Dealing with Stress... Build Resilience with Mind-Body Interventions

Stress. One doesn’t have to search too far to find volumes of information about what stress is, how stressed our society has become, how it affects our bodies, our lives, and our occupations. As healthcare administrators, a “new normal ” of chronic pressure, high performance demands, fast pace, and organizational change is widely acknowledged. Statistics indicate that: • 80 % of American workers say that they have experienced stress-related problems. • Those working in the education and health services industry experience higher than average levels of stress. • 51 % of employees say they frequently feel physically or emotionally drained at the end of the workday.1 What is far from normal are the documented costs of stress. One million workers are absent with stress-related illness every day, costing American employers about $300 billion per year.1 Chronic levels of stress affect performance, cause burnout, reduce patient service, lower morale, and increase medical and disability costs. How does one remain healthy and productive while living in a stressful, pressurized environment? One’s attitude and habits while dealing with daily life can either restrict and narrow or broaden and expand the ability to cope. Building Resilience Resilience is the ability to adapt well to stress, adversity, trauma, or tragedy. It is the ability to bounce back from negative experiences and the flexibility to adapt to the changing demands of stressful experiences.2 Resilient individuals are curious and open to new experiences and proactively cultivate positive emotions through the use of humor, relax-ation techniques, and optimistic thinking. Resilience can give a person the ability to see beyond problems, find enjoyment in life, and handle future stressors more effectively. People who are more resilient have the abili-ty to say to themselves,“Okay, this bad thing happened and I can either dwell on it or I can learn from it. ” While some individuals are more resilient than others, it is a skill that can be learned and cultivated. Developing positive patterns for dealing with stress can create a higher level of well-being physically and emotionally. See Box 1 for tips to build resilience