Stress Management Mentoring CPD & Supervision

What is Stress What is Stress? Stress arises when individuals perceive that they cannot adequately cope with the demands being made on them or with threats to their well-being. R.S. Lazarus (1966). … a perceptual phenomenon arising from a comparison between the demand on the person and his or her ability to cope. An imbalance in this mechanism, when coping is important, gives rise to the experience of stress, and to the stress response. T. Cox (1978). Stress results from an imbalance between demands and resources. R.S. Lazarus and S. Folkman (1984). Stress is the psychological, physiological and behavioural response by an individual when they perceive a lack of equilibrium between the demands placed upon them and their ability to meet those demands, which, over a period of time, leads to ill-health. S. Palmer (1989). A simple definition that can be used is: Stress occurs when pressure exceeds your perceived ability to cope.

Exercise One Working in pairs or small groups, discuss: –What causes stress for you at work? Consider everyday stresses and chronic stresses (what has been the biggest cause of stress over the last 12 months?) –How do you know when you are stress? Think about what physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms you experience.

Exercise Two Identifying your stressed Working in twos or small groups discuss: –What are your early warning signs of stress? –What is the first thing you notice? –What are your of long term stress symptoms? Coping with stress –How do you usually handle stress? –How effective are your coping behaviours, do they reduce or eliminate stress? –Have you used coping strategies in the past but no longer use?

Exercise Three Changing situations Choose one of your stress causes and discuss how this situation might be changed or improved. –ie loss – seeking support, journaling, finding enjoyable activities Identify –the coping strategies you have used in the past and would like to use again. –three new coping strategies. How will you use these techniques? How will these techniques affect your stress levels What changes will you expect to occur?

Application How could you use this information with your mentee?