Anxiety management Archives - Your Mind Matters

DISTRESS TOLERANCE – AN INTRODUCTION TO A DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOUR THERAPY (DBT) PRINCIPLE

laura on 11/09/2024

There’s no question that feelings can be highly, highly unpleasant. For many people, emotions can become so overpowering that they can compel us to do things we mightn’t be proud of – we can yell, throw things, or binge drink.

Many clients we see at Your Mind Matters struggle with big emotions – some clients report feeling emotionally dysregulated when they’re upset, and struggle to bring themselves back to a baseline, neutral state. It’s a common problem, and can lead to all kinds of difficulties.

This blog is about Distress Tolerance, which is a host of psychological tools that can help us when we’re struggling with truly overwhelming feelings. The goal of Distress Tolerance is not to eliminate an emotion, or even significantly reduce its intensity – instead, it’s about teaching us to tolerate the emotion, and withstand the urges that can come with it. It belongs to a kind of therapy called Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

DBT is an evidence-based therapy for multiple forms of mental health challenges, and contains plenty of ideas that can be great for anyone’s emotional wellbeing. DBT breaks itself up into lots of different bits and pieces – one of these is a Skills component, that has Distress Tolerance as a sub-school inside it. You can think of DBT as a big book – Skills is a chapter, and Distress Tolerance takes up a few pages in that chapter.

Distress Tolerance is about asking yourself what behaviours your emotions urge you toward, with a particular focus on the kind of behaviours that lead to greater distress later on – i.e., make the situation worse. For instance, if you were a tennis player whose emotions led to an urge to smash your racquet against the court, your Distress Tolerance goal could be to reduce your racquet-smashing – because this will make you feel embarrassed or guilty later on, and avoid the competitive consequences that come with it. Note the player’s goal wouldn’t be to feel less angry, although this would be nice… instead, Distress Tolerance asks you to ride that emotion more effectively, and not make the feeling worse.

Other behavioural goals can be:

Not binge-drinking alcohol.
Not texting people with threats, sarcasm, or aggressive themes.
Not using drugs.
Not self-harming.

Distress Tolerance asks clients to build a Distress Tolerance Toolkit – i.e., a set of skills that include self-soothing, distraction, connecting with others, and mindfulness. Again, we’d hope these tools reduce the intensity of your feelings; but more importantly, we’d hope they lead to you tolerating your distress without engaging in life-worsening behaviour.

There are lots of methods and strategies DBT uses in their Distress Tolerance framework – many of them are available for free from their official website: (https://dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com/distress-tolerance/).

Some questions for your reflection:

Why don’t I like unpleasant feelings? Aside from being viscerally uncomfortable, is there something I’m worried the feelings will do to me? I.e., that I’ll lose control, or not be able to recover?

How do I deal with highly unpleasant feelings? If I watched myself living with difficult feelings on CCTV, what would I see myself doing?

Do I do things that make my life worse, or increase a sense of shame or guilt? What sort of things are they? Do I want to change these typical responses, and why?
Lastly – am I being too hard on myself? Often, clients say they ‘respond badly’ to certain feelings… but there’s nothing necessarily wrong with eating more chocolate than usual, or scrolling on your phone for a few minutes. If you want to change those things, that’s great – but it’s certainly not compulsory for good mental health.

This blog was written by Patrick (Paddy) Carey – Clinical Psychologist at YMM.

Paddy works with adults presenting with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, trauma and stressor-related disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, substance and gambling issues, psychosis spectrum disorders, and grief and loss. He is trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Metacognitive Training (MCT), and mindfulness approaches.

Paddy is focused on developing warm, trusting, and strengths-based relationships with clients. He recognises that his clients are the foremost experts in the room, and unearthing their own expertise is crucial to applying his skills.

To learn more about Paddy, check out the “Our Team” page on our website! https://yourmindmatters.net.au/our-team/

Working through trauma from a schema therapy lens

laura on 11/01/2024

Photo by Aditya Saxena on Unsplash

My previous blog aimed at providing a brief overview of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder. Click here to read more: https://yourmindmatters.net.au/a-brief-overview-of-trauma-and-posttraumatic-stress-disorder/. This blog focuses on how therapy can aid in processing past traumatic or upsetting experiences.

