The Gift of Stress Pennsylvania Juvenile Defenders：力賓夕法尼亞少年人的禮物

1、“the gift of stress”lawyers concerned for lawyersof pennsylvania, inc.nfree referral to a healthcare professionalnfree evaluation / initial counseling sessionnfree information and self-help literaturenpeer support (lcl lawyer volunteers)nlawyer-only 12-step recovery meetingsnlcl staff support (with

2、your permission) nthe general sources of stressnthe dynamics of the stress responsenpersonal stress factorsnpractical approaches to stressnthe giftall of our experiences, both good and bad, can trigger a stress reaction.nmarriage and familyncareer, work and officenhealth and lifestylenfinancesngetti

3、ng married; extended familiesnpregnancy; birth or adoption of a childnspouse begins or stops worknhectic family schedule; household dutiesnfamily reunions; visiting in-lawsnmarital arguments, separation or divorcenillness, injury or death within the familynson or daughter leaving homenbegin new job

4、or position; career changenincreased responsibilitiesnlong work hoursntrouble with supervisors, colleagues, staffncomplex or difficult cases or clientsndifficult opposing counsel and judgesndownsizing loss of job or demotionnretirementnpersonal injury or illness; allergiesnunhealthy sleep, diet or e

5、xercise routinenwork no longer enjoyable or rewardingntoo much work; too many obligationsnisolated minimal social life or friendshipsnnot enough work; lack self validationntoo much social life neglect your dutiesnspend more than you earnnlarge debts (loans, credit cards)nunexpected medical expensesn

6、unexpected repairs to house or carnchildrens tuitionnno retirement savingsnillness or disability income reducednchange in employment income reducedna personal (subjective) reaction to our physical and emotional environment.ntwo individuals subjected to the same stimulus may react differently.nan ind

7、ividuals reaction to the same stimulus may vary from day to day.ngenetic influence on the mind and bodynpast trauma (emotional, physical, sexual)nhow we were raised (nurturing; beliefs)nour current health (injury, illness, rx)nour current life style (work, family, fun)ndiet, sleep and exercise nuse

8、of alcohol or other intoxicantsneach of us has a “set point”:the amygdala (or sentinel) and the hippocampus (site of emotional memory) alert you to a perceived risk of harm:nphysicalnemotionalnfinancialnsocial standingncontrol (over ones life or livelihood, etc.)nyour body goes on alert in anticipat

9、ion of having to fight or flee, or, you may freeze and wait for the perceived threat to pass.nonce the threat or challenge is “over”, your body returns to normal.nthis adaptation to our environment is called homeostasis. nacth adrenocorticotropichormonenadrenaline and cortisolnblood diverted to the

10、musclesndigestion slows or stops;nfats & sugars released; cholesterol risesnblood enzyme promotes clottingnblood pressure elevates; vessels constrictnheart rate and breathing increasen“bdnf” (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) strengthens neural connections in the hippocampus and enhances the gr

11、owth of neurons that respond to serotonin (i.e., “neuronal plasticity”)nlow levels of bdnf (genetic cause or the result of too much stress) may contribute to neuronal atrophy and cognitive decline. nflawed bdnf genes may create biological vulnerability for low tolerance to stress. nwhen combined wit

12、h an early life trauma (or series of trauma) it may sensitize a person to permanently over react to environmental pressures triggering the “stress response”.nexperiments show a link between early trauma and elevated stress hormones.nany serious physical, emotional or sexual assault or experiencenpos

13、t-traumatic stress syndromencan be set off by any sensual stimuli (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste) that triggers the amygdala and hippocampusnpain and discomfortndifficulty sleepingneffects of medicationnreduced or lost mobility and functioningndifficulty thinking and making decisionsnloss of mot

14、ivationnalcoholism, other addictionsnlong work hours without enough “r&r”npoor dietninsufficient sleepnnot enough exercisenmisuse of alcohol or other intoxicantsnover extended financiallynneglecting personal or family needsnconflicts with values or belief systemnless than perfection = total fail

15、uren1 poor performance ngeneticnearly and later life traumanupbringing and family of origin issuesnself-defeating beliefsnhealth, illness and injuriesnresponsibilities: work, family & communitynlife stylendiet, sleep and exercisea natural reaction to life that can:ncritical / analytical thinking

16、 skills impairednindecisive, forgetful, confused, emotionalnproblems sleepingnchanges to our diet and eating habitsnloss of energy and enthusiasmnpervasive negative outlookndisillusionment, feeling trappednmarital / communication problems nwithdraw from friends and familynlowered productivity - cant

