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Archive for category: Mental Health

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How Stress is Affecting Your Health

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

We know that exercise, sleep and healthy eating are the three most prominent predictors of health.  But in exploring my own health issues of recent, I was reminded of another important key to this puzzle:  stress.  So, I put together my own simple health formula:

Eat well + exercise + sleep – stress = health.

Complicated, I know, but the impact of stress cannot be overemphasized:

In 2013, Statistics Canada reported that 23.0% (6.6 million) of Canadians aged 15 and older reported that most days were ‘quite a bit’ or ‘extremely stressful’, unchanged from 2012.  Females report slightly more stress than males, at 24.6%, to 21.3%, respectively.  That is a lot of stress.

While we know that some stress is good (“eustress”) and causes us to “up our game” and become better, stronger or more resilient, most is bad (“distress”) and can lead to a multitude of health problems including headaches, stomach issues, blood pressure increases, heart problems, diet and sleep disorders.  Further, often stress can resort to poor coping through alcohol and drugs, leading to even bigger issues (WebMD).

Honestly, I get it.  Stress is everywhere.  I feel stress as a mom, as a wife, as a daughter, as an in-law, as a sister, as an entrepreneur, a health professional, business partner, boss, pet-owner, neighbor, friend and honestly a human-being (did Trump really get elected?).  Managing this stress to the point of having a suitable deductible from my health equation is an important priority. 

So how does occupational therapy help?  Well, knowing that stress is a predictor of health, and that it is hard to rehabilitate people who are acutely and chronically stressed, focusing on stress-reducing strategies is one of the key foundations of helping people to function better.  Of course, the nature of the stress-reducing strategy will depend on the person, and how they rate and identify their main stressors.  However, typically occupational therapists help people to manage stress both actively and passively. 

Actively, we want people to identify their stress, work to reduce or eliminate this if possible, and start aligning their time with stress-reducing activities.  Meditation, relaxation exercises, deep breathing, scheduled breaks at work, exercise (even if mild), improved sleep, and changing roles at home or work can start moving stress along the continuum from problematic to manageable.

Passively, there are ways to avoid stress once the triggers are identified.  Proper planning of activities and events, avoidance of stressful situations or people, learning to say “no”, setting boundaries, and having a routine that does not allow stress to move in and start sleeping on your couch can prove helpful.

Ironically, exercise, sleep and eating well work to reduce stress as well, so if you can heavily weight the first half of my untested equation, you can still move things into the health stratosphere.  Parents need to remember too that kids also feel stress (school, sports, worries about this or that) so monitoring their stress is also important because they may lack the skills to identify or manage this themselves.  Play, games, sports, free time, adequate sleep, not taking school too seriously, and creative non-tech outlets are other strategies to help kids (and adults) de-stress and add deposits into their healthy bank account.

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What’s Your Emotional IQ?

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

I have four daughters – two are teens and two are tweens.  That is a lot of estrogen in our house.  Yet it is an interesting time for our family – as our girls are navigating the perils of adolescence I too am finding myself in a stage I am calling “adultescence” whereby my thoughts, feelings and emotions are changing as theirs are.  This creates an interesting ebb and flow of all of us learning together what it all means as a teen girl to “grow up” and as an adult to start “letting go”.

I had one of those adultescent “ahaha” moments the other day with one of my teen daughters.  She is very socially driven and relationships are very important to her.  Over the last few months as school has resumed, she has been struggling with some of her friendships.  One girl just suddenly stopped responding to messages, one takes pleasure in forwarding hurtful messages, and another treats my daughter as the weekend “last resort”.  In talking to my daughter about these events, my “ahaha” moment came when I realized that my daughter, already, is highly emotionally intelligent.  She has the ability to put herself in the position of others and regulates her own behavior (so far) on how she would feel as the recipient.  This is a gift for her, but puts her at a relationship disadvantage as many of her peers are not there yet.   She “feels” in a relationship like she is 25, but is trying to rationalize the emotional behavior of kids 13 and 14.

According to psychology today, Emotional Intelligence includes three skills:

1. Emotional awareness, including the ability to identify your own emotions and those of others;

2. The ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving;

3. The ability to manage emotions, including the ability to regulate your own emotions, and the ability to cheer up or calm down another person.

Emotional intelligence then includes:  self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.  It can affect: personal relationships, workplace (or school) performance, physical and mental health, and how you deal with situations such as loss or disability.

The good news is that experts believe that emotional intelligence can be learned, even in adults.  How do you know if you are emotionally intelligent?  Perhaps reflect on your relationships – are you able to sustain positive and loving bonds with others?  Can you empathize and relate to people during their struggles, and do they know that you “get it” and are emotionally available to them?  Do you regulate your own behavior based on how others might feel if you act a certain way, or say certain things?  Before sending that text, email or calling someone in anger do you consider how you want them to “feel” following your interaction?  Do you take pleasure in being right even if that makes others feel bad?  If you want to test your level of emotional intelligence, or raise your emotional IQ, take a quiz to see where you’re at:  Emotional Intelligence Quotient Quiz.