There is an abundance of research on various modalities for working through trauma in a therapeutic context. Here we unpack the use of imagery rescripting, a schema therapy intervention. Please note, this is not the sole treatment approach available.

What is Schema Therapy?

Schema Therapy focuses on understanding how our past experiences have shaped our schemas (beliefs specific to ourselves and the world around us). During our childhood, our needs may not have been met (e.g., our need for support, nurturance, safety/protection, emotional connection) which contributed to the development of early maladaptive schemas, unhelpful behavioural patterns and coping mechanisms.

A part of schema therapy is aimed at building attunement (‘tuning in’) to our emotional responses when faced with a triggering situation or event. It is about building awareness of how current life stressors can activate our schemas and lead to strong feelings and behavioural responses. Often, it is not the current event that evokes such an intense emotion, but more about how we interpret this event and the meaning we derive from it based on our early experiences. For instance, exposure to trauma or an upsetting event may lead to interpretations such as “This is my fault”, “I am bad/unworthy/not good enough”.

Preparation for Processing Past Trauma

Prior to moving into imagery rescripting, your clinician will complete a thorough intake and assessment. Often, it may be necessary to build emotion regulation skills and learn relaxation strategies, to ensure that you are ready to move to the part of therapy where rescripting occurs. You might be asked to complete questionnaires, which look at the symptoms you experience and the impact on your daily functioning. This can provide valuable information and can be used to measure your progress throughout treatment.

Imagery Rescripting

Imagery rescripting is a therapeutic technique, where through the guidance of a trained clinician, one re-imagines a past painful memory, entering the image from the perspective of their child self. The aim is to change the way one feels and thinks about the event, by inserting new meanings/interpretations and leading to a corrective emotional response. The focus is on imagining a different outcome where the individual’s needs (for example, for safety, protection, nurturance) are met. During an imagery rescripting exercise, one does not need to relive the traumatic or upsetting event. What occurs is that the image is paused when a ‘hot spot’ (the moment feelings of distress begin to appear) is reached, and the therapist enters the image to support the client and meet their needs.

Now at this point, you may be thinking, “but that doesn’t change what actually happened”. And you are right. We can’t go back and change the past, but what we can do is change how you think and feel about the memory. Brain studies have shown that the brain responds in a similar way to imagining and actually experiencing an event.

The process of imagery rescripting takes approximately 12-15 minutes, but can vary from person to person. Once the image has been rescripted, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the experience of the exercise with your clinician. Many clients have provided positive feedback regarding imagery rescripting and reported a shift in their emotional response and beliefs when they think of the rescripted memory. This includes feeling ‘lighter’ when thinking about the memory, feeling less distressed and reduced anxiety.

If you would like some support in working through past upsetting experiences, our team of psychologists are here to help.

This blog was written by Maria Kampantais – Psychologist and Clinical Registrar at YMM.

Maria has been consulting at YMM since 2016 and has an interest in working with clients presenting with anxiety disorders and past trauma. Maria offers a warm and supportive space to assist clients in navigating their presenting concerns and explore past painful experiences. Maria aims to support clients to build awareness into how past experiences may have shaped their belief system and subsequent emotional responses, and move towards healing through developing helpful coping mechanisms. Maria draws on various evidence-based therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness techniques, and Schema Therapy.

To learn more about Maria, check out the “Our Team” page on our website! https://yourmindmatters.net.au/our-team/

Breaking the Cycle: Why Avoidance Behaviours Lead to More Avoidance

laura on 11/11/2023

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

Anxiety can be an uncomfortable and distressing feeling that we want to get rid of. This can lead to making choices that will alleviate our anxiety in the quickest way. Avoidance behaviours can encompass a wide range of physical and mental actions, from procrastination and refusing to think about certain things, to social withdrawal and distracting oneself. These behaviours can momentarily ease discomfort but ultimately reinforce the problems they are meant to alleviate.

Here’s how the cycle of avoidance typically unfolds:

Temporary Relief

When we avoid a difficult situation, we experience temporary relief from the discomfort, anxiety, or fear associated with it. This relief reinforces the idea that avoidance is helpful.

Escalation of Anxiety

Over time, avoiding the situation increases anxiety because the problem remains unsolved. This makes the problem more overwhelming and challenging when we come to address it at a later date.