17、 complete workndeclining competencynproblems with colleagues and clientsnfinancial problemsnseparation & divorcenethics and malpracticenare unsure why you feel & act that way, ornyou dont know how to change, ornyou have tried to change but it didnt work.: nfeelings of unworthiness, self-loat

18、hing, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness.start with self-discovery and self-awarenessnphysical illness or injurynmental illness or injuryncognitive distortionsnprescription and over the counter drugsnuse of alcoholn3 pillars of good health (sleep, diet, exercise)nfamily history of illness or vulne

19、rabilitiesnfamily of origin issuesncurrent health: allergies, diabetes, thyroid, high blood pressure, pain, headachesndepression . mood swings . bi-polarnadverse drug interaction (rx & otc)nsubstance abuse or addictionnworkaholism? no personal / family life?ncant say no when asked to help?ntoo b

20、usy to help someone in need?nunhealthy lifestyle (diet sleep, exercise)?nbehaviors conflict with value system?nworrier? perfectionist? overly critical?ncant start? cant finish?nangry and resentful? self-pity?nschedule a “physical examination”.nrx and otc drug / supplements “audit”.nneed an “emotiona

21、l health” checkup?nneed a career or job reality check?nwrite out your goals and how to reach them.nbe realistic. no dramatic changes. ndiscuss your plan with an friend.nstart with small, doable changes. easy does it.nbe patient and persistent. be flexible.n3 pillars of good healthnconfronting negati

22、ve thinkingnworking smartnsetting and keeping boundariesntime shiftingnsleep 7 to 8 hours, more if you are ill or stressed; avoid sleeping pills address the cause not the symptoms.ndiet dont skip meals; avoid heavy dinners; health considerations; vitamins and supplements.nexercise do something.a mea

23、ning-full job / careerspending time with your familypursuing interests outside the lawhelping othershonesty in your dealings with othersthe golden rulepeace of mindyes/noif not, why not?a meaning-full job / careerspending time with familypursuing outside interestshelping othershonestythe golden rule

24、peace of mindnare you in the grip of halt?nidentify negative thinking and feelingshaltour physical and emotional states affect our body chemistry:ungryngryonelyireda combination of 2 or more can reduce our ability to cope with stressful situations.1.get the facts:nwrite down your top 10 worry list.

25、nput it aside for 2 weeks. what happened?nmake a new list.ndelete worries that probably wont happen.ndelete those you cant do anything about.ntake appropriate action on those you can.nstill worried? what is the worse that can happen? prepare yourself for it. can you survive it? work on accepting wha

26、t you cannot control.nlive in “day-tight compartments”.navoid “fortune telling” the future.ndont engage in mind reading.nlet go of the past.nfocus on what you need to do today.nwork smart as well as hard.nhaltnrelax (e.g., time shifting, breathe, walk) nrespond dont react; wait 48-72 hours?nask your

27、self “why am i angry?” fnjustified or not, resentments hurt you the most.they are toxic to your whole being.ntry to understand their position, ornrecognize they are very ill or disturbed.nforgive or seek the willingness to forgive.nremember, this is for your good health.nresentments hurt you the mos

28、t.nbe aware of your rhythm ntry to synchronize yourself with othersnyou may need to speed up or slow downnwhen in doubt, slow downnlisten and observenthinkncommunicate (be clear and considerate)ncommunicate (clearly state your goals, deadlines, expectations, concerns, etc.)nstop thinking. listen car

29、efully to what is said. restate what you think was said. allow the person to correct you. repeat the process.ndont “react”. consider what is said but do not take it personally. try to understand their objectives, needs, concerns, pressures, etc.nrespond calmly and slowly. delay your response if you

30、are emotional.low self esteemnlist your strengths & accomplishments.nlearn to spot “automatic” self-put downs:thinkwriteactwrite down your long & short term goals.ncreate “to do list” to reach each goal.nnote which items are dependent upon other items being completed first.nestablish deadlin

31、es and priorities.nidentify & work on important - urgent itemsndelegate unimportant & non-urgent items.nget to work. review & revise plans as needed.nuse your new plans & priorities with a calendar to establish proper boundaries:nestablish a budget (at work or at home)nlive within yo

32、ur means (use best efforts)nidentify and plan for periodic expensesnidentify and plug spending leaksnrefinance when it makes fiscal sensenpay off high interest loans firstnpay credit cards in full each monthnestablish a savings / retirement planmost important areas of your lifesuggested weekly hoursactual hours# hours over# hours undersleep49-56e