stress london h and s group 15 2 16 handout

Stress

London Health and Safety Group 15th February 2016

Peter GowersFord IT supervisor and Amateur positive psychologist

Pete Gowers

• Relatively new to Ford, 20yrs 3 months • Engineering degree and Ford sponsored MBA• Typical IT career, 8 roles spanning product development,

finance, Ford Credit, service and marketing and sales• 6 years on stress groups, counselling courses, 9 years presenting

positive psychology, charity listening volunteer and mentor• 1*wife, 3*cats, 1*3 year old (Josh)• 6.15 AM gym classes punching to dance music• Desire to help people enjoy work more and get a bit more done• Materials are from books/talks from professionals and experts

and reviewed• Presentations at: http://www.slideshare.net/pgowers

Agenda

• Intro to Stress• HSE, Stress and management standards• My approach – “How to work in difficult times”• Making Friends with Stress – Another approach• Optional Sections (time dependent)

– Resilience– Post Traumatic Growth– Mindfulness

WHAT IS STRESS ?

• Stress is caused by two things. Primarily it is down to whether you think situations around you are worthy of anxiety. And then it's down to how your body reacts to your thought processes. This instinctive stress response to unexpected events is known as 'fight or flight‘ – The Stress Response

1930’sDr. Hans Selye Dr. Walter Cannon

‘ Flight or Fight Response’

BBC – Fight or Flight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpQrMqDoqE

Whole video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpQrMqDoqE

1. BUSINESS 2. TECH/SCIENCE

3. PSYCHOLOGY 4. PHILOSOPHY

Quote Quiz

“So the problem is, nowadays, with modern man, when we feel in danger, we still fill up with our own chemical but because we

can't kill traffic wardens or eat our boss, the fuel just stays in our body over and over, so we're in a constant state of alarm”

3. PSYCHOLOGY

Ruby Wax“So the problem is, nowadays, with modern man, when we feel in danger, we still fill up with our own chemical but because we

can't kill traffic wardens or eat our boss, the fuel just stays in our body over and over, so we're in a constant state of alarm”

What does the HSE say?• Quite a lot - http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/• Links work related stress, depression and anxiety• “In 2014/15 stress accounted for 35% of all work related ill

health cases and 43% of all working days lost due to ill health”• “The main work factors cited by respondents as causing work

related stress, depression or anxiety were workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility and a lack of managerial support.”

• Stress occurs when pressure which is normally good becomes excessive

• Have management standards

Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/index.htm

http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/

HSE Management Standards

• The Management Standards are guidance, however, employers already have duties:– Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work

Regulations 1999: To assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities.

– Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974: To take measures to control that risk.

• Positives expected: performance, attendance, happiness, reputation, recruitment, retention and reduce risk of litigation


The six areas are:• Demands: workload, work patterns, and the work environment• Control: How much say the person has in the way they do their work• Support: encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the

organisation, line management and colleagues• Relationships: promoting positive working to avoid conflict and

dealing with unacceptable behaviour • Role: Whether people understand their role within the organisation

and whether the organisation ensures that they do not have conflicting roles

• Change: How organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the organisation.

The Management Standards


Pete’s approach• Work within cross functional stress group• Presentations, focused on helping people realise what

they can control and what they can’t– Help individuals as I cannot control what every manager will

do– How to control the things you can– How to deal with the things you can’t

• Inform people about available support• The beginnings of resilience training• Encouraging the debate

How to work in difficult times?

1. Frustrated/Annoyed at things happening to you

2. Overwhelmed - Too much work to do

3. Other people

4. Feeling pressure, stress, anxiety?

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1. Frustrated/Annoyed at things happening to you

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Quote Quiz

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your

mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.”

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3. PSYCHOLOGY

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your

mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.”

Albert Ellis

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Things that have an impact on you…/ your day

• Other people• Your boss• The past• Your immediate reactions• What you do / Your actions• Company strategies• Your workload• How you feelTh

Locus of Control

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Things you cannot influence

Things you can influenceBut not control

Things youcan control

Other people

Your immediate reactions

The past

What happens when your well-being depends on controlling something you can only Influence at best?

Company Strategies

Your boss

Your Workload?What you do?