Reinforcement of Avoidance

Since avoidance initially provided relief, we’re more likely to use it again in the face of similar challenges. This strengthens the use of avoidance behaviour as a coping strategy.

Negative Consequences

Avoidance behaviours often lead to negative consequences, such as missed opportunities, damaged relationship and compromised performance (i.e., academic grades or work-evaluations). These consequences can amplify the problems we were trying to avoid in the first place.

Breaking the Cycle

Breaking the cycle of avoidance can seem daunting and overwhelming. However, gradually taking steps to confronting feared situations will go a long way in breaking down this cycle and building a sense of confidence. While it may be tempting to jump into the deep-end and tackle your biggest fear first, taking a slow and persistent approach allows for you to learn and practice skills that can assist you.

Seek Support

Reach out to friends, family, or professionals for support when dealing with challenging situations or emotions. Having a support network can make it easier to confront problems.

Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness helps keeps us in the present and from catastrophising about hypothetical outcomes.

Problem-Solving

Instead of avoiding problems altogether, break it down into more manageable steps. Create an action plan to assist with tackling these steps.

Self-Compassion

Be kind to yourself. Avoid self-criticism, and recognise that there may be set-backs. Self-compassion can reduce the fear associated with confronting difficulties.

Avoidance behaviours may offer temporary relief, but they are ultimately counterproductive, fuelling a cycle of increased avoidance. To break this pattern, it’s vital to confront challenges directly and adopt healthier coping strategies. By doing so, we can not only avoid the negative consequences of avoidance but also experience personal growth and resilience.

This blog was written by Simone Chaochalakorn – Psychologist at YMM.

Simone has experience working in a variety of contexts, including working with young children in primary schools, as well as adolescents in clinics. Alongside this, Simone has also assisted adults and seniors with concerns such as work-related stress, relationship difficulties, anxiety and low mood. Simone uses a client-centered approach, in which she strives to understand each individual and their unique problem, in order to find the most effective strategies to help them.

To learn more about Simone, check out the “Our Team” page on our website! https://yourmindmatters.net.au/our-team/

Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

laura on 08/05/2023

Image source: helpguide.org

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Maybe you’ve heard someone refer to themselves as having “OCD” or being “OCD” about certain things like cleanliness or orderliness. In reality, OCD is a mental illness that can dramatically impact someone’s life. OCD is characterised by the presence of intrusive and unwanted thoughts, ideas or images (obsessions) that lead to increased anxiety and repetitive, intentional rituals (compulsions) that are used to remove the anxiety. For more information relating to the understanding of OCD, check out our earlier blog here: https://yourmindmatters.net.au/understanding-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/

Why does OCD occur?

OCD tends to gradually build in severity due to the relationship that exists between the two factors, obsessions and compulsions. We are hardwired to attempt to solve problems with behavioural solutions, which for a long time in history that was integral! Thousands of years ago, we needed to effectively identify and avoid threats. If we didn’t feel the need to run away from a tiger hurdling towards us, we probably wouldn’t survive very long. In OCD, there is a miscalculation of a threat, where our obsessive, intrusive thought causes us undue anxiety. Often, we’re aware that these obsessions are irrational, yet we still have an urge to escape the “threat”. For example, someone with OCD may find themselves frequently thinking “If I forgot to turn the stove off, my house will burn down!” (obsession) feeling more and more anxious about it until they check to confirm they indeed have turned the stove off (compulsion). By checking, they have addressed the anxiety and the worry goes away until the obsession returns, which in some cases may be in a matter of minutes. In OCD, the person’s brain has LEARNT that the COMPULSION relieves ANXIETY and therefore wants to do it more!

How is OCD treated?

OCD can be a challenging condition to treat. Prolonged practice of challenging obsessions and confronting compulsions can assist in minimising the severity of OCD and can significantly improve wellbeing. When dealing with OCD, we want to focus on addressing both Obsessions and Compulsions, if we can find ways to disrupt both elements, we have two points of attack in challenging the OCD cycle.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a first-line recommended treatment for OCD. In CBT, we attempt to understand why the obsessions are occurring and why our brain has labelled them as “threatening”. During this process we also explore strategies that help us to minimise the use of compulsions, which are often the most impactful element of OCD. Often, this is done through something called exposure therapy.

