Stress Management What can you do

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Stress Management What can you do?

• Gretchen May-Fendo M.Div, RRT, AE-COutpatient
  Pulmonary CoordinatorBridgeport Hospital, CT
• Reiki Master/Norma Pfriem Cancer Center
• Bridgeport Hospital, CT

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Stress

• What Is Stress
• Where Does It Come From

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Two Types of Stress

• Acute
• Fight or Flight Response

• Chronic
• Fight or Flight Response

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We Dont All React The Same

• People who secrete higher levels of Cortisol tend
  to eat more as a reaction to stress, especially
  foods high in carbohydrates

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Differences in Gender

• Men Fight or Flight Response
• Women Tend and Befriend Response

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Chronic Stress Can Get You In Two Ways

• Direct Result
• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Rises in Cholesterol
• Blood Sugar Imbalance
• Decreased Bone Density
• Depression

• Indirect Result
• Smoking
• Alcohol/Drug Use
• Poor Nutrition
• Immobility

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4 Approaches To Managing Stress

• Avoid Stress
• Symptom Reduction
• Problem Solving
• Cognitive Strategies

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Avoid Stress

• Impossible to do
• Stress is potentially everywhere
• Will most likely produce more stress in the long
  term
• Life enhancing events will also need to be avoided

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Symptom Reduction

• Includes such things as formal relaxation and
  breathing exercises, meditation, and Yoga
• Can reduce the intensity of the Stress Reaction
• In most cases this will be temporarily effective

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Problem Solving

• Problem solving is a skill that can be developed
  and strengthened
• Taking action to solve the problem can eliminate
  the source of the stress
• Not all stress is a result of being faced with a
  problem

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Cognitive Strategies

• Stress has less to do with the situations we find
  ourselves in and more to do with how we look at
  those situations
• We have control over our thoughts
• By controlling our thoughts, we can take control
  of our stress, regardless of the situation

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Managing Stress Involves Reducing Our Stress
Reaction

• An effective approach to reducing our stress
  reaction is to alter the thoughts that produce
  the stress reaction
• There are specific strategies that we can
  implement that can alter those stress producing
  thoughts

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FIRSTWhat are your stress reactions?

• Physical reaction-our bodies experience change
• Behavioral-we do things differently
• Emotional reactions-we experience different or
  more intense feelings
• Cognitive reactions-we experience changes in our
  thoughts

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Second-What are those strategies that can alter
stress producing thoughts?
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We may not be responsible for the thoughts that
pop into our head, but we are responsible for the
thoughts we choose to keep in out head

• Positive self-talk
• The use of others
• Physical activity
• Spirituality
• Knowledge

• Take action
• Support groups
• Distraction
• Passage of Time
• Medication

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• Reiki and Meditation

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REIKI
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Reiki (pronounced ray-kee)

• The word Reiki is made up of 2 Japanese words
• Rei-universal spirit or highest
• Ki-vital life force which flows through all that
  is alive or subtle energy
• These Japanese characters when combined present
  the concept of universal life force energy.

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Complementary and Alternative Medicine

• In CAM, Reiki belongs to the domain (area of
  knowledge) called energy medicine.
• Proponents claim when the energy paths of the
  body are blocked or disturbed, the result can be
  illness, weakness or pain. (American Cancer
  Society)

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Reiki

• Energy Medicine Practice
• In this domain, energy medicine practitioners
  seek to improve the flow and balance of energy in
  a beneficial way.
• Practitioner places hands on or near person
  receiving treatment
• The intent is to transmit Ki, believed to be life
  force energy

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A Description of Reiki

• Reiki is a therapy that the practitioner delivers
  through the hands, with the intent to raise the
  amount of ki, in and around the client, heal
  pathways for ki, and reduce negative energies.
• Practitioners intend to realign and strengthen
  the flow of energy, decrease pain, ease muscle
  tension, speed healing, improve sleep and
  generally enhance the bodys natural ability to
  heal itself.

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A description cont

• Reiki is believed to balance the biofield, thus
  strengthening the bodys ability to heal and
  increasing systemic resistance to stress.
• It appears to reduce stress and stimulate
  self-healing by relaxation and perhaps resetting
  the resting tone of the autonomic nervous system.
• Alternative Therapies Mar /Apr 2003,vol 9.no.2

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A description cont

• Proponents of Reiki believe this might lead to
  enhancement of the immune system function and
  increased endorphin production.
• Alternative Therapies Mar /Apr 2003,vol 9.no.2

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Pilot Crossover Trial of Reiki Versus Rest for
Treating Cancer-Related Fatigue

• Fatigue is an extremely common side effect of
  cancer treatment and recovery. This study
  examined the effects of Reiki on fatigue, pain,
  anxiety and overall quality of life
• Integrative Cancer Therapies, Tsang, 6 (1) 2007

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Reiki and fatigue continued

• Counter balanced Cross over trial
• Reiki condition
• patients received Reiki each day in this group
• the rest condition
• Patients rested for one hour each day in this
  group

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Results

• Fatigue decreased in group receiving Reiki
• They experienced significant improvement in
  quality of life
• There was also a significant decrease in
  tiredness, pain and anxiety.
• These outcomes were not seen in the resting group.