How you feel

2. Overwhelmed - Too much work to do

Th



Quote Quiz

“When you die, your inbox won’t be empty”

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1. BUSINESS

“When you die, your inbox won’t be empty”

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Techniques that can help (with too much work)

• Task Lists• Manage your boss• Simple Time management

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Task Lists• If you have too much to do, then pretending you’ll

do it doesn’t help anyone, especially you.• If you don’t know how much you have to do or

what your priorities are then you are stuffed.• A task list can be anything, outlook tasks, paper,

excel, word or even an email– What it can’t be is your inbox, that’s impossible to

prioritise.• Remember workload is infinite. In the end all you

can do is your hours, work hard and prioritise.Th

Managing upwards: Help your Boss to Help you

• You may want your boss to fix workload for you, but only one person really knows what you have to do.

• Then you need to have 1x1’s to agree what you’re doing and what you’re not doing.

• If you produce a task list and discuss with your boss the priorities and agree what you can’t do.

• If you are in conflict with your boss, then that’s trouble. if you ever don’t agree with your boss, there are 2 options.

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― You

― If things are high pressure then they can be shorter and more frequent, even daily stand ups if needed.

― Then they can own the things you can’t do.

― Convince them of your way.― Do it their way.

How I make that work

• 1x1’s with my boss - 1 hour every 2 weeks• Make sure I plan• Agenda:

– Top 5 things to discuss– What I did in last 2 weeks– What I plan to do next 2 weeks

• If needed – what I won’t get to– Objectives review

Simple Time management

YOUR DAYMeeting 1

Meeting 2

Meeting 3

Meeting 4Meeting

5

Meeting6

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

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3. Other People

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Quote Quiz

“Insanity, doing the same thing again and expecting a different result.”

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2. TECH/SCIENCE


Albert Einstein

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Working with others

• Do you want people to like and value you?• Does what you’re doing now get you all the

recognition and appreciation you want?• Remember Einstein


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Remember - Locus of Control

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Things you cannot influence

Things you can influenceBut not control

Things youcan control

Other people

Your boss

What you do?

Compliments

• People like genuine compliments, think of the impact it has on you.

• If you want more: Look for ways to genuinely compliment others.– Did you do that with co-workers/subordinates

today?– How about with your boss?

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Focus on what’s been achieved

• Task lists are essential, but they are list of thing you haven’t yet done.

– Do you celebrate success?– Recognise yourself as well as others or it’ll be a

long year until you look back.– Have a what’s better list or do 3 blessings, what

went well and why.

Th

Three Good Things

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOGAp9dw8Ac&feature=relatedTh

Whole Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOGAp9dw8Ac&feature=related

What’s better listGood Morning, You have until 2pm UK time today to send me your entries.Happy sharing. Reply just to me please, I'll collate and send. It can be:- Something in a system that has changed for the better. - Something in the team that has changed for the better.- Something you have learned you didn't know a week ago. - A recognition of some help that you received from someone else in or outside of the team. - Achievements & mini-milestones passed. - Something non work related which is better for you, Ford, your family. Remember, you only need to send one thing, but no limit, more the merrier,Pete

Managing Conflict• Everyone clashes with other people

• People have different priorities, ways of working, communication styles, or just different opinions. You will disagree.

• Find the common ground

― People are different, individual – this is a good thing

― Truth : No one comes to work to intentionally do a bad job

― Align on how you do work and your values, establish working norms. Prioritise before clashes or if they’re already there, prioritise now

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4. Feeling pressure, stress, anxiety?

Th



Quote Quiz

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. ”

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1. BUSINESS

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. ”

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Feeling rubbish?

• Are you ruminating? Did it go home with you?• What do you feel rubbish about?

– If you don’t know try brainstorming possible reasons• In and out of work• Then try scoring them.

– Once you have an idea you can:• Problem solve – do something different.• Get Help, brainstorm sources, you have the answers for

you.• Distraction• Cognitively ReappraiseTh

Accepting the worst

• Do you think you’ll be fired?• Will you be physically hurt?• Will you be bullied?• Is the worst case that some people with be

disappointed and upset with you. – Realise that you can accept the worst case

scenario and the fear goes. Then you can focus on delivery and even doing so happily.

Th

2 IT managers – On the surface very similar

FRED BARNEY

A major IT problem occurs, some people are grumpy about it

FRED BARNEY

It’s not good, but I’ll

handle it

OH No, this is a

DISASTER!

I feel Angry, hurt, annoyed

and out of control

I feel motivated

to fix it

• So what is different between Fred and Barney? – They have different beliefs about the

Event• Immediate reactions are hard to

control• Bad reactions can ruminate• Fred can, however change his

reaction using the ABCD model

•Activating Event• A major IT Issue in Fred’s area• Some people quite grumpy

•Beliefs• Things should not go wrong in my area.• People should not be grumpy with me, I am a nice person.