Graded Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy for OCD

When entering a cold body of water, you might find it uncomfortable or difficult to stay in the water. However, after some time submerged, your body becomes used to the cold sensation and the water becomes much easier to tolerate. Much like cold water, the longer we can sit in the discomfort of anxiety without using compulsions to escape (i.e., get out of the water), the easier it gradually becomes.

(Image source: CBT4Panic.org)

Graded Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) is a process frequently used in addressing the compulsions of OCD. In this process, the client and the therapist work together to develop an exposure hierarchy, which is like a ladder of different experiences that are gradually more anxiety-provoking. After this, the client is exposed to each level of the ladder over a handful of sessions until each level feels manageable, gradually reaching the top of the ladder. In each instance, the job is to sit in the anxiety without using the compulsion to “escape” (or get out of the pool).

It’s a bit like weightlifting! If we want to lift 100kg and we’ve never touched a weight, it’s going to be very hard because we aren’t strong enough. But if we gradually increase the weight as we build up our strength, eventually we can lift the 100kg! The best thing about this process is that the task in front of us isn’t getting any harder because we are getting stronger. Similarly, our exposure hierarchy doesn’t tend to get much harder because we are building our tolerance to different situations.

ERP is super helpful in addressing compulsions but also facilitates challenging our anxious obsessions. Our anxious voice tells us that we have to use our compulsions in these situations, which we are able to challenge by showing ourselves that we can get through the discomfort without them.

(Example exposure hierarchy source: TherapistAid.com)

If you would like assistance addressing personal challenges in your own life related to OCD, why not give us a call? Our team of highly skilled and well-experienced Psychologists are here to help. Call us now and take that first step towards obtaining the life you deserve!

References

Abramowitz, J. S., Deacon, B. J., & Whiteside, S. P. H. (2010). Exposure therapy for anxiety : Principles and practice. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Abramowitz, J. S. (2006). The psychological treatment of obsessive—compulsive disorder. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(7), 407-416. doi: 10.1177/070674370605100702.

Hezel, D. M., & Simpson, H. B. (2019). Exposure and response prevention for obsessive- compulsive disorder: A review and new directions. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 61(1), S85. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_516_18

This blog was written by Steven Andritsos – Psychologist at YMM.

Steven recently completed the Master of Clinical Psychology program at Charles Sturt University. He is passionate about collaboratively working with clients and using research-backed interventions to assist treatment plans.

Steven is interested in working with teenagers and adults who may be experiencing challenges related to depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, phobias, and other sources of daily stress. With a primary foundation of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Steven explores the integration of other therapeutic techniques (including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) in order to optimise the cooperative work he does with his clients.

To learn more about Steven, check out the “Our Team” page on our website! https://yourmindmatters.net.au/our-team/

So….what is CBT exactly? (Podcast Episode!)

laura on 01/05/2022

Moving on from Parentification

laura on 08/04/2022

Do you identify with any of the following?

Feel overly responsible for the emotional needs of others
Insecure about depending on others
Guilty in the face of attempting to prioritise your own needs
Struggle with drawing boundaries
Often feel like you are not doing enough for others

If you endorsed any of the above, could you have been a parentified child?

“Parentification” is the outcome of a role reversal, wherein a child finds themselves obliged to act as a parent to their own parent or siblings. Rather than the parent responding to the child’s emotional needs, the child feels compelled to take on the role of meeting the parent’s emotional needs. Consequently, the child becomes highly attuned to any changes in the parent’s mood. This can occur due to a variety of different situations, for example, in the face of divorce, where a parent turns to the child for ‘emotional unloading’, the child quickly becomes an ear for the parent’s distress, perhaps acting as an advisor or mediator. Basically, the parent inappropriately turns to their child to meet his or her own needs for affection, approval, reassurance, stability or control….

What a hefty burden for a child to bear, at any age! Often this results in the child maturing quickly and taking on the role of an adult way too early! Most of the time, in parentification there is no malicious intent, the parents love their child but with limited capacity and are driven by personal vulnerabilities.

