Self Care Book - Kwantlen Student Association
Transcription
Self Care Book - Kwantlen Student Association
Self Care The little handbook for practicing Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)! A PEER SUPPORT HANDBOOK PUBLISHED BY THE KPU/KSA PEER SUPPORT TEAM DEVELOPED BY ALISHA CHAUHAN & JENNIFER LINGBAOAN COPYRIGHT © 2015 BY PEER SUPPORT KPU/KSA SECOND EDITION: AUGUST 2015 PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE OUR MATERIAL 2 Peer Support at KPU Peer Support does not have one universal definition or implementation. However, many agree it is based on the idea of using one’s experiences and relatability to help support peers who are struggling with personal challenges. Peer support programs between institutions operate based on this concept but do so in a variety of ways. The Peer Support Program is the first of its kind at KPU. One of the services we offer includes one-on-one support for students who may be feeling overwhelmed and want someone to listen. We have recruited and trained student Peer Support Volunteers to provide a specific level of emotional support for these students . Our intention is not to replace existing services but rather to be a student-led addition to the KPU support system. We will also be organizing a variety of workshops, mental health awareness events, and wellness programs for KPU students in the near future. Stay tuned for all we have to offer! 3 This is a Self Care book This little handbook book was developed to provide you with strategies and resources that can help you take care of yourself in a healthy and positive manner. Self care includes any intentional actions you take to care for your emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. Self care is not about being selfish or disregarding others. In fact, when we are able to take care of ourselves, we are also better able to take care of others. And so, as we continue to live the busy lives of university students, remember to take a step back, check in with yourself, and take any necessary steps to practice some TLC! This book is dedicated to the Wellbeing of Students at KPU 4 5 Table of Contents… What's on Your Dinner Plate?………………………………………………………………………….7 Coping…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 5 Senses………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Other Stress Relief Techniques……………………………………………………………………..28 The Zzz’s……………………………………………………………………………………………………….37 50 Ways to Take a Break!……………………………………………………………………………..39 Reminder………….………………………………………………………………………………………….43 Good Reads………………………………………………………………………………………………....44 Resources…………………………………………………………………………………………………….45 Contacts……………………………………………………………………………………………………….46 6 What’s on your dinner plate? ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Sometimes, when we are feeling overwhelmed, it’s because things just keep on piling up on our plate. When you are feeling this way, try and remember that we do have the choice to add or remove things from our plate. So… what’s on yours? 7 What is coping? Facing struggles and dealing problems, difficult situations and responsibilities in an adequate manner. What are coping skills? Strategies and effort directed to stress management which include defense mechanisms that enable individuals to regain emotional stability after a stressful experience. BOSTON COLLEGE COPING SKILLS 8 DISTRACTION GROUNDING EMOTIONAL RELEASE Conversation, listen to talk radio, reading, do puzzles, TV, computer games, jigsaws, solve a problem make a list, learn something new, cleaning & tidying, gardening, arts & crafts. Pros: Cons: Gives your heart Can’t do it for & mind a break. too long. Great for short Doesn’t resolve term relief. any underlying Great to get issues. through a crisis. Medication can make it hard to concentrate. Use body & senses; smell, fragrances, slowly taste food, notice the colors around you. Walk on the grass barefoot, squeeze clay or mud, do yoga, meditate, exercise. Yell, scream, run! Try a cold shower. Let yourself cry… and sob. Put on a funny DVD and let yourself laugh! Try boxing, popping balloons, or crank up some music & dance crazy! Pros: Helps slow or stop “dissociation” (feeling of numb, floaty or disconnected). Reduces physical anxiety. Pros: Great for anger and fear. Releases the pressure of overwhelming emotion. Cons: Sometimes it’s better to stay a bit dissociated (that’s how your mind protects you). Cons: Hard to do in every situation. Feels odd. Some people might think you’re acting. 9 SELF - LOVE Massage hands with nice cream, manicure your nails, cook a special meal, clean your house (or just make your bed), bubble bath or long shower, brush hair, buy a small treat. Pros: Cons: Become your Sometimes can own best friend, feel really hard your own supto do, or feel port worker. superficial (but Great for guilt or its not!). shame. YOU DESERVE IT! THOUGHT CHALLENGE Write down negative thoughts then list all the reasons why they may not be true. Imagine someone you love had these thoughts—what advice would you give them? Pros: Cons: Can help to shift The more emolong-term, nega- tional you feel, tive thinking the harder this is habits. to do. Trying to be In particular, more logical can feelings of help reduce shame can make extreme this very hard. emotion. ACCESS YOUR HIGHER SELF Help someone else, smile at strangers (see how many smiles you get back), pray, volunteer, do randomly kind things for others, pat dogs at the local park, join a cause. Pros: Cons: Reminds us that Don’t get stuck everyone has trying to save value and that every else and purpose can be forget about found in small you! as well as large things. 10 Using Your 5 Senses When we are stressed, there are a variety of techniques we can use in order to help relieve that stress. However, we should keep in mind that what works for one person, may not work for the next. So, we are going to provide some quick and easy techniques for you to use whether you are a person who responds well to sights, or smells, or sounds. We have a little something for everyone! 11 Touch Our sense of touch can help soothe us when we are feeling overwhelmed. Think back to when you were younger. Perhaps you comforted yourself with your favorite blanket, or you would relax by lying in the grass, or maybe you even dug your toes into the sand to feel the coolness. Do positive memories or emotions come up? Sometimes, using our sense of touch can help reduce our stress. 12 Relief Is In Your Hands (Adapted from Melissa Tier’s “The Anti-anxiety Toolkit”) 1. Make a tight fist. 2. Imagine every drop of stress and anxiety flowing through your body and into that tight first. 3. Once it has built up, let it go as if it is flowing out onto the floor (you could even shake out your hand until its nice and relaxed!) What does this do? For some of us, it is a natural reaction for our muscles to tighten up when we are feeling stressed. Instead of fighting against it, we can use it as an indicator that we are not doing well. This is an exercise similar to what one would do in progressive muscle relaxation where we tighten certain parts of our body and then let go. These types of exercises can help us release the tension manifesting in our body. 13 Taste Food can be good for