Transcript PREVENTING FACULTY & STAFF BURNOUT: HELPING EMPLOYEES RECOGNIZE & MINIMIZE STRESS Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D. Senior Vice President for Professional Development Programs National Center For Higher.

PREVENTING FACULTY & STAFF
BURNOUT: HELPING EMPLOYEES
RECOGNIZE & MINIMIZE STRESS
Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D.
Senior Vice President for
Professional Development Programs
National Center For Higher Education
Risk Management
Pro-QOL
• My special thanks to Beth Hudnall
Stamm, Ph.D. for allowing us the use of
the PRO-QOL for this presentation.
• For more information:
– www.proqol.org & www.isu.edu/irh
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Signs and Symptoms of Stress
Signs and Symptoms of Burnout
Costs of Stress and Burnout
Addressing/Managing/Preventing
– Life in Balance
– Develop Self-Awareness
– Redefine Failure
– Positive Psychology
– Understand Flow
– Engage in Prevention
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• Many staff and faculty become overwhelmed when
under stress. We become less effective and struggle
to meet even the bare minimum expectations.
• While feeling stressed at certain times of the
semester is normal (busy lines, grading papers,
customer service pressure), cumulative feelings of
stress can lead to a larger problem: burnout.
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Stress Reactions
You may be stressed if you….
• no longer look for ways to improve your interactions
with students or update your presentations
• want to just “get through” the day rather than
seeing an opportunity to connect with students
• are described as sarcastic and inflexible by others
• have trouble delegating tasks
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Stress Reactions
You may be stressed if you….
• have a compelling need to always check email right
as it comes in
• have feelings of dread at the thought of a new day
• think about work constantly during your personal
time
• fall behind in keeping up with notes, cancel
appointments and avoid answering the phone
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“Brain, body, and mind are
inextricably linked...
Alterations in any one of
these three will intimately
affect the other two."
—Bessel
van der Kolk, M.D.
Traumatic Stress
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Physical Stress Signs
Cognitive Stress Signs
Headaches
Exhaustion
Teeth grinding
Negative rumination
Insomnia
Irritability, anger
Inability to focus on a
task
Reduced libido
Muscle tension
Reduction in joy
Gastric disturbance
Mental fatigue
High blood pressure
Feelings of futility
Rapid heartbeat
Devaluing of co-workers
• We typically experience a reduction in stress
symptoms once removed from the environment
that is causing the stress.
• If we allow stress reactions to build, they
accumulate and their impact spreads beyond our
work life into home and relationships.
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• Burnout occurs when stress reactions
reach a crisis point.
• Physical symptoms include:
fatigue, low energy
poor sleep and headaches
irritability
• Emotional symptoms include:
anxiety and depression
hopelessness
aggression and cynicism
substance abuse
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Stress is characterized by
over engagement
Burnout is characterized
by disengagement
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Stress produces a sense
of urgency and
hyperactivity
Burnout creates a sense
of helplessness and
hopelessness
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Stress is a loss of fuel and
energy
Burnout is a loss of ideals
and hope
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Stress is where emotions
become over-reactive
Burnout is where
emotions become blunted
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When you say…. Do you mean…
It's a pleasure
What a hassle
Can I help you?
Oh, please say "No"
How are you?
Spare me the details
Did you have a nice
weekend?
Please spare me your
usual rambling account
I would love to be
involved in this project
I would rather scrape
graffiti off walls
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Cost of Stress & Burnout
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Job performance decreases
Mistakes increase
Office morale drops
Work relationships suffer
Personal life suffers
Increased risk for substance
abuse
• Increase risk for problems
with physical and mental
health
• Isolation from others
• Decreased sense of self
esteem and confidence
• High staff turnover ($)
• Increase use of sick leave ($)
• Lack of collaboration with
other offices
• Decrease in creativity and
connection with students
(retention)
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Create a Life in Balance
Survival
Love /
Belonging
Power
Freedom
William Glasser’s Reality Therapy
Fun
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Develop Self-Awareness
• Be aware of what you can and cannot do
• Identify areas you can let go and let others step in
• Trust your intuition
• Does work function as an addiction to keep the
“feelings of emptiness from manifesting?”