As adults, these children would likely endorse the above questions. Whether aware of this process or not, they may refer to their parent as their “best friend”, “lifeline”, or “confidant”, however, often report feeling empty, smothered, and struggle with their sense of self-identity. While the personal impacts of parentification can be distressing, the role of caretaker can also provide a sense of control, certainty, and safety. It is often not until these adults reach a point of utter burn-out that the impacts of this role are considered.

So perhaps you have identified some of these themes in yourself and your relationship with a parent. If you have, a sense of anger and loss is completely understandable. If you are interested in starting your journey toward healing from parentification the below tips may be a good starting point:

Own/tell your story: As part of reclaiming elements of your lost childhood, that inner child needs to tell their story. Acknowledging your truth is the first step that will likely allow room for justified feelings of grief and anger. Therapy provides a non-judgemental safe space for your truth to be heard.
Prioritise your own needs: Often a deprivation of joy and play can accompany a parentified history. The good news is that you can become your own parent to your inner child and allow them to play, make a mess, and soak up the things that make their heart glad. It may take some time for you to connect with your needs so take it slow, it might be that you start off with prioritising some time for a hobby or activity that you don’t often get around to.
Self-compassion: Guilt is an emotion that is frequently felt by the parentified child and often this guilt does not fit the facts. Typically, the automatic default is to assume that things are their fault with the inner critic pushing them to do more for others. It’s time to extend yourself a kind hand and cultivate self-compassion.
Thank the inner critic: The inner critic that berates you with the “do more” and the “fix it” story formed as a coping mechanism in times of distress. Instead of leaning into the critic with contempt, it may be helpful to recognise the critic for their help but remind them that you have got it from here!

As with healing from any form of trauma, this will take time. Tread softly with yourself, nurture your needs, you deserve to! Psychotherapy can also provide a space for you to practice these skills and help you process your feelings along the way. Our team of psychologists are here to help.

References:

Interpersonal Process in Therapy: An Integrative Model- Book by Edward Teyber

https://doctorlib.info/psychiatry/breaking-negative-thinking-patterns/3.html

https://eggshelltherapy.com/parentification/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/living-emotional-intensity/201912/did-you-have-grow-too-soon

This blog was written by Blair Raatjes, Psychologist at Your Mind Matters Psychology Services. She works with us 2 days per week.

Blair understands that seeking psychological help for the first time can be a nerve wracking experience for clients, therefore, she is committed to providing a warm, accepting and compassionate environment. She believes that collaboration, empathetic understanding, and respect are essential components to therapy and is interested in evidence-based approaches that emphasise the importance of catering to each client’s needs and strengths. Blair has experience using key therapeutic techniques, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Motivational Interviewing and has a keen interest in Mindfulness based techniques such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

To learn more about Maria, check out the “Our Team” page on our website! https://yourmindmatters.net.au/our-team/

Understanding Your Thoughts

laura on 21/03/2022

Simply put, thoughts are our opinions and beliefs about ourselves, others and the world around us. Thoughts can be experienced in different ways. Some of us think in the form of ‘words’, images/pictures, or even both. We all have that ‘voice’ in our head that helps us process events that are unfolding around us. Sometimes our inner self-talk can be very positive, supportive and encouraging, almost like a cheerleader. However, at times it can be very critical. You may have heard of the term ‘the inner critic’; this is the part of you that scrutinises/judges you. It may, for example, tell you that you ‘should’ do better or that you’re failing in life.

A big part of therapy is to shift our thinking. Now we have all heard the term ‘positive thinking’. We might be going through a tough situation and in an attempt to help, a friend or loved one may tell us “STOP thinking so negatively and think more positively!!”. Easier said then done, right?! We first need to understand our thoughts, before we can start to shift them. Most importantly, we need to understand what has led us to form that interpretation of the situation/event at hand, ourselves, others or the world.

Let’s start at the beginning… First and foremost, you CAN NOT stop yourself from thinking! The more you tell yourself to ‘stop thinking’ the more you think that thought! Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? I bet the answer is YES! And your mind sings it over, and over, and over! It becomes annoying, right? And the more you try to ‘get rid of’ that song, the more your mind keeps replaying it. Eventually, you may decide to stop fighting it and allow your mind to ‘sing’, you allow the song to be there, and go on with your day, focusing on what is important to you. And alas… IT GOES AWAY!!

