearrange our schedule to accommodate personal commitments. When the brain perceives physical or psychological stress, it starts pumping the chemicals cortisol and adrenaline into the body. Instantly, the heart beats faster, blood pressure increases, senses sharpen, a rise in blood glucose invigorates us and were ready to rock. Challenge and thrill are part of stress. Good stress is the spark that drives us to achieve more, to improve the quality of The challenge of a new situation and the stimulation that it creates might be
positive ones, cause a certain degree of stress. For example getting a new job is a positive change, getting married, falling in love, getting a raise or even winning a tennis match. We need a certain amount of stress to achieve peak performance. In fact, too little stress leads to: boredom lack of motivation
not reaching your potential low self-esteem. Workplaces can sufer with people who may be under-stressed with their jobs, uninspired, disinterested and disengaged thus leading to poor performance. As we move from boredom toward the optimum zone on the performance arc, the brain triggers increasing levels of stress hormones and we enter the range of good stress, where our performance picks up. Is stress good for you to achieve peak performance? July 2014 The key topics this month are: Stress - how can it be good for you? Stress Down Relaxation technique - meditation Stress Down Laugh much and laugh often. Laughter is a powerful stress relief tool. Laughter is known to: Increase feelings of well-being. Open up your creativity. Lower blood pressure. Stimulate the production of endorphins. Stress Down day is an annual event in Australia. This day is dedicated to reducing the burden of stress and encourages workplaces to have fun with their colleagues, friends or family to reduce stress levels. Humour, a great stress reliever! Laugh, be happy and have less stress! - Catherine Pulsifer Challenges like getting motivated to reach a goal, being called on to exhibit your best skills, or a teams race to meet a deadline, focus our attention and elicit our best efforts on the job at hand. Good stress gets us engaged, enthused, motivated and mobilises just enough to do the job effectively. As a result, employees are more productive, give better attention to customers and are more loyal to the organisation. Too much stress is harmful for your brain, but so is too little. That is, the right amount of stress is good for your brain. So how do we know when it is too much stress or just the right amount of stress? That varies from person to person.
Optum TM has created a short video to help you identify a few causes of stress and how the EAP can help. Please type in your login details (as below) when prompted. Username: video Password OptumEAP@12 Stress becomes harmful when it exceeds our ability to cope. This harmful stress is called distress. At a glance: Left unchecked, stress can have a devastating effect on your health and relationships so its important to learn to manage it. There are plenty of simple techniques you can learn to help reduce the causes of stress. However trapped you may feel in your situation, remember that there is always a solution and that you do have control. It may be tough to tell when youre experiencing good or bad stress, but there are important ways that your body lets you know that youre struggling with too much stress. Watch out for the following warning signs: inability to concentrate or complete tasks getting sick more often with colds body aches other illnesses like autoimmune diseases fare up headaches irritability trouble falling asleep or staying awake changes in appetite increased anger or anxiety. Why you shouldnt ignore stress Meeting the demands of your customers, colleagues and managers can be a challenge. However, its important that you recognise the difference between a healthy challenge and unhealthy job stress. Relaxation technique - Meditation Meditation, used for many years in Eastern cultures, is now widely accepted as a relaxation technique. The goal of all meditative procedures, both religious and therapeutic, is to quiet the mind (essentially, to relax thought). Studies have suggested that regular meditation can beneft the heart and help reduce blood pressure. Some recommend meditating for no longer than 20 minutes in the morning after waking and then again in early evening before dinner. Even once a day is helpful. New practitioners should understand that it can be diffcult to quiet the mind and should not be discouraged by lack of immediate results. Several techniques are available including: Mindfulness Meditation Mindfulness is a common practice that focuses on breathing. It employs the basic technique used in other forms of meditation. Sit upright with the spine straight, either cross-legged or sitting on a frm chair with both feet on the foor, uncrossed. With the eyes closed or gently looking a few feet ahead, observe the exhalation of the breath. As the mind wanders, simply note it as a fact and return to the out breath. It may be helpful to imagine your thoughts as clouds dissipating away. Transcendental Meditation (TM) TM uses a mantra (a word that has a specifc chanting sound but no meaning). The person meditating repeats the word silently, letting thoughts come and go. Mini-Meditation This method involves heightening awareness of the immediate surrounding environment. Choose a routine activity when alone. For example: While washing dishes, concentrate on the feel of the water and dishes. Allow the mind to wander to any immediate sensory experience (sounds outside the window, smells from the stove, colours in the room). Positive vs. Negative Stress Optimum Zone Peak Performance Distress: Increase tiredness, indecisiveness, decrease productivity and accuracy, can lead to burnout Stress P e r f o r m a n c e Under-stressed: Under-involved, frustration, rust-out Left unchecked, work stress m ay: Reduce your productivity. Ruin your holidays. Make you feel unhappy at work. Interfere with your family time. In time, stress can wear your body down and can increase the risk of injury and disease so dont ignore it! If you are feeling tense and worried about work, you can learn to manage it with relaxation techniques, counselling, exercise, assertiveness training and improved social skills.
Optum data over the last two years shows that the most common issue for accessing the EAP is stress and coping. Optum data - top 15 issues reported (2012 & 2013). Things to remember about stress It is not all in the mind. It can happen to any of us do not feel ashamed to admit that you are feeling stressed. Stress is a contributory factor in many other illnesses so dont ignore it. Recognising the signs and symptoms early is important so be vigilant at all times. We cannot stop stress from happening but we can minimise its efects. Take time of for hobbies and set aside a small amount of time each day to do something that is important to you.
manager for more engaging tasks. Enhance your concentration abilities so you can pay more attention which leads to high performance. Laugh it is good for you. Become more aware when you or others leave the zone of positive stress and peak performance so you can do something about it. Take control - talk to your EAP before stress becomes a concern. If the mind begins to think about
unformed thoughts or worries, redirect it gently back. This redirection of brain activity from your thoughts and worries to your senses disrupts the stress response and prompts relaxation. It also helps promote an emotional and sensual appreciation of simple pleasures already present in a persons life. Note: Meditating before going to bed may cause some people to wake up in the middle of the night, alert and unable to return to sleep. The only potential risks from meditating are in people with psychosis, in whom meditating may trigger a psychotic event. Access Livewell Your online wellbeing resource has numerous factsheets and tools to help you manage your stress.
Access the Five-Step Programme on the site to understand the causes of short-term stress in your life. 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 2012 2013 Supp ort Optum can support you in times of need and explore possible strategies that will assist you to re-balance your life as soon as possible. Call us today.
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12 Explosive Secrets To Eliminate Stress And Change Your Brain: A Complete Guide To 12 Principles That Will Eliminate Your Everyday Stress, Change Your Mind And Life