3. WHAT IS LEARNING?
• The relatively permanent change in knowledge and/or behaviour that results from experience.
• The one most discussed as a major form of learning is associative learning where humans and
animals connect the link between stimuli, behaviour or both that requires minimal awareness and at
times can be instinctual.
• The 4 types of learning we will cover are classical, operant, observational and cognitive.
4. WHAT IS HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY?
• A subfield of psychology that uses cognitive & behavioural principles to prevent and treat illness, while also promoting
well-being.
• This is a multidisciplinary field wherein health psychologists work with doctors and medical professionals trained in
behavioural medicine in a biopsychosocial approach.
• The focus tends to be on increasing subjective well-being, pain and chronic illnesses, stress-related diseases and stress’s
impact on diseases, self-screening for disease, and how to encourage people both to seek treatment and engage in
treatment adherence.
• This field has taken leaps and bounds with Dr Bessel Van Kolk, Dr Gabor Mate and Dr. Nadine Burke Harris.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh1idR1XkC4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ovIJ3dsNk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMbYUfiUsco
5. THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH
• Up until recently, the medical model of health has dominated the treatment of illnesses with medicine
used to treat most conditions.
• However, other cultures have historically had a much more inclusive approach such as Chinese culture
focusing on balancing yin and yang rather than the absence of disease; India focusing on the body,
senses, mind and soul; and Indigenous culture focusing on psychological, spiritual and physical
wellbeing.
• The more accepted model today is the biopsychosocial+ model to highlight the impact of our
environmental and social world and COVID could not have been a better demonstration of its
importance.
6. THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH
• Genetic factors – Our genetics can include instructions that provide protection or susceptibility to
illnesses. Genetic counselling can help people make choices based on screening results, particularly with
unborn children wherein they can interpret and guide people about available options, while also manage
stress & anxiety.
• Nervous system & endocrine system – Diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis originate in
these systems. The impact of trauma and anxiety on the nervous system and how to manage it from a
physiological approach has been increasing.
• Immune system – the inflammation response that provides protection in the body. There has been a lot
of interest into the impact of trauma and subsequent low level inflammation while the body is more
active in protecting itself on a psychological basis that ignites the immune response, particularly over
time.
7. THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH
• Cardiovascular & respiratory systems – A significant well established link is that between heart &
cardiovascular disease with those who have a depression, anxiety, low SES and low social support as
major risk factors.
• Digestive system – Looking at food metabolism, obesity, foods impact on psychological health,
microbiome and gut health
• Reproductive system – There has been an increase in the research around trauma, anxiety and infertility.
Additionally, health psychology also looks at sexually transmitted diseases and how to curb transmission
and how to encourage men to get prostate exams.
8. THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH
• The health psychology concept of Type A, B and D personalities has been debunked for the most part. What
came from type research related to negative outcomes with personality and heart disease found that only the
experience of bottling up anger and being a hostile person.
• Hardy personality – stress resistant people who tend to not get sick over others.
• Personal commitment to self, work, family and values – get involved not alienated.
• Control over their lives – ability to influence their life rather than victimhood.
• Life as challenges, not threats or problems – seek to learn and grow.
• Optimism leads to being able to handle setbacks rather than deny/ignore, actively & adaptively cope with
adversity, take better care of themselves, healthier, and are less stressed/anxious, and see humour in
disappointments. This positive view leads to positive emotions which have shown to reduce bodily arousal &
stress related damage.
9. THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH
• The health psychology concept of Type A, B and D personalities has been debunked for the most part. What
came from type research related to negative outcomes with personality and heart disease found that only the
experience of bottling up anger and being a hostile person.
• Hardy personality – stress resistant people who tend to not get sick over others.
• Personal commitment to self, work, family and values – get involved not alienated.
• Control over their lives – ability to influence their life rather than victimhood.
• Life as challenges, not threats or problems – seek to learn and grow.
• Optimism leads to being able to handle setbacks rather than deny/ignore, actively & adaptively cope with
adversity, take better care of themselves, healthier, and are less stressed/anxious, and see humour in
disappointments. This positive view leads to positive emotions which have shown to reduce bodily arousal &
stress related damage.
10. THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH
• The social network you have makes it significantly more challenging to quit unhealthy behaviours and they
even spread to others in your circle. One study showed that people were 57% more likely to become obese if
they had a friend become obese first.