Above, I mentioned that thoughts are words/pictures/images. I want you to keep this in mind. Thoughts in and of themselves do not have any meaning; they are words/pictures/images formed in our mind about our interpretation of a situation. We are the ones who give our thoughts meaning…we think them and automatically believe them to be true. Just because you think something, it DOES NOT make it true. For example, if you had the thought “I’m not a good friend”, that does not make it a fact.

We can often get caught in ‘thinking traps’. These are also referred to as cognitive distortions. Thinking traps are inaccuracies in thinking which are often very unhelpful and get in the way of us viewing a situation more objectively. Here are some common thinking traps:

Mindreading – We believe we know what others are thinking, and they have a negative opinion of us. The truth is, we can’t possibly know what someone else is thinking as we are not mind readers.
Fortune telling – When you tell yourself that something won’t work out; almost like you are predicting the future.
Black and white thinking – Viewing situations/events in terms of extremes and not seeing the in-between. For example, seeing things as either good or bad, a success or a failure.
Catastrophising – Telling yourself that the worst thing imaginable will happen and you won’t be able to cope.
‘Should’ statements – Placing standards on how you ‘should’ or ‘must’ behave/think/feel.
Overgeneralisation – Thinking in terms of ‘always’ or ‘never’. For example, “I can never get anything right”.

Rather than refer to our thoughts as ‘positive’ or ‘negative’, I personally prefer to use the terms ‘helpful’ or ‘unhelpful’. Ask yourself, is it useful for me to think this way? Does this help me to live by my values and purse my goals? In the same way that we stop trying to ‘get rid of’ the songs stuck in our mind, we want to start making choices towards not engaging in our thoughts or getting stuck in the trap of ‘believing them’. Instead, we want to start noticing them more mindfully.

Our thoughts can be quite powerful and influence us in many ways. If you would like some support to shift your thinking to be more helpful and aligned with your values, our team of psychologists are here to help.

This blog was written by Maria Kampantais – Psychologist and Clinical Registrar at YMM.

Maria has been consulting at YMM for many years and enjoys working with clients through the use of evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness techniques, Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Solution Focused Therapy (SFT).

To learn more about Maria, check out the “Our Team” page on our website! https://yourmindmatters.net.au/our-team/

Accessing Support over our Christmas Closure

laura on 13/12/2019

Christmas can be a challenging time of year for some of our clients, so we thought it may be helpful to share some resources.

For 24 hour telephone support, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14

Mensline: 24/7 support for men: 1300 78 99 78

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 457

Headspace- 1800 650 890 (for young people aged between 12 and 25)

SANE offer support via phone and website from 10am-10pm, head to SANE.org

If you prefer to talk face-to-face, try to speak with a trust friend or family member, or book an appointment with your GP, who will also be able to link you in with services.

We have quite a number of blogs dedicated to self-care on our website, which you may also enjoy reading, and there are many apps (free!) aimed to help with stress management (Calm, Happify, and Headspace are amongst the most popular).

Coping and Managing with Workplace Stress

laura on 24/07/2019

The workplace environment is rapidly and constantly changing. With online platforms, digital tools and smart devices make work more portable and professional lives more accessible than ever. Whilst these devices are intended to simplify things, they also make professional and personal lives more stressful. It has become all too easy for work to be a 24/7 pursuit. The number of Australian workers stressed because of technology has increased by 27 per cent since 2016, according to the latest workplace survey from Reventure, 2017.

With organisations increasingly putting a strong emphasis on employee productivity, many workers are faced with long hours, unrealistic workloads and looming deadlines. The pressure to be ever-available and ultra-responsive could be having an adverse effect on the health and productivity of employees.

According to statistics provided by health insurance provider Medibank, 3.2 days are lost every year per worker due to stress-related absenteeism. The total cost on the economy weighs in at a staggering $14.81 billion per year, with more than $10 billion being a direct cost to employers. These statistics highlight the importance of maintaining mental wellbeing in the workplace.