•Consequences• Angry, hurt, annoyed, out of control.

•Disputation• There is no universal law that things should not go wrong

in my area.• Although I would like people to not be grumpy with me, it

is illogical to require it. I cannot control other people’s thoughts and behaviours.

Source – Learned Optimsm by Martin Selignman, Originally Albert Ellis



Quote Quiz

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are”

T

2. TECH/SCIENCESteve Jobs

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are”

T

Making Friends with Stress

History of Stress• Hans Selye 1936 – defined stress• Experiments on rats

– Really terrible things, imminent death– “Unavoidable, uncontrollable and utterly devoid of

meaning”…”this isn’t stress, it’s the hunger games for rodents” K. Mcgonigal

• Equated to what he’d seen in people as a doctor, unexplained problems– Suggested stress was anything, hassles up to imprisonment,

cumulative effect on health.• ‘Stress is bad, to be avoided’

“The Most common effects of Stress on our lives are strength, growthand resillience” – K. McGonigal

Traditional View of Stress

• Fight, Flight or Freeze• This is like school physics, assume everything

is in a vacuum– It’s not wrong, but it is a simplification

• The body’s stress response is much more complex, more interesting and handily it’s malleable

Kelly McGonical – How To Make Stress Your Friend

http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en

Video approx 1.20 to 3:30 minutes.




Quote Quiz

“Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it”

Hans Selye

2. TECH/SCIENCE

“Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it”

3 Possible Stress Responses

Stress Responses

Fight or Flight (or Freeze)

Threat response

Challenge Response

Tend and Befriend

The art of Stress Management• Causes of stress are often unavoidable:

– Work, caregiving, health, financial, hassles, chores• Recognise; we have this response because we care about

something, it’s trying to help– People predict they’ll be happier with less stress, but opposite

shown in studies– Classic advice “stress is contagious” prevents social side

• Predisposed to a personal response, but it’s not fixed• Can move from one stress response to another

– Naturally. E.g. new fathers or facing really bad stuff– With “mindset” interventions.



Quote Quiz

“Pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise”

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1. BUSINESS

“Pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise ”

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Kobe Bryant

Mindset Interventions

• Connect with Meaning• Align with your values• Understand the Upside of Stress, turn anxiety

into excitement• Altruism

• All work, tested in many studies, even on people with very strong anxiety disorders



Quote Quiz

“ Go after what it is that creates meaning in your life and then trust yourself to

handle the stress that follows.”

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3. PSYCHOLOGY

Kelly McGonigal

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“ Go after what it is that creates meaning in your life and then trust yourself to

handle the stress that follows.”

Turn Anxiety into excitement

• Jeremy Jamieson – compared sports with exams– Told half of students stress was helpful– Those higher hormones in their saliva did

better, but only with the intervention.– Response is an asset

• Believed to work if you have fear, but not fear of fear• Heart pounding – pumping blood to your organs• Feel tense – That’s strength to your muscles• Butterflies in your stomach – connecting to meaning• Palms sweaty, like a first date, it matters to you

The Final Word…


Video approx: 6:45 to 7:30


Backup Slides

• Depending on time and energy– Resilience– Post Traumatic Growth– Mindfulness

Resilience

• Generally I find most people have heard of PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• But many have not even heard of:Post Traumatic Growth

“What does not kill me, makes me stronger”Friedrich Nietzsche, 1888

"What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)“Kelly Clarkson

Response to Trauma• How do we respond to Trauma?

PTSDSUICIDE

RESILIENCE

MOST PEOPLE

POST TRAUMATICGROWTH



Quote Quiz

“Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help

us in our marching onward.”

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1. BUSINESS

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“Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help

us in our marching onward.”

Forms of Post Traumatic Growth

PTG

Spiritual Changes

Personal Strength

Relating to Others

Appreciation of Life

New Possibilities

Stories

• Of all the easiest things to think of stories for, post traumatic growth seems to work

• Michael – football• Can have vicarious PTG – gain from other

people’s changes

The Mindfulness Revolution

• Google – Search inside yourself• Ebay provides meditation rooms• Many executives now “coming out” as meditators• On the curriculum of Harvard business school• Steve Jobs, Adriana Huffington

• Why?– Reaction to information overload– Because it works– Because people like it– Cuts healthcare costs

Eckart Tolle“ "I cannot live with myself any longer." This was the thought that kept repeating in my mind. Then suddenly I became aware of what a peculiar thought it was. "Am I one or two? If I cannot live with myself, there must be two of me: the 'I' and the 'self' that 'I' cannot live with." "Maybe," I thought, "only one of them is real.".I was so stunned by this strange realisation that my mind stopped. I was fully conscious, but there were no more thoughts."

Observing Thoughts

Activity Thoughts

Feelings

• Where are you?• With mindfulness you come off autopilot and

become an observer of your thoughts and reality

Why Mindfulness?

• It works, empirical data from many studies• Helps people manage stress• Helps people with pain• Helps people with severe illnesses like depression• Helps people be more creative• Helps people take control in an out of control world• Helps people focus under pressure• I find it helpful

The Gazelle

Dr Mark Williams, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Wellcome Principal Research Fellow at the University of Oxford.

Getting Started – the Mindful minute

• Exercise – The simplest intervention• Try it if you like with me• I will time a minute, you job is just to observe

your breathing and count your breaths• Try to think about all aspects of the breath and if

your mind wanders, gently don’t give that thought weight and come back to your breath

• Now, remember that number. When you want a mindful minute, pause and do that many breaths



Quote Quiz

“"You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace.”

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“You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace. ”

Yoda4. PHILOSOPHY

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Any Questions

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References 1/More reading• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_of_control• How To Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie. Vermilion; New edition

(6 April 2006) ISBN-13: 978-0091906818 • Ten Steps to Positive Living By Windy Dryden (Jun , 2003), SHELDON PRESS• Three Blessings - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT2vKMyIQwc• Humorous ABCD ref – Windy Dryden http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_frDwckrys• Overcoming Procrastination, A. Ellis , W. Knaus, Penguin; Reissue edition (Oct

1983), ISBN-13: 978-0451159311 • Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, Martin E. P Seligman,

Vintage Books USA; Reprint edition (14 Mar 2006) , ISBN-13: 978-1400078394 • Summary of ‘Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, and it’s all small stuff’ by Richard Carlson,

Ph.D. http://x.ford.com/sweat• Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway: How to Turn Your Fear and Indecision into

Confidence and Action, Susan Jeffers, Vermilion (4 Jan 2007) ISBN-13: 978-0091907075

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_of_control

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_of_control

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT2vKMyIQwc



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_frDwckrys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_frDwckrys

References/More reading• http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_ho

w_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en• http

://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit/transcript?language=en

• http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

• http://www.ted.com/talks/ruby_wax_what_s_so_funny_about_mental_illness?language=en

• Sane New World: Taming the Mind Paperback – 27 Feb 2014, by Ruby Wax

• How to work in difficult times: 1. the art of control http://x.ford.com/htwidt

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit/transcript?language=en





http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

http://www.ted.com/talks/ruby_wax_what_s_so_funny_about_mental_illness?language=en



http://x.ford.com/htwidt

References• Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world – 5 May 2011,

Williams, Prof Mark ISBN-13: 978-0749953089• Mindfulness For Dummies – 5 Dec 2014, Alidina, Shamash ISBN-13: 978-1118868188• The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, 7 Jan 2001, Tolle, Eckhart ISBN-

13: 978-0340733509• A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, 16 Jun 2010, Stahl, Bob ISBN-13: 978-

1572247086• The Upside of Stress: Why stress is good for you (and how to get good at it)7 May 2015

by Kelly McGonigal ISBN-13: 978-0091955267• http

://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en• Sane New World: Taming the Mind Paperback – 27 Feb 2014, by Ruby Wax • How to work in difficult times: 1. the art of control http://x.ford.com/htwidt• How to work in difficult times: 2. Making friends with stress http://x.ford.com/htwidt• http://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-meditates-2013-6?IR=T• http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhansen/2012/10/31/a-guide-to-mindfulness-at-work

/• https://hbr.org/2014/03/developing-mindful-leaders-for-the-c-suite/• -Prof Mark Williams – Mindfulness - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY08aXxor20






http://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-meditates-2013-6?IR=T

http://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-meditates-2013-6?IR=T

http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhansen/2012/10/31/a-guide-to-mindfulness-at-work/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhansen/2012/10/31/a-guide-to-mindfulness-at-work/

https://hbr.org/2014/03/developing-mindful-leaders-for-the-c-suite/

https://hbr.org/2014/03/developing-mindful-leaders-for-the-c-suite/

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