Do you think you need to improve in this area?  Some suggestions include:

  • practice mindfulness – in social situations, at work, at home with family relationships.
  • Stay in touch with your feelings through journaling or meditation “check-ins”.
  • Connect your feelings to the situation and try to separate the person from their behavior.
  • Check your thoughts – how you think can become how you feel, and the good news is you can change how you think!
  • Communicate with others and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable to those close to you to help sort through feelings, thoughts and emotions.
  • And if you can, don’t take the comments of others personally.  Their thoughts about you do not need to become the thoughts you have about yourself.
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Recognizing Psychological Tramua in Kids Following An Accident

As Occupational Therapists we use a holistic approach to help our clients.  After an accident we assess and treat not only the physical effects, but the emotional impact such a traumatic experience can have on one’s life.  The following article by Roger Foisy, a Canadian Personal Injury Lawyer, discusses how approximately “15-25% of children involved in car accidents show symptoms of depression that remain even months after the accident.”  Take a look at the article to learn how to recognize the signs and some great ways to help children cope after the traumatic experience of a car accident.

Roger Foisy:   Helping Children Overcome Psychological Trauma after Car Accidents

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The Dreaded “How Are You Doing?” Question After an Injury…Ways to Cope

Written by Jacquelyn Bonneville, Occupational Therapist

Returning to work, school, leisure classes, or a social group can be very challenging when someone has spent a period of time as a ‘full-time patient’ or is engaging in lengthy rehabilitation.

Here are some of the techniques I recommend when someone asks you, “Where have you been?”

1. Who needs to know?

The only people who NEED to know about your injury/diagnosis are people who have a direct effect on that injury/diagnosis. Often, this is your medical and rehabilitation team (e.g. Family doctor, Occupational Therapist, Psychologist, Physiotherapist, Naturopath, Chiropodist). If an insurance company, WSIB, and/or lawyer are involved you will be asked to also provide consent to these professionals that will be very involved with your care. If you are receiving some type of subsidized pay, you may need to disclose diagnoses to a human resources personnel or union if applicable. If you are a student and require academic accommodations due to your diagnoses, the only person who may need details is your Student Accessibility Coordinator. Once again, these people are invested in your care and cannot disclose details to others.

Family, friends, loved ones, employers, co-workers, and teachers/principals do NOT need details of your injury/diagnoses, even if they ask.

2. So I shouldn’t tell any of my friends/family?

When considering whom to tell, balance the need for social support and sympathy with desire for privacy. Going through a recovery period can be isolating, and social support is highly recommended – but maybe you don’t want or need to tell them everything.

Of course, then there is the issue of stigma. The sad reality is that people with invisible disabilities (concussion, brain injury, mental illness) are judged. Also if there is an insurance company or lawyer involved, people may also judge just ‘how injured’ they think you really are. Of course, the issue isn’t with the victim – the problem lies with those who judge and discriminate against them. Your medical and rehabilitation team is the only group who knows just how injured you are, and is the only group who needs to know. Do not feel the need to defend yourself with accusers. However, given that this ignorance exists, it is wise to protect yourself from it when you can by using some productive avoidance communication strategies.

Ask yourself a few questions before you reveal details about your injury/disease:

  •         Why am I telling this person?
  •         What might this person do with the information I give them?
  •         Do I trust this person?
  •         How can this person help me if I tell them?
  •         How might I be harmed by talking to this person?

3. What do I say?

Part of your recovery will likely include slowly re-introducing yourself in your community, such as grocery shopping, going to the bank, or walking around your neighborhood. Running into people you knew before your injury/diagnoses can be a very stressful experience if you are not prepared. Many of my clients report fear that they will run into someone they know while trying to progress their recovery what do you say?

The best strategy is to come up with one to two LINES that you have prepared, categorized by who you don’t want to talk to and who you may want to talk to. Here’s what it looks like:

Have one sentence prepared for people that you DON’T want to disclose details to:

  • “I’ve had some private issues I had to deal with, but I’m getting better, thanks for asking.”
  •  “I’ve been ill (or had some things to deal with) but it’s getting better. I’m not really comfortable talking about it, though.”

Redirect the conversation if you don’t want to talk about it.

After you use ‘your line’, follow it up immediately with a question to deflect the conversation back on the person doing the probing. People love to talk about themselves – keep asking them questions!

  • “I’ve had some private issues I had to deal with, but I’m getting better, thanks for asking. How are your kids doing? Is your summer going well? I heard you got a new puppy, how’s that going?”

Have one sentence ready for people that you DO want to disclose some details to.

  •  “I’ve been ill (or had some things to deal with) but it’s getting better. I don’t mind talking about it if you’re curious.”
  •  “I’ve had some medical issues but I’m getting better, I should be back at work/school soon enough.”

Remain consistent with your answer no matter who should ask. Your answer should always be the same. Some people have an attention span problem so you’ll need to repeat this to them multiple times. Stick to your line, and people will eventually stop asking.

4.  Overall reminders for those in recovery:

  • Do not feel the need to justify your injury/diagnoses, especially if they are invisible.
  • Do not be afraid that by engaging in treatment or recommended activities in the community by a treatment team who knows you best, that you are doing something wrong.
  • Do not hermit yourself – this will stall your recovery.
  • Don’t be afraid to go out in your community during your recovery!
  • Do not completely withdraw socially – this will stall your recovery.
  • There are ways to reap the benefits of social support without having to disclose too much. Talk to your treatment team if this is hard for you.

“Do not waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you.” – Shannon L. Alder

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Is Stress Affecting Your Kids?

Hockey tryouts, swimming lessons, dance classes, music lessons, and don’t forget about school.  That’s right… it’s September!  Previously on our blog we coined the term “Stress-tember” –  as September is second only to December on the list of the most stressful months of the year.  Why?  Change, adjustment, new routines and… it’s busy!  While it’s important to have kids involved in a variety of extracurricular activities, sometimes they can become over-scheduled which can cause stress.  Check out the following from WebMd to help you recognize the signs of stress in children and take a look at our previous post “Are Our Kids too Busy?” to help you create a good balance.

WebMD:  10 Reasons Your Child Might Be Stressed

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Trouble Sleeping? We Have Solutions For You!

Do you have trouble sleeping at night?  You’re not alone!  There are many factors that can lead to sleep difficulties including: stress, work, family, lifestyle, diet and medical conditions.   Sleep is vital to our mental and physical health, and lack of sleep negatively affects productivity and function.  Check out our OT-V video “Improving Sleep” for OT recommended tips to achieve a better sleep.

 

 

Learn more helpful solutions for living in our OT-V video series.

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How Confident Are You?

Self-Confidence is defined as “a feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities, and judgment.”  Many equate this confidence to how we look on the outside, but it is only once we move past our outer positives and negatives and look inward that true self-confidence can be achieved.  Take a look at the following from Best Health Magazine that provides great tips on improving your self-confidence and learn more in our previous post “Lessons of Confidence from and Overhand Serve.”

Best Health Magazine:  4 Habits That Will Help You Develop Killer Self-Confidence 

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The Healing Power of Animals

Animals are amazing.  Dogs specifically have been known to help reduce stress, provide companionship, and trigger the release of helpful chemicals in the brain.  Therefore, they are helpful, not only as guide dogs and service animals, but as companion animals for those suffering from mental illness.  The following from the Huffington Post shares an amazing story of how one dog helped a young woman manage her anxiety and depression.

The Huffington Post:  How a Dog Helped Me Manage My Anxiety and Depression

Be sure to check out our previous posts related to dogs and service animals:  Dog Awesomeness and Service Dogs are in the Grocery Store, Why Not the Schools?

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The Work-Life Balance Myth

What is your impression of work-life balance? A lot of people find it a completely unrealistic goal that is impossible to achieve. Many people find life demands are simply keeping them too busy to take time to relax. As we talked about in a previous episode, stress can cause heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and immunity issues. Statistics Canada says that 1 in 4 adults reported high stress in 2013, and high stress means that your mental and physical health are declining.

The good news is that this is preventable. For a lot of people, their expectation of work-life balance is NOT realistic. You can’t expect to go to the gym 7 days a week, get 8 hours of sleep every night, meet every work deadline, and have the time to home-cook every meal. A common misconception of work-life balance is that it needs to happen every day, and that simply isn’t realistic. A more realistic goal may be to try to have a balanced week or month of work and leisure; it doesn’t need to happen all in one day.

We also need to change the way we think about work; instead of work-life balance we’ll be using the term stress-life balance. People that are unemployed by choice, students, and caregivers still experience stress-life balance, so we can’t attribute all stress to work even though it’s a common stressor for many.

One of the strategies OT’s use to make stress-life balance possible is to set SMART goals. A good goal should be:

  • Specific
  • Measureable
  • Achievable
  • Realistic
  • Time-bound

First, figure out what stresses you. This may seem simple, but get really specific. Does your job stress you out? What ABOUT your job stresses you out? When do your kids stress you out most? Make a list of what can be changed, and what can’t. Don’t say that nothing can be changed!

Next, understand what helps you de-stress. This is different for everyone. Some people need passive or relaxing leisure where they can shut their brains off; common examples of passive leisure are watching television, yoga, or going to the theatre. Some people need active leisure to de-stress, like going for a run, socializing with friends, or reading a favourite book.

Lastly, make a plan for how you can integrate more of those de-stressors into your life on a weekly or monthly basis. Also make a plan for how to reduce your stressors. Make sure this plan is a SMART plan, and you should be on your way to improving your mental and physical health. Occupational therapists know the evidence behind de-stressing, and which activities give you the most bang for your buck when you’re low on time.