Stress affects everyone differently, but there are common symptoms:

Firstly, there are the immediate physical symptoms, like sweaty palms, racing heart, tense muscles, clenched teeth, high blood pressure, and low energy.
Then there are the mental symptoms like constant worrying, racing thoughts, forgetfulness, an inability to focus, and being overly pessimistic.
Lastly, and probably most disruptive to the ability to work, is the emotional impact of workplace stress. Stress causes people to feel overwhelmed and out of control. It is easier to become agitated and frustrated, thus making workplace relationships more difficult. Decision making, focussing and quieting down racing thoughts, becoming a struggle. All of these can lead to a loss of self-esteem and confidence, which in turn leads to procrastination and a loss of motivation.

So here are some tips that can assist in the reduction of work stress:

Getting enough sleep- A healthy mind requires enough sleep. Most would agree that adequate sleep is the most important element in reducing stress and living a balanced lifestyle.

Keeping to a healthy sleep routine, reducing use of electronics before bed and simply an earlier bedtime are all recommended as a means of ensuring adequate sleep.

Reduce the number of interruptions at work- Emails, phone calls, co-workers and clients, many of us can relate to being bombarded from a multitude of sources vying for our attention throughout the day. The high number of distractions encountered in the modern workplace, is a factor in workplace stress.

Allocating structured time periods to deal with tasks requiring communication and collaboration, would enable one to better manage and control interruptions, while setting aside the rest of the day to concentrate on the task at hand.

Setting boundaries on a workday- Continually increasing workload, changes to work environment and unrealistic work expectations increase the chances of burnout, which is characterised by constant fatigue, cynicism, feelings of disenchantment and loss of motivation.

Without clear boundaries, the temptation to continue working is more difficult to contain. Reducing the temptation to overwork requires the identification of factors contributing to the need to put in long hours. These can include:

Unrealistic deadlines;
Scheduling interruptions and work across timelines;
Readily available access to communication (email, phone, chat).

Once identified, these factors can be changed. This may include scheduling work and rest times, having a discussion with management about reasonable workloads and expectations and controlling technology access.

Ensuring that regular breaks are taken- Research shows workplace performance improves after a period of rest and recovery, even among people who enjoy their work.

Whilst taking breaks is important, taking the right types of breaks is also significant. Some suggestion include: Going outside where practical since fresh air has been found to increase energy levels; Resting eyes from all of the screens; Doing some brief stretching exercises; Eating the right food and drinking plenty of water.

There’s no escaping the fact that work is a stressful place. Yet it’s when that stress becomes a constant presence in our lives that we need to start worrying about it. Too much exposure to stress makes us worse at our jobs. It puts us at risk and can have serious consequences to our physical health.

If you would like some support with better managing work stresses, why not give us a call today? Our team of highly skilled and well-experienced psychologists are here to help.

This blog was written by Lana Lubomirska, Psychologist at Your Mind Matters.

Lana is a warm, friendly and empathic practitioner with experience in working with children, adolescents and adults from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Lana uses a variety of evidence-based therapies to support clients in addressing difficulties with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, friendship problems and educational stresses. These include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Therapy and Mindfulness Techniques as well as elements of psychodynamic and play therapies.

Lana works with us 2 evenings per week.

References

Author Unknown (2019). Burnout: A Growing Mental Health Crisis Employers Are Regrettably Dismissing. Corporate Wellness Magazine. July 17, 2019

McMillen, Lindsay (2017). Industry Insights. Reventure. https://www.convergeinternational.com.au/docs/default-source/research/a-future-that-works—industry-insights.pdf?sfvrsn=fc34b56e_2

Medibank (2019). Are our jobs making us more stressed than ever? 21/1/2019

Smallwood, J. and Schooler, J (2015). The Science of Mind Wandering: Empirically Navigating the Stream of Consciousness. Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 66:487-518.

Incorporating relaxation into everyday life

laura on 12/11/2018

Many of us struggle to unwind and relax. We can often get caught up in the busy nature of life, that we forget to take time for ourselves and allow our body and mind to recover. Relaxation is a vital part of maintaining a good level of emotional wellbeing, reduction in blood pressure, increased energy levels and can reduce absenteeism from work, study, and susceptibility to the common cold.

When you think about ‘relaxation’ you may envision sitting or meditating for long periods of time. This can be a deterrent for some and lead to dread and avoidance. Spending as little as 10 minutes a day can be beneficial and is likely to be achievable for most individuals.

