Transcript Document
STRESS MANAGEMENT
AND
QUALITY OF LIFE
FOR
THE JUDICIARY
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D.
[email protected]
Washington School of
Psychiatry
1200 N Nash St
Arlington, VA 22209
Levels of
STRESS
NORMAL
Positive, Motivating
Challenging
Full Recovery
BORDERLINE HARMFUL
Uneven Recovery
HARMFUL
Little Recovery
Signs of Depression
INDIVIDUAL Wellness
INSTITUTIONAL Morale
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
PROLONGED RELEASE
OF STRESS
HORMONES MAY LEAD
TO:
• Suppression of immune
system functions
• Rise in blood pressure
• Added abdominal fat
• Bone density loss
• Clogging of blood vessels
• Rise in insulin levels
• Recurrence of herpes and
shingles.
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
HIGH RESPONSIBILITY
FOR OTHERS
High
Productivity
Demand
Low
Control of
Case Load
Work in Isolation
INCREASED STRESS
RELATED EFFECTS
Johns Hopkins Study, AJPH October 1988, VOL. 78, NO. 10 PP. 1336-1342
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
THE TENSION PROCESS IS
SET OFF BY
Any Perception of
LOSS OF CONTROL
+
A Perception of
LOSS OF DIGNITY
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
OF TENSION ON
HEART FUNCTION
BY
Raising Heart Rate
Raising Blood Pressure
Raising Cholesterol
Formation
Increasing Artery Clogging
Processes
ANGER CAN
Trigger a Heart Attack within
Two Hours of an Anger
Episode
M. Mittleman & J. Muller, March 1994, Amer. Heart Assoc. Meeting, Tampa, FL
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
PERSONAL
STRESS
EFFECTS
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D.
BASIC
IRREDUCIBLE
DAILY
LIFELONG SELF-CARE
1. Exercise of:
• Large muscle
• • Small muscle
• • • Heart & lung
• • • • Agility & stretch
2. Nutrition balance: reduce
intake of fats, sugar, salt, carbs
3. Adequate sleep and emotional
closure
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
A Daily Balance Between
TYPES OF DIALOGUE
Professional Talk
to get work done
Private and Family Talk
to promote home life
Personal Reaction Talk
to promote collegiality
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
The Buddy Judge
Crucial To Have At Least Two
Buddy Judges…
Chosen On The Basis Of:
Confidentiality
Availability
None-preachy
personality
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
PROGRESSIVE SIGNS
OF DANGER
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
Fatigue not relieved by rest
Irritability and impatience
Blaming others
Denial of any problem
Emotional distancing
Mood control by drink, food,
meds
Collegial withdrawal
Loss of priorities and panic
Drop in hygiene and self-care
Clinical depression
Inability to function
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
BALANCING SITTING
AND STANDING
Alternating standing and
sitting promotes muscular and
circulatory function
Anti-gravity muscle and nerve
groups require full daily
activation
Judges benefit from
alternating standing with
sitting
Consider rebuilding your
bench to promote standing
part of the time
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
SLEEP
SLEEP PROVIDES
Emotional rebalancing
Energy restoration
Metabolic rebalancing
Preps waste removal
Resets hormone cycles
Allots memory storage
SLEEP DEFICIENCY LEADS
TO:
Memory impairment
Rise in stress hormones
Reduced concentration
Shorter attention span
Lowered vigilance
Reduced muscle mass
Weight gain
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
COPING WITH
PERSONAL
STRESS
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D.
THREE SHORT BREAKS A
DAY
At Mid-Morning, Noon,
Mid-Afternoon
Three to Seven Minutes
Each
Abstinence from all
Activity, Except Brief
Exercise or Movement.
Practice absolute
mindfulness
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
TEMPER MANAGEMENT
Temper and tension is a built-in
reaction
(unconscious)
Anger
is hard-wired,
built-in to a
reaction to a Perceived Threat to
threat
to dignity
your dignity and
control
and
Train
yourself to work to restore
control
control and dignity in the situation,
for yourself and the other parties
Train yourself to restore
dignity and control to
yourself and all parties
involved
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
WORKING MEMORY
Useful but not established:
Memory training
Puzzles
Anger
is hard-wired, built-in
Computer
gamesThreat to
reaction
to a Perceived
control and dignity
What seems to help:
Train
yourself training
to work to restore
Strength
control
and dignity
in the situation,
Cardio
workouts
foryourself
and
the other parties
Healthy
diet
Social interaction & wide
interests
Learning a totally new skill
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
BIOLOGY OF TIMING
Respect Your Sleep Cycle
Stay on Schedule
Stabilize Workplace
Alcohol Disrupts Sleep
Identify Your Best Times
for
- Energy
- Alertness
Light Meal at Night
Weekend Naps
Best Workout Time
Best Sex Arousal Cycle
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
PERSON TO PERSON
HELP
Listen, keep good eye contact
& do not interrupt despite
some repetition and
disorganization
Prove accurate listening by
brief replication
Encourage options and
solutions
Prioritize alternative solutions
When pressed for advice, give
it respectfully and briefly – do
not lecture
Always follow up later, by
showing interest in how things
worked out
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
BRAIN CIRCUITRY
UNDERLIES ALL
EMOTIONS
All significant personal behavior
includes an emotional
component
Optimize your quality of life by:
1. RESILIENCE (how quickly you
recover from negativity)
2. OUTLOOK (how long your
appropriate and positive
outlook persists)
3. SOCIAL INTUITION (how
accurately you decode nonverbal signs of emotion)
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
4. SELF AWARENESS (how
accurately you decode your
physical cues: breathing, heart
rate, muscle tension, sweating,
temperature etc., plus private
thoughts and impulses)
5. CONTEXT (how accurately you
can switch roles and modulate
your approach between specific
people and situations)
6. ATTENTION (how long you
maintain an accurate focus and
attend to an issue without
distraction)
7. CLOSURE (the satisfaction of
completion and a readiness to
focus on something new)
Davidson, R. Univ. Wisc/Madison. The Emotional Life of Your Brain. 2012
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
ORGANIZATIONAL
STRESS
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D.
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
The rule of law
Mission of the SSA
Professional excellence
Integrity
Collegial pride and enjoyment
Personal career satisfaction
Pride in collective achievement
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
RESEARCH ON
“INSTITUTIONAL BETRAYAL”
Complaints and suggestions
strongly discouraged and
treated as unjustified
Little feeling of protectiveness
and support from administration
Pressure to produce is based on
a technological production
model with little regard for
human complexity and variation
Administration passes tensions
downwards instead of managing
it
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
RESEARCH ON
“INSTITUTIONAL BETRAYAL”
Cont’
Workers experience little
prospect of improving the
system
Signs of medical and
psychological distress seen as
weakness or inadequacy
Administrative interests seen as
separate from the workers
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
PERSONAL ACTIVITY
Privately, set an approximate
retirement date for yourself
With your colleagues, arrive at a
few institutional improvement
proposals
Through committees, keep
focus and pressure for desirable
improvements
Support your union and stay
involved
Articulate specific action
proposals. Stay on course with a
3-4 year outlook
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
PERSONAL ACTIVITY
Cont.
Tenaciously use a positive
attitude and language when
dealing with administrative
colleagues. Assume you are
united in the mission and spirit
of your unique judiciary
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D
JUDICIAL QUALITY OF LIFE
Collegial dignity and support
Three short breaks a day
Daily decompression I & II
Maintaining wellness
Insight about tension process
Time with family, friends, and
colleagues. Relationship
satisfaction
Religious / spiritual base
Separate private life from public
activity
Professional achievement
Pride in career
© Isaiah M. Zimmerman, Ph.D