• Patterns of over functioning and under functioning
should be addressed
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Develop Self-Awareness
From Dr. Grosch and Dr. Olsen’s work in A Perilous
Calling; consider some family of origin work. There
may be parallels between work and early family.
– Was open conflict permitted? Arguing?
– What were the “rules of engagement”?
– Did you always have to be “calm and reasonable”?
– Was overwork encouraged and rewarded?
– Was it an “all work and no play household”?
– Were there messages about perfectionism?
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Redefine Failure
• Understand failure as part of life. Perfection isn’t
something that should be a goal.
• Too often, we see failure as a sign of weakness,
rather than an opportunity for growth.
• Assess where your energy is going. Focus on the
successes and build from those.
• J.K. Rowling professed at a Harvard 2008
commencement address "it is impossible to live
without failing at something.”
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Positive Psychology
“The law of floatation was not discovered
by contemplating the sinking of things, but
by contemplating the floating of things
which floated naturally, and then
intelligently asking why they did so.”
~ Thomas Troward
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Positive Psychology
• Positive Psychology is the study of what goes right
in life, from birth to death and at all stops in
between.
• Psychology should be concerned with building
strength as well as repairing damage. “I think the
skills of being a happy person…are not related to
the skills of getting rid of unhappiness.”
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Wealth is only weakly related to happiness both
within and across nations, particularly when income
is above the poverty level (Diener & Diener, 1996).
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Activities that make people happy in small doses –
such as shopping, good food and making money –
do not lead to fulfillment in the long term, indicating
that these have quickly diminishing returns
(Myers, 2000; Ryan & Deci, 2000).
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People who express gratitude on
a regular basis have better
physical health, optimism,
progress toward goals, well-being,
and help others more
(Emmons & Crumpler, 2000).
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People who witness others
performing good deeds experience
an emotion called ‘elevation’ and
this motivates them to perform
their own good deeds
(Haidt, 2000).
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Happy
• Much positive emotion
• Skill to amplify
• 50% heredity, not very
modifiable
• Habituates (first 100%)
Engage
in Life
Meaning
in Life
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Work, School, Love
Time stops in flow
Know highest strengths
Re-craft life to use them
as much as possible
• Know highest strengths
• Use them to belong to
and serve something
larger than self
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Understand Flow
• Coined by Mihály (Mike) Csíkszentmihályi (pronounced
Chick-sent-me-high-ee)
• When in the “flow” we feel a sense of inner clarity, focus,
concentration, outside of ordinary reality
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When athletes and artists experience the flow--they aren’t focused on hunger, injury or discomfort
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Understand Flow
• Flow requires being able to concentrate on one
particular task or a related group of tasks for a
substantial period of time without having to switch
gears.
• It takes some time to master the basics before
obtaining mastery in flow. Learn to enjoy the
process of learning.
• Set goals that can be achieved (checking off a list,
finishing 5 errands in an hour).
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When Challenge is greater than our ability, it creates anxiety.
When Ability is greater than the Challenge, it creates
boredom. Maintaining the dynamic balance is the key.
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Understand Flow
• What activities can be in flow? It can be achieved
by filing papers, walking the dog, teaching a class or
folding the laundry.
• These are the activities that:
– you are able to focus on
– have a clear objective
– are challenging but within your abilities
– you have the knowledge to complete
– provide feedback on how you are doing
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Engage in Prevention
• Schedule “re-charge” times in your day where you
cannot be reached (no cell phone or email)
• To avoid isolation, get involved in professional
organizations where you can meet and discuss
events and mutual problems
• Take time for relaxation and for lunch, and take at
least two consecutive weeks for vacation
• Set boundaries between home and work
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Engage in Prevention
• Create a ‘no-stress zone’ or ‘safe space’ in the office
such as an outdoor courtyard for breaks.
• Identify healing activities and attend to spiritual
needs.
• Boredom is extremely stressful and enhances
feelings of burnout. Change up the office routine,
move furniture, do more interesting tasks at ‘low’
points and get the tedious tasks done first.