There are many forms of relaxation. Below are a few you may wish to try:

Breathing techniques

Diaphragmatic/deep breathing: sitting up straight, place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your abdomen. Take a slow deep breath, inhaling through the nose for approximately 4 seconds, hold that breath momentarily, then exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds. Repeat for a count of 3. As you feel more comfortable with this technique, try to stay engaged in this breathing relaxation for longer periods of time.
Square/Box breathing: sitting up straight, inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for 4 seconds feeling the air completely fill your lungs and moving into the abdomen, hold that breath for four seconds, exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds, pause for 4 seconds, and repeat.

Progressive muscle relaxation

This technique involves tensing and relaxing various muscles in the body. Starting with your feet, tense your toes for 5 seconds and then allow the muscles to relax for 10 seconds. Next tense your calves (being careful not to tense too much as this part of the body is susceptible to cramping!) for 5 seconds and then relax the muscles for 10 seconds. Continue to follow this process whilst you work through your body, from your thighs, hips, chest and stomach, shoulders, upper back, neck, arms and face. Follow the below link for a guided outline. https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Mental%20Health%20Professionals/Panic/Panic%20-%20Information%20Sheets/Panic%20Information%20Sheet%20-%2005%20-%20Progressive%20Muscle%20Relaxation.pdf

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is noticing and being aware of the present moment. It’s about paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, and sensations in our body.

Sensory exercise

Take 30 seconds to focus on your breathing. You may wish to utilise one of the breathing techniques listed above.
Sight: look around and name 5 objects
Touch: look at and touch 4 different objects. Notice their texture, weight and temperature
Sound: notice 3 sounds
Smell: identify 2 smells, paying attention to the aroma
Taste: notice 1 thing you can taste.

Body scan

Close your eyes and gently bring your awareness to your breathing. Spend 30 seconds focusing on your breathing, not changing it in anyway, just noticing your natural breath and how your chest rises and falls with each breath you take.
If you notice your mind begins to wander and you start thinking of other things, remember that this is completely natural and okay. Just gently notice your thoughts, without getting caught up in them, and bring your awareness back to your breathing.
Begin the body scan by noticing your feet. Notice how your feet feel in your shoes and against the floor. Pay attention to all sensations such as temperature, pressure, tingling or weight.
Continue the body scan by noticing each part of your body; legs, hips, chest and stomach, shoulders, upper back, neck, arms and face.
Return your awareness to your breathing. Noticing your chest rising and falling, as you breathe in and out. Open your eyes.

*You may wish to do a variation of this exercise. Follow steps 1 and 2 as above, and when you reach step 3, as you begin to notice sensations in your body, imagine a warm glow of light. Starting at your toes, work your way up your body, imagining that this warm light radiates warmth and comfort.

Guided mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness apps are a great tool to utilise as they provide guided meditations you can engage in throughout the day. I recommend Smiling Mind. Why? Well it’s a free app, no ads, no junk emails/spam sent to your inbox, and offers ample meditation clips, starting from 1 minute! So, for those of you who are time poor, there is sure to be a guided meditation here for you. There are plenty of great apps out there, which require you to purchase the app or to subscribe, and it is totally up to you if you choose to look into these.

Mindful colouring

Mindful colouring is a great way to relax and unwind. Mindful colouring is not just about colouring in a picture or pattern, rather it is about paying attention and noticing the process of the colouring. Notice the feel of the marker or pencil in your hand. Pay attention to each stroke, the pressure you apply, the movement of your hand as you colour in the image, and the sound made as your marker/pencil touches the paper. Adult colouring books are available from local bookstores, department stores and your local supermarket may stock some. When searching for a mindful colouring book, go with the one whose patterns or images are most appealing to you.

Relaxation doesn’t always have to entail a process. It can also be seen as engaging in enjoyable activities such as having a bath, reading a book, or going for a walk. Try to do these activities mindfully, with openness and curiosity, paying attention to the present moment.

Remember, practice and consistency is key to establishing relaxation in your daily schedule!

About the Author:

This blog was written by Maria Kampantais, psychologist at Your Mind Matters Psychology Services. She works with us 4 days per week (day and evening sessions) and is passionate about working with clients suffering from various anxiety disorders.