WELLNESS, SELF-CARE

AND CREATIVITY

Counseling And Psychiatric Services

(CAPS)

Dr. Makon Fardis

Holistic View of Wellness

Wellness

Optimal health and vitality Includes the following domains:

1. Physical

2. Socioemotional

3. Intellectual

4. Spiritual

5. Environmental

Domains of Wellness

Physical Eating well Exercising Avoiding harmful habits Healthy sexual practices Medical / dental checkups &

treatment

Preventing injuries

Socioemotional Awareness and expression of

thoughts and feelings

Satisfying relationships and interactions

Positive self-image Communication & conflict

resolution skills

Capacity for intimacy Support network of friends

and/or family

Participation in and contribution to the community

Spiritual Having guiding beliefs,

principles, values that give meaning and purpose to life

Capacity for love, compassion, forgiveness, altruism, and joy

Can be fulfilled in different ways like religion, art, nature, meditation, political action, etc.

Intellectual: Mental and intellectual

stimulation and activity

Openness to new ideas as well as capacity to question & think critically

Humor, creativity, curiosity

Environmental Both the community and global

environment

Protecting oneself against health hazards, eg avoiding second-hand smoke.

Wellness Indicators

Consistent, satisfying relationships & support

network

Adapting to changing conditions

Occupational/academic productivity

Pleasant activities/hobbies/interests

Joyful, happy experiences

Identifying & communicating feelings in an adaptive way

Expressing gratitude

Sense of humor

Spiritual involvement

Recovery after setbacks

Positive expectations & tendency to frame events

constructively

Wellness Continuum

Optimal Levels of Stress

Major Vs. Minor Stressors:

An event doesnt have to be catastrophic to be stressful; small events can add up.

Frustration: Blocked goal Conflict: Two or more incompatible motivations Change: Having to adapt Pressure: Expectations to behave in certain

ways; to perform or conform

Types of Stress

Conflict as a

Cause of

Stress

Classic Example of Conflict: Hamlet

To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles.

And by opposing end them?

Act III, Scene I

Response to Stress

Fight or Flight Response (Cannon, 1914) Bodys evolutionary response to help deal with danger

Decision: Fight or run?

Physiological reactions heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, muscular strength &

tone, etc

Cognitive reactions Interpretation / appraisal of situation

Psychological response to stress Annoyance, anger, rage

Apprehension, anxiety, fear

Dejection, sadness, depression

Cognitive Appraisal of a Situation

Stress Response over Time

Some of Health Consequences of Stress

immunity ( risk of infections) risk for cardiovascular disease risk for hypertension gastrointestinal problems musculoskeletal pain sleep problems skin complaints

There just arent enough hours in the day Difficulty making decisions or concentrating Trouble meeting deadlines Self-esteem problems Irritability/becoming argumentative Moodiness or depression Forgetfulness/disorganization Changes in sleep & appetite Fatigue even with enough sleep Having to smoke, drink , or use drugs to cope Aches and pains

Signs Of Stress

Personality & Stress

Pessimistic traits: Tend to see the world a dismal, negative lens, worse-case-scenario

outlook

They worry excessively about things going wrong, expect more bad things than good, tend to catastrophize, and have a hard time believing in themselves and others

Think of problems as pervasive, long lasting, insolvable, & someones fault

Perfectionist traits: Can cause unrealistic expectations & excessive stress Often beat themselves up for falling short of their standards May not even try a task because theyre too terrified of failure

Excitability: Some are naturally more excitable & have a stronger emotional and

physiological response to events

Conscientiousness: Fosters better health habits

Wellness & Creativity

Stress negatively impacts creativity. Under stress, people hang on to the familiar. Some broadly-accepted ideas to cultivate creativity (Epstein,

2000):

Capture your new idea

Seek out challenging tasks

Broaden your knowledge

Surround yourself with interesting things and people

Wellness & Creativity

Negative emotions narrow the scope of attention and thought.

Stress fight or flight reaction tunnel vision Creativity needs a broadened perspective on things.

Sadness is also found to inhibit innovation (Gasper, 2004).

Simple activities such as relaxation or stretching can lower the anxiety and expand the creative capacity (Khasky & Smith, 1999).

There may be occassions when ingenuity happens under time pressure but that is not the case most of the time.

Under stress, we get fixated on a specific detail of a project, instead of recognizing the larger problem and exploring

other options.

Lifestyle & Stress

Bad habits feel good at the time but can create more stress in the long run e.g. smoking, drinking,

overspending, overeating

Too much work

Inadequate help & support personally / professionally

No time for hobbies / fun / self-care

Insufficient sleep, exercise, breaks / vacation

Poor nutrition

Adaptive Coping Skills

Social support Satisfying relationships Talking to friends

Fun & games Hobbies TV, video games, etc for a

reasonable amount of time

Pampering yourself e.g. warm bath, manicure / pedicure, etc

Spending time with yourself Journaling Mindfulness & mediation

Building yourself up Positive affirmations & self

talk

Exercising Improving lifestyle e.g. good

nutrition, adequate sleep & down time

Positive Self Talk

Based in reality. Examples

I can handle this.

I am a good person.

I dont need to be perfect.

I can do it.

I will be just fine.

This is not the end of the world.

Time for myself is important.

I can stay calm.

I have been able to manage it all in the past.

Teflon Mind

Accepts the things that cannot change.

Changes the things can be changed.

Develops the wisdom to know the difference between the two.

Acceptance vs. Change

Three of my major stressors which I CAN do something about:

1)____________________________________

2)____________________________________

3)____________________________________

My plan for this week / month to do something about these three stressors:

1)____________________________________

2)____________________________________

3)____________________________________

Three of my major stressors which I CANNOT do much about:

1)____________________________________

2)____________________________________

3)____________________________________

Even though I may not be able to control these stressors, how can I better deal with them? What coping skills can help me?

1)____________________________________

2)____________________________________

3)____________________________________

Lifestyle

Nutrition Good nutrition to have energy and stamina to handle stress. Poor nutrition contributes to irritability, fatigue, sluggishness,

decreased cognitive functioning, mood fluctuations, etc.

Key issues: Skipping meals may result in fluctuation of blood glucose Avoiding excessive caffeine Limiting high-fat, high-sugar foods Fruit, vegetables, & water

Exercise An outlet to release tension

Release of endorphins (feel-good chemicals), that in turn make one feel calm and energized

Reduction of cortisol, a stress hormone American Heart Association: 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise

at least 4-5 times/ week for good health & 30 60 minutes most days for weight loss

More on Lifestyle

Inadequate Sleep Anxiety, impatience, irritability, moodiness

Cognitive functioning, including reaction time, short-term memory, information processing

Motivation,

Carelessness

Stress & burnout

Impaired judgment

Good Sleep Habits Amount of sleep needed is different for people, most need about 8 h

Avoiding conflict or stressful conversations before bedtime

Avoid anything overstimulating e.g. some TV shows, dealing with finances, etc

Time Management

Set Priorities Schedule tasks for a time when youre most productive Set realistic goals Keep track of complete and incomplete tasks Use all of your time wisely, such as time between classes Make difficult / unpleasant tasks fun Combine tasks whenever possible Say NO when necessary

CAPS

Regular Hours: Mon Fri

9 am 5 pm

202-687-6985

After Hours: Any time outside of office hours

Emergency Phone: 202-444-PAGE (7243)

Ask for the CAPS clinician on call

Web: http://caps.georgetown.edu/

For a copy of this presentation, contact:

Dr. Makon Fardis

Makon.Fardis@georgetown.edu

202-687-7058