• However, when one person in the group quits, others are likely to follow. If your partner quits, you are at a67%
likelihood to quit and if a friend quits, up by 6%.
• Poverty – lowers life expectancy age.
• 734 million people live in absolute poverty - living on less than 1.90$ per day and lack the minimum amount for the basic
necessities of life.
• Relative poverty – Women in California more likely to die if they are poor in high income neighbourhoods versus poor
neighbourhoods.
• Income inequality – higher infant mortality, obesity and lower life expectancy.
11. THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH
• The social network you have makes it significantly more challenging to quit unhealthy behaviours and
they even spread to others in your circle. One study showed that people were 57% more likely to
become obese if they had a friend become obese first.
• However, when one person in the group quits, others are likely to follow. If your partner quits, you are at
a67% likelihood to quit and if a friend quits, up by 6%.
• Poverty – lowers life expectancy age.
• 734 million people live in absolute poverty - living on less than 1.90$ per day and lack the minimum amount for the basic
necescities of life.
• Relative poverty -
12. RESILIENCE
• One of the key ingredients to longevity in first responder careers, death of a loved one, permanent injury, paralysis and major turmoil = Resilience =
The ability to withstand, overcome, and thrive after adversity.
• Resilient people are often easy going, good natured, optimistic, independent, have a sense of control over their own destiny and make the best of
their situation.
• Indigenous culture fosters resilience and has been demonstrated in how the culture has thrived despite continuous oppression. How?
• Their unique worldviews, beliefs, practices, and their collective & intergenerational cultural continuity.
• Individuals rely on their practices, beliefs, and values as a source of strength during hardship.
• Strategies of and for resilience are passed down through oral traditions to make sense of their own adversity & how to adapt.
• Cultural resilience is fostered in 5 themes:
• Bridge cultures.
• Strong sense of identity, spiritual, individual and cultural.
• Sense of strength, accountability, self-efficacy, and responsibility.
• Ability to contribute to the community.
• Sense of solidarity & belonging with family and community.
13. FOSTERING RESILIENCE
• Build your connections
• Prioritize relationships
• Join a group
• Foster wellness
• Take care of your body
• Practice mindfulness/meditation
• Avoid maladaptive behaviors
• Find purpose
• Help others
• Be proactive
• Goal orientation
• Look for self-discovery
• Cultivate healthy thoughts
• Keep things in perspective
• Accept change
• Maintain a hopeful/optimistic outlook
• Learn from your past
• Seek informal and professional help
14. FOSTERING RESILIENCE IN YOUTH
• Get together. Talk with your friends and, yes, even with your parents. Understand that your parents
may have more life experience than you do, even if it seems they never were your age. They may be
afraid for you if you’re going through really tough times and it may be harder for them to talk about it
than it is for you! Don’t be afraid to express your opinion, even if your parent or friend takes the
opposite view. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Get connected to your community, whether it’s
as part of a religious group, sports, club, or high school group.
• Cut yourself some slack. When something bad happens in your life, the stresses of whatever you’re
going through may heighten daily stresses. Your emotions might already be all over the map because
of hormones and physical changes; the uncertainty during a tragedy or trauma can make these shifts
seem more extreme. Be prepared for this and go a little easy on yourself, and on your friends.
• Create a hassle-free zone. Make your room or apartment a “hassle-free zone”—not that you keep
everyone out, but home should be a haven free from stress and anxieties. But understand that your
parents and siblings may have their own stresses if something serious has just happened in your life
and may want to spend a little more time than usual with you.
• Stick to the program. Spending time in high school or on a college campus means more choices, so let
home be your constant. During a time of major stress, map out a routine and stick to it. You may be
doing all kinds of new things, but don’t forget the routines that give you comfort, whether it’s the
things you do before class, going out to lunch, or have a nightly phone call with a friend.
• Take care of yourself. Be sure to take care of yourself—physically, mentally and spiritually. And get
sleep. If you don’t, you may be more irritable and nervous at a time when you have to stay sharp.
There’s a lot going on, and it’s going to be tough to face if you’re falling asleep on your feet.
• Take control. Even in the midst of tragedy or great uncertainty, you can move toward goals one small
step at a time. During a really hard time, just getting out of bed and going to school may be all you
can handle, but even accomplishing that can help. Think about what you can control and what is out of
your control that you can do something about. Bad times make us feel out of control—grab some of
that control back by taking decisive action.