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How to Move Forward
Admittedly, it is not easy to take the first step toward any
lasting change. When beginning any change, remember
the following:
– Take small, consistent, measurable steps
– See obstacles as part of the process, not unique
– Don’t over think; focus on behavior and change
– See failure as an opportunity to move forward
– Use the support of those around you
– See change as a process; not a destination
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Prochaska and DiClemente’s
Change Theory
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Prochaska and DiClemente’s
Change Theory
• Pre‐contemplation: At this stage, the person is
unaware that there is a problem and hasn’t thought
much about change.
• Example: Staff or faculty may be struggling, feeling
overwhelmed. Friends and peers may be
concerned, but there is no confrontation. The staff or
faculty have not thought about trying to adjust their
behavior.
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Prochaska and DiClemente’s
Change Theory
• Contemplation: The person has thought about
change and is thinking about doing something
different in the near future. They realize their current
behavior is not in their best interest, but they are not
yet ready to begin their plan to change.
• Example: The staff or faculty is aware their
behavior is getting in the way of their performance.
They are actively thinking about change. They may
have been confronted by others about their
behavior.
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Prochaska and DiClemente’s
Change Theory
• Preparation for Action: In this stage, the person is
aware of a problem and is ready to actively create
goals to change their behavior.
• Example: Staff or faculty may be willing to get help
or try to adjust their performance. They have
thought about ways to change their behavior and
may have set future goals to reduce stress.
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Prochaska and DiClemente’s
Change Theory
• Action: This stage of change is where the person
puts their plans into action in order to change
behavior.
• Example: Staff or faculty have reduced their stress
and are working on change. They have either been
successful or not at this stage. Friends and peers
are likely to notice active changes in behavior.
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Prochaska and DiClemente’s
Change Theory
• Maintenance and Relapse Prevention: Here the
goal is to continue successful plans and repeat
those action steps that work, while adjusting things
that don’t.
• Example: The plan to cut back has worked and is
either being maintained or slipping. The staff and
faculty is likely getting positive (and negative)
feedback from others.
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Stage of Change
Pre-contemplation
Helpers Motivational Task
Raise doubt; increase their perception of risk and
problems with current behavior.
Contemplation
Help them head toward change out of their current
ambivalence. Help them identify risk for not changing;
strengthen self-efficacy for changing current behavior.
Preparation for
Action
Help identify and select the best initial course of
action; reinforce movement in this direction.
Action
Help them take steps towards change; provide
encouragement and praise.
Maintenance &
Relapse
Teach relapse prevention skills.
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Rational Emotive Behavioral
Therapy (Ellis)
A= activating event, cause of stress
B= belief, your interpretation
C= consequence, your reaction
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Dr. Brian Van Brunt, LPCC, CFC
Western Kentucky University
A: A student consistently doesn’t show up for their
appointment
B: You have already talked to them about calling if they
can’t make it
C: You lecture them on being irresponsible
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• Our reactions become so familiar we don’t think
about them.
• These “automatic reactions” are simply bad habits.
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If you magnify an activating event such as…
– A few students missing class
– Several bad grades on a test
– 1 or 2 poor evaluations out of 30
You also magnify your stress
– You become upset and uncomfortable
– Your thinking becomes muddled
– Your frustration and stress increase
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Instead, if you minimize an activating event
– You are calmer and at ease
– You think more rationally and clearly
– You are better able to solve problem
– You eliminate the source of your stress
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How do you remain calm when experiencing an
activating event?
– Recognize the old habit taking over
– Stop, take a deep breath, remain calm
– Try an alternate interpretation
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Step 1: Find the good in a bad situation
– Student always in crisis…
– Falls to take your advice for change…
– Blames you for their problems…
– Splits between parents, school and you…
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Step 2: Control your inner dialogue
– “This student isn’t like other ones I’ve tried to
help. He can’t seem to learn anything.”
– “Each student is unique and different. I’ll have to
find another way to try to connect with him.”
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Step 3: Avoid the blame game
– It’s natural to want to blame other people for the
bad things that happen to us.
– But what we really are saying to ourselves is we
aren’t in control of our case management work.
– Instead, accept responsibility for things that are in
our control.
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Step 4: Shift your focus forward
– Shifting from “what was, and can’t be changed.”
– To “what is, and what can be done.”
– Don’t wallow in self pity; think about solutions.
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Step 5: Keep your problems in perspective
– View current difficulties as temporary setbacks
rather then semester-long events.
– Put problems aside at the end of class and tackle
them fresh at the start of the next one.
– Expect both ups and downs; don’t expect your
class/advising session, etc. to always be
wonderful.
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Thank you for participating!
[email protected]
Check out:
www.studentaffairsenews.com
References
• Baird, K. & Kracken, A. (2006). Vicarious traumatization and secondary
traumatic stress: A research synthesis. Counseling Psychology Quarterly,
19(2): 181–188.
• Beaton, R. D. and Murphy, S. A. (1995). Working with people in crisis:
Research implications. In C. R. Figley (Ed.), Compassion fatigue: Coping with
secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized, 5181. NY: Brunner/Mazel.
• Campbell, Joseph (1981), The Hero's Journey, Harper San Francisco.
• Figley, C. R. (Ed.) (1995). Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary
traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. NY:
Brunner/Mazel.
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References
• Figley, C. R. (Ed.) (1997). Burnout in Families: The Systemic Costs of Caring.
New York: CRC Press.
• Figley, C. R. (2001). Renewing Spirits: Lessons From Thirty Years of Trauma
Work, Invited keynote address to the William Wendt Center for Loss and
Health Conference on Illness, Grief & Trauma, Washington, DC, October 6.
• Figley, C. R. (Ed.) (2003). Treating Compassion Fatigue. New York: BrunnerRoutledge.
• Gilley, K (1997), Leading from the Heart, Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.
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References
• Glasser, W. (1999). Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom.
Harper Paperbacks.
• Hilfiker, D. (1985), Healing the Wounds: A Physician Looks at His Work, New
York: Pantheon Books.
• Hopkins, Jeffrey (2001), Cultivating Compassion: A Buddhist Perspective, New
York: Broadway Books.
• Housden, Roger (2000), Ten Poems to Change Your Life, New York: Harmony
Books
• Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994), Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness
Meditation in Everyday Life, New York: Hyperion
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References
• Maslach, C. and Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of burnout. Journal
of Occupational Behavior, 2, 99-113.
• Maslach, C. (1976). Burn-out. Human Behavior, 5 (9), 16-22.
• McCann, I. L. and Pearlman, L. A. (1990). Vicarious traumatization: A
framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with
victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3:2, 131-149.
• Miller, K. I., Stiff, J. B., & Ellis, B. H. (1988). Communication and empathy as
precursors to burnout among human service workers. Communication
Monographs, 55(9), 336-341.
• Morrisette, P. J. (2004). The Pain of Helping: Psychological Injury of Helping
Professionals. NY: Brunner-Routledge.
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References
• Pearson, Carol (1998), The Hero Within: Six Archetypes We Live By, Harper
San Francisco.
• Rosenberg, Marshall B. (2001), Non-Violent Communication: A Language of
Compassion, Encinitas, CA: PuddleDancer Press.
• Schweitzer, Dr. Albert (1933), Out of My Life and Thought, Baltimore: The
Johns Hopkin's University Press.
• Sussman, M. (1995). A perilous Calling: The hazards of psychotherapy
practice. NY:NY, Wiley.
• Stamm, B.H. (1997). Work-related Secondary Traumatic Stress. PTSD Research
Quarterly, (8) 2, Spring.
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References
• Trevino, Haven (1999), The Tao of Healing: Meditation for Body and Spirit,
Novato, CA: New World Library
• Walston, Sandra Ford (2001), Courage: The Heart and Spirit of Every Woman,
New York: Broadway Books
• Website on CF
www.breathofrelief.com
• Great resource for Pro-QOL survey
www.isu.edu/~bhstamm/tests.htm
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Online References
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FBxfd7DL3E (Positive Psychology)
www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu (happiness scale)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yetHqWODp0 (life=risk)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnOxvbGOTbM (southwest rap)
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