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Continued..

• Reiki is not used to diagnosis or treat specific
  illnesses.
• Reiki is said to promote relaxation, decrease
  stress and anxiety, and increase a persons sense
  of well being.

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Levels of Reiki Practice

• Three Levels
• Reiki I practitioners can perform Reiki on
  themselves and offer hands on sessions.
• Reiki II practitioner can offer hands on and
  distant Reiki
• Reiki Master can offer hands on Reiki, distant
  Reiki and instruction

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• Meditation

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What is Meditation

• Meditation-which is not necessarily a religious
  activity-is an act of sitting quietly and alone
  in a quiet place with your eyes closed, paying
  attention to your breathing and repeating a word
  or phrase during the breathing cycle. It is a way
  of paying attention to your inner, or spiritual,
  self.

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Physiologic Effects

• Decreased rate of breathing
• Decreased blood pressure
• Decreased muscle tension
• Decreased heart rate
• Decreased metabolism
• Increased slow brain waves
• Dr. Herbert Benson, in The Relaxation Response

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MEDITATION MYTHS

• It turns off your thoughts
• It makes your mind go blank
• It is difficult and requires great concentration
• It is not successful unless we see interesting
  things in our mind.
• Distraction is bad
• Its secular not religious

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Tips for beginning meditation

• Make sure your posture is comfortable. If you are
  sitting or standing, make sure you are in a
  comfortable position.
• Focus on the body Feeling the sensations
  throughout the body, such as pain, warmth, or
  tension

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• Try to avoid positions that make you sleepy. When
  meditating in a sitting position, some people
  feel as though they are falling asleep. If this
  is a problem for you, try to meditate while
  standing or walking.

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• Allow yourself the time you need. It takes time
  and dedication to develop a meditation routine.
  It's best to begin with small, manageable time
  increments, such as 5 minutes once or twice a
  day, and then work up to longer blocks of time.
  With regular practice, meditation becomes easier
  and more automatic.
• Set a timer.

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• Keep an open attitude. It is very common to
  become distracted while meditating, so try not to
  judge yourself when your mind wanders just
  gently return your attention to the focus.
  Observe and accept the thoughts that come and go.
  

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• Look for a quiet location. If you're beginning a
  meditation practice, a quiet place with minimal
  distractions is ideal.

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Some Types of Meditation

• Breathing
• Centering
• Guided Imagery

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• Breathing

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• Focus on the breath Keeping the attention on the
  sensation of the breath as it passes in and out
  of the nostrils.
• Present moment without judging or reacting.
• Focus on the abdomen" to keep the mind free of
  distracting thoughts.
• Bridges the Conscious with the Sub-Conscious

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Our Conscious Self

• Walking
• Thinking about what we day or do
• Reading
• Writing

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Sub-Conscious

• Digesting food
• Controlling heartbeat
• Metabolism
• Blood pressure

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The Sub-Conscious and Conscious Working Together

• Bridging the gap between our conscious and
  subconscious minds working toward one goal.

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Centering

• Breath Awareness
• Reclaiming Your Energy
• Letting Go

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Centering

• When you are centered, you are in a state of
  clarity, focus, peace, and balance. When you are
  not centered, you are unclear, unfocussed,
  stressed, and off balance.

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Centering

• Repeating a Word or Phrase (Mantra)
• Passively disregarding any obtrusive thoughts,
  return to repetition

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Guided Imagery
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• It is estimated that an average person has 10,000
  thoughts or images flashing through his mind each
  day. At least half of those thoughts are
  negative, such as anxiety, despair, frustration.

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Imagination and Research

• People with cancer who used imagery while
  receiving chemotherapy felt more relaxed, better
  prepared for their treatment and more positive
  about care than those who didn't use the
  technique.
• Studies also suggest that imagery can also boost
  your immunity.
• Researchers at Ohio State University in Columbus,
  Ohio

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• The most effective images are the ones that have
  some meaning to you
• Studies indicate that imagery works best when it
  is used in conjunction with a relaxation
  technique.

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The Practice of Guided Imagery
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The Reiki Ideals

• Just for today, I will not be angry.
• Just for today, I will not worry.
• Just for today, I will give thanks for my many
  blessings.
• Just for today, I will do work honestly.
• Just for today, I will be kind to my neighbor and
  every living thing.
• Many Reiki Blessings!

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• Gretchen May-Fendo M.Div.,RRT,AE-C
• Outpatient Pulmonary Coordinator
• Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT
• Phone [phone] fax [phone]
• mgmayf_at_bpthosp.org
• Reiki Master-Norma Pfriem Cancer Center
• Private Office number 203-993-4582