• Express yourself. Tragedy and significant challenges can bring up a bunch of conflicting emotions, but
sometimes, it’s just too hard to talk to someone about what you’re feeling. If talking isn’t working, do
something else to capture your emotions like start a journal, or create art.
• Help somebody. Nothing gets your mind off your own problems like solving someone else’s. Try
volunteering in your community or at your school, cleaning up around the house or apartment, or
helping a friend with his or her homework, in-person or online.
• Put things in perspective. The very thing that has you stressed out may be all anyone is talking about
now. But eventually, things change and bad times end. If you’re worried about whether you’ve got
what it takes to get through this, think back on a time when you faced up to your fears, whether it was
asking someone on a date or applying for a job. Learn some relaxation techniques, whether it’s
visualizing a peaceful place, thinking of a particular song in times of stress, or just taking a deep breath
to calm down. Think about the important things that have stayed the same, even while the outside
world is changing. When you talk about bad times, make sure you talk about good and so-so times as
well.
• Turn it off. You want to stay informed—you may even have homework that requires you to watch the
news. But sometimes, the news, with its focus on the sensational, can add to the feeling that nothing is
going right. Try to limit the amount of news you take in, whether it’s from television, newspapers or
magazines, or the Internet. Watching a news report once informs you; watching it over and over again
just adds to the stress and contributes no new knowledge.
15. BEHAVIORS THAT INFLUENCE HEALTH
• More than ever, people are dying from lifestyle diseases where we have risky and health damaging
behaviour (e.g. heart disease, HIV, and lung cancer).
• Behavioural Risk Factors – actions that increase the chance of disease, injury and death. In the US
480,000 people die from smoking related diseases (20% of all deaths) and being overweight at age 20
we see a decreased life expectancy of 5-20 years.
• 70% of all medical costs are related to the big 6 – smoking, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, poor diet,
insufficient exercise and risky sexual practices.
16. BEHAVIORS THAT INFLUENCE HEALTH
• Basic recommendations from the big 6?
• Drinking? Be alcohol free 2-3 days a week and no more than 2 drinks a day. Higher amounts – higher risks for strokes, cirrhosis, cancer,
high blood pressure, and heart disorders. https://www.ccsa.ca/sites/default/files/2023-05/CGAH-Drinking-Less-is-Better-en.pdf
• Exercise/physical activity – accumulation of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity and muscle strengthening twice
a week.
• Diet – A Mediterranean diet high in fruit, vegetables, fish, white meat and low red meat & dairy.
• No smoking
• Practice safe sex
• 7-9 hours of sleep daily with consistent sleep/wake times
17. BEHAVIORS THAT INFLUENCE HEALTH
• Basic recommendations from the big 6?
• Drinking? Be alcohol free 2-3 days a week and no more than 2 drinks a day. Higher amounts – higher risks for strokes, cirrhosis, cancer,
high blood pressure, and heart disorders.
• Exercise/physical activity – accumulation of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity and muscle strengthening twice
a week.
• Diet – A Mediterranean diet high in fruit, vegetables, fish, white meat and low red meat & dairy.
• No smoking
• Practice safe sex
• 7-9 hours of sleep daily with consistent sleep/wake times
18. BEHAVIORS THAT INFLUENCE HEALTH
• Four main ways to change & minimize these behaviours:
• 1. Lifestyle changes – making specific minor changes in behavior without an all or nothing approach so its less deprivation
based and less jarring to the person. Normally it takes significant health impacts to engage in lifestyle changes.
• 2. Prevention – 1 in 10 smokers are successful at quitting so better to prevent than change. Programs aimed at youth
focused on refusal skills training and life skills training to deal with peer pressure & promote prosocial behaviour and social
skills.
• 3. Community health – community education projects done with community psychologists and public health. Done often
with role models and used to educate and direct people to resources and ways to change their behavior.
• 4. Social Media campaigns – Using these platforms have helped reach a wider audience particularly with youth/young
adults in a cost effective way.
19. CANCER
• The concept of the “fighting spirit” in cancer patients does not lead to higher survival rates, but does
allow for better coping and less emotional anguish.
• Psychological therapy DOES prolong life in some studies by a year and a half, as well as experienced less
anxiety and pain.
• As a result, most hospitals include the specific counselling, support groups, social work, and mindfulness
based interventions.
20. SMOKING
• 12%-15% of Canadians aged 15+ smoke with some estimates as high as 1 in 4.
• 9% (2.4 million) adults 25+ were smokers & 100 Canadians die daily from smoking related deaths & worldwide 5 million die annually.
• Social factors are the primary cause of the habit despite the evidence. Often seen as cool, a rite of passage, peer pressure based, and to appear older.
• 90% of smokers started when they were a teenager and 75% of teen smokers continue into adulthood.
• Smoking in teens has declined since 1981 to now (44%-15%) but has seen an upsurgence due to vaping.
• Smoking becomes habitual due to it becoming a part of our self-concept, the regulation of nicotine in the blood, and the association between
nicotine level and emotional state so we in turn use smoking to regulate both.
• The most effective antismoking strategy? Changing social norms, attitudes, and the combination of nicotine replacement & counselling.
• Cold turkey? Successful 5% of the time.
21. STRESS
• Stress – The pressure or demand placed on an organism to adjust or adapt, it is only our judgement placed upon the
experience that makes it good or bad, or the length of time it is experienced for.
• A stressor is a specific condition or event that challenges a person. This can be major such as moving or getting married, to
a review at work, or minor in having someone cut you off in traffic or a to do list.
• 1st class of stressor – Life events – good or bad can make us susceptible to illness due to changes in our surroundings and
routine making us on our guard. The SRRS is a great tool to measure when stress is becoming a health hazard. A score of
300+ = 80% chance of illness and considered a life crisis.
• 2nd class of stressor – Hassles – daily annoyances, frustrations and irritations. Studies have shown major life events having a
longer term impact on health but hassles actually have a more immediate impact on our health and wellbeing.
• Interesting when you thinking of moving as a major life event and the amount of hassles involved in the day to day over time.
22. STRESS
• Stressors can also be classified in 3 general types:
• Cataclysmic – Powerful stressors that occur suddenly & affect many simultaneously (e.g. disasters). Natural disasters less
lingering effects on individuals when there is a clear conclusion, future orientation, & first hand social support. However,
when any event has no conclusion, has multiple warnings, frequent re-exposure, and with likely future events increase the
level of individual & collective impact.
• Personal – Typically produce an immediate major stress reaction that decreases soon after. This can include job loss,
death of a loved one and marriage. BIPOC individuals are at higher risk for personal stressors due to discrimination, SES
issues and prejudice.
• Hassles – See previous slide.
23. STRESS
• How we respond to stress depends on how we interpret/appraise the event.
• Primary appraisal – basic decision of “good or threatening”
• Secondary appraisal – assess resources, determine your ability to deal with it and choose a way to deal with
it.
• Four things impact our appraisals
• Perception of control
• Self-efficacy & competence
• Unpredictability – the presence of potential threat (first responders)
• Pressure – Urgent external demands & expectations
24. GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME
• The body responds in three stages to prolonged stress
• 1. Alarm/mobilization reaction – Body mobilizes resources to respond/cope. Pituitary gland signals the adrenal gland to
produce more adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. Hence the experience of fight or flight symptoms and physiological
arousal. We can see symptoms of fever, headaches, fatigue, soreness, loss of appetite and loss of energy.
• 2. Resistance stage – The body stabilizes to the stress and the alarm reaction disappears. We are able to cope with the
original stressor but then emerges psychosomatic disorders and higher risk of infections and illness.
• 3. Exhaustion stage – Body resources & stress hormones are depleted.
• Emotional signs – anxiety, apathy, irritability, fatigue.
• Behavioural signs – avoidance, self neglect, destructive behaviours
• Physical signs – frequent illness, overuse of medicines, enlarged adrenal glands.
25. GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME
• Stress – The pressure or demand placed on an organism to adjust or adapt, it is only our judgement placed upon the
experience that makes it good or bad, or the length of time it is experienced for.
• A stressor is a specific condition or event that challenges a person. This can be major such as moving or getting married, to
a review at work, or minor in having someone cut you off in traffic or a to do list.
• 1st class of stressor – Life events – good or bad can make us susceptible to illness due to changes in our surroundings and
routine making us on our guard. The SRRS is a great tool to measure when stress is becoming a health hazard. A score of
300+ = 80% chance of illness and considered a life crisis.
• 2nd class of stressor – Hassles – daily annoyances, frustrations and irritations. Studies have shown major life events having a
longer term impact on health but hassles actually have a more immediate impact on our health and wellbeing.
• Interesting when you thinking of moving as a major life event and the amount of hassles involved in the day to day over time.
26. GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME
• Stress – The pressure or demand placed on an organism to adjust or adapt, it is only our judgement placed upon the
experience that makes it good or bad, or the length of time it is experienced for.
• A stressor is a specific condition or event that challenges a person. This can be major such as moving or getting married, to
a review at work, or minor in having someone cut you off in traffic or a to do list.
• 1st class of stressor – Life events – good or bad can make us susceptible to illness due to changes in our surroundings and
routine making us on our guard. The SRRS is a great tool to measure when stress is becoming a health hazard. A score of
300+ = 80% chance of illness and considered a life crisis.
• 2nd class of stressor – Hassles – daily annoyances, frustrations and irritations. Studies have shown major life events having a
longer term impact on health but hassles actually have a more immediate impact on our health and wellbeing.
• Interesting when you thinking of moving as a major life event and the amount of hassles involved in the day to day over time.
27. CONSEQUENCES OF STRESS
• Illness and Psychosomatic/psychophysiological Disorders – the study of behaviour, stress, disease and the immune system is called
psychoneuroimmunology.
• Studies have shown students have weaker immune systems during exam time due to the stress inflammation response. Lowered immunity is why we get so sick when stressed
out…or get sick while on holiday!
• Psychosomatic disorders are where psychological factors contribute to actual body damage or impact the body’s functioning. The most common problems are stomach pain,
asthma, eczema, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, hypertension, insomnia and sexual dysfunctions.
• Learned helplessness – Belief that one cannot control the outcome of events.
• Dog & the shuttle box experiment.
• Zimbardo prison experiment.
• Highly linked to depression
• Only hope is to teach people how to succeed, provide situations to succeed and provide mastery training to provide hope, the most powerful antidote to learned helplessness
and depression.
• Burnout – Mental, physical and emotional exhaustion (I do not consider this a work related condition)
• Most prevalent in nursing/healthcare, social work/counselling, childcare, policing, teaching and other first responders.
• The more passionate – the higher the burnout rates. Also the more negative attitude, the higher the burnout.
• The more able you are to care for yourself – the higher the resistance.
• OVERTIME = BURNOUT.
28. STRESS STATS
• In 2023, Statistics Canada reported that 20% of the
population reported high to extreme levels of work-
related stress with its most common being heavy
workload, 16% work-life balance and 12% being the
emotional load.
• Professions with the highest stress? Healthcare and
Social Services related professions.
• Top 10 Work Stresses in order:
• Low salary
• Lack of opportunity/growth
• Heavy workload
• Long hours
• Uncertain expectations
• Unrealistic expectations
• Interfering with personal time
• Job insecurity
• Lack of decision making
• Inflexible hours
29. IMPROVING HEALTH
• What makes us more likely to be concerned with health?
• Biological reasons – impacts body parts we value or limit or ability to move or are causing pain.
• Psychological reasons – Anxiety, neuroticism, stress, and depression make us more attuned to our bodies and likely to
report but less likely to believe treatment will work.
• Social reasons – our lay referral network and the internet.
• What makes us more likely to seek treatment?
• Sex – women more likely due to pregnancy, norms around pain and seeking treatment.
• Income – Insurance coverage & financial resources. Less of a factor in Canada
• Age – Largest consumers of healthcare are the youngest and oldest due to the unique challenges of those stages of life.
• Culture – Collectivist cultures has family play a larger role in decision making to seek treatment and assume responsibility
for caring for them. Additionally, if they bring shame to the family or impact ability to find a spouse this will in turn affect
treatment.
30. TREATMENT NONCOMPLIANCE
• The noncompliance rate in the US – 40%. According to the WHO, medication non-adherence costing the
healthcare system $4 billion annually and worldwide $528.4 annually. 125,000 Americans die annually from
noncompliance and costs $300 billion annually.
• Studies have shown:
• 85% of patients do not fully with physician recommendations.
• 17% - 31% of patients don’t fill their prescription medication.
• 49% forget to take their medications.
• 10% of adolescent pregnancies result from noncompliance with birth control.
• 60% of patients can’t identify their own medicine.
• 30% - 50% ignore instructions or make errors in taking their medications.
31. TREATMENT NONCOMPLIANCE
• Failure to comply with a treatment recommendation provided by a healthcare professional.
• This can be a result of a desire to ignore or deny the problem, misunderstand or forget, Additionally, being aware of a persons reading ability,
language barriers, memory ability and the complexity of the treatment.
• Anxiety and depression can impact their ability to ask questions, remember information, or believe it will work.
• Bipolar disorder & schizophrenia have very high medication noncompliance.
• Previous treatment effects.
• Reactance – negative emotional and cognitive reaction to the restriction of your freedoms with anger and hostility.
• A significant factor to consider – relationship between practitioner and patient.
32. TREATMENT NONCOMPLIANCE
• Things that improve treatment compliance?
• Interpersonal skills.
• Effective communication.
• Understanding diversity.
• Fostering trust.
• Addressing barriers to treatment.
• Realistic treatment plans.
• Individualization.
• Addressing cultural and social beliefs.
• Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and values based work.
33. TREATMENT NONCOMPLIANCE
• Things that improve treatment compliance?
• Interpersonal skills.
• Effective communication.
• Understanding diversity.
• Fostering trust.
• Addressing barriers to treatment.
• Realistic treatment plans.
• Individualization.
• Addressing cultural and social beliefs.
• Positively framed messages for detection & treatment.
• Negatively framed messages for preventative behaviour.
• Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and values based work.
34. IMPROVING COPING
• Adapting our thoughts, feelings and behaviours to manage and overcome the demands, challenges and difficulties we face
internally and/or externally.
• Problem focused coping – manage and correct the situation. Useful when the stressor is controllable. Changing the
situation by adapting/eliminating the conditions or altering our response. We can also change ourselves that alters our
abilities to cope with the demands such as skill acquisition or new knowledge to be better able to manage the stressor and
our ability to cope.
• Emotion focused coping – controlling our emotional reactions to minimize distress. Useful when the stressor is
uncontrollable. Distraction, cognitive reappraisal, relaxation strategies and Freudian defence mechanisms.
• Relationship focused coping – Relationships with others are the key so engaging in social support, empathy, compromise,
assistance from others, advice, and emotional support.
35. IMPROVING COPING
• Psychologist recommendations for coping with traumatic stress:
• Identifying your thoughts and feelings and talking to others about them, your fears and concerns.
• Identifying & applying skills that have helped you overcome adversity in the past.
• Return to enjoyable and meaningful activities and lifestyles.
• Seek support.
• Give yourself time to heal with intentional behaviour.
• Acculturative stress – Stress by adapting to a foreign culture – often results in anxiety, hostility, depression,
alienation, physical illness and identity confusion. The main patterns of adaption:
• *Integration – Maintain cultural identity and participate in the new culture
• Separation – Maintain cultural identity and avoid contact with the new culture
• *Assimilation – Adopt new culture and avoid old culture.
• Marginalization – Reject your old culture and suffer rejection of your new culture.
36. THE COLLEGE BLUES
• 1. College stress from academic demands & pressure to
choose a career.
• 2. Isolation & loneliness.
• 3. Grade issues, failure, and lack skills to be successful.
• 4. Depression
• 5. Idealized image of ourselves.
• 6. Drugs and alcohol.
• 1. Be careful how you appraise setbacks & grades.
• 2. Try not to link it all to some great vision of success.
• 3. CBT based dechunking.
• 4. Scheduling easy tasks first.
• 5. Journaling and addressing negative self talk.
• 6. Viewing positive events as the sign of good things
ahead.
• 7. Directly addressing negative thoughts by writing them
down and challenging them.
• 8. Use school based and community supports for help.
37. MANAGING BODY-BASED STRESS
• Exercise – Daily rigorous activity to relieve stress and anxiety but enjoyable to want to do again!
• Meditation - Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness or focusing
the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally
clear and emotionally calm and stable state.
• Mindfulness - the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-
judgmentally.
• Progressive muscle relaxation.
• Guided Imagery.
38. MODIFYING INEFFECTIVE BEHAVIOUR
• Slow down – relax & try not to be impulsive.
• Strike a balance – Stress is often due to the demands of one particular area while another area suffers.
• Recognize & accept limits – Know your limit, play within it. Be careful of unrealistic expectations. SMART
goals.
• Seek social support – Higher social support leads to better health and immune responses.
• Write about your feelings – The art of talking out loud. Gratitude journaling increases wellbeing by 17%.
40. COMBATTING OUR INNER CRITIC
• Notice it – What is it saying about you?
• Name it – Give it a name or externalize it.
• Thank it – Look at its true role
• Challenge it – Is what it is saying actually true?
• Practice self compassion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvtZBUSplr4