Working Smarter and Calmer Not Harder Angel Bowers

Working Smarter (and Calmer), Not Harder… Angel Bowers, LPC Assistant Director for Outreach and Wellness

Why is the ability to manage stress important? • Resilience, life-balance, control, energy, cope with daily challenges, remain focused… • Understand that stress thresholds vary greatly…many thrive on eustress

To assess your present ability to manage stress… • • When I feel agitated, do I know how to quickly calm myself? Can I easily let go of my anger? Can I turn to others at work to help me calm down and feel better? When I come home, do I walk in the door feeling alert and relaxed? Am I seldom distracted or moody? Am I able to recognize upsets that others seem to be experiencing? Do I easily turn to friends or family members for a calming influence? When my energy is low, do I know how to boost it? » J. Segal, The Language of Emotional Intelligence

What is Stressing Us Out? • Intake Stats: Moderate to Extreme Distress – 80%-Academic – 60%-Depression – 58%-Career – 47%-Financial 66%-Anxiety 59%-Sleep 53%-Self-Blame 38%-Relationships • Relationships cause the highest level of distress

Signs and symptoms of excessive academic stress: • • • Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed Apathy, loss of interest in work Problems sleeping Fatigue Trouble concentrating Muscle tension or headaches Stomach problems Social withdrawal Loss of sex drive Using alcohol or drugs to cope

Emotional Distress Ø Deteriorating academic performance: unexpected poor performance, incapacitating test anxiety, sporadic attendance, missed assignments. Ø Changes in mood and behavior: confusion, irritability, anxiety, depression, lethargy, rapid speech, red eyes, change in personal dress or hygiene. Ø Evidence of significant substance use Ø Repeated requests for special consideration: late papers, makeup tests, excused absences Ø Evidence of self-injury: cuts, burns, bruises, or efforts to cover these in unseasonable clothing

Reducing stress through self-care: • Exercise • Healthy Diet • Alcohol and caffeine*** in moderation and avoiding nicotine and other drugs • Improving Sleep • Recognize the signs: – Depression – Anxiety – Eating Disorders

Barriers to Success

What does perfectionism mean to you?

Perfectionism defined: Ø Adaptive Perfectionism-“setting of high goals and personal standards and striving for the rewards associated with achievement while retaining the ability to be satisfied with one’s performance. ” Ø Maladaptive Perfectionism-“setting of inflexible or unattainably high standards, the inability to take pleasure in one’s performance and uncertainly or anxiety about one’s capabilities. ” Hamachek and Hollender

Possible “causes” of perfectionism… q. Excessive Concern over Mistakes q. High Personal Standards q. Doubts about Actions q. Need for Organization q. High Parental Expectations q. High Parental Criticism

Benefits of Adaptive Perfectionism • Inverse relationship with depression proneness. • Strongly correlated with conscientiousness. • More secure attachment to parents and others in intimate relationships. • Adaptive perfectionists tend to have high self-esteem. • More skilled at emotional regulation. • Consistent pursuit of competence. • Adaptive perfectionists typically are more internally driven and less self-critical. • More effective leaders and communicators of expectations.

Changing Perfectionist Thoughts Fear of Failure, Fear of Disapproval, All or Nothing Thinking, “Shoulding”, Others are Easily Successful • Identify Perfectionistic Thought: • List Possible Alternative Thoughts: • Examine the Evidence (Best-Friend Theory): • Test your Theory: • Evaluate the Outcome: • Use Coping Cards: • Learn to Tolerate Uncertainty:

Changing Perfectionistic Behaviors Overcompensating, Excessive Reassurance Seeking, Correcting, Excessive Organizing/List Making, Difficulty Making Decisions, Procrastination, “Can’t Quit or Say No”, Avoidance • Identify a Perfectionistic Behavior: • List Possible Alternative Behaviors: • Exposure Based-Strategies: • Communication Training: • Prioritizing: • Overcoming Procrastination:

When it’s more than stress…

Trends in College Mental Health… • • • Over 4, 000 students seek services at the NC State Counseling Center every year. 30% increase from the first month last year. 32% report being so depressed in the past year that it was difficult to function. 51% of college students report overwhelming anxiety during the past year. 7% of college students have seriously considered suicide in the past year. 45% of college students reported feeling hopeless in the past year. Over twice as many students reported significant negative academic impact from emotional distress than medical concerns (flu, strep, injury, etc. ). ACHA-NCHA Spring 2015

Taking Care of your Friends • Provide a single vehicle for reporting concerns: Students. Of. Concern@ncsu. edu • Reach out to students who are referred as exhibiting concerning/worrisome behaviors • Determine appropriate resources and referrals • Foster self-advocacy and resilience • Monitor student progress

What to Expect? • Specific Location: 2 nd floor SHS • Urgent access & on-call resources – – We have triage for emergencies daily from 9: 00 -3: 00 PM We offer on-call 24/7/365 919. 515. 2423 • Making an Appointment • Check-In • Confidentiality – – – Access and Triage Computer Forms to assess level of acuity Information is strictly confidential unless student is in danger to self or others, this applies to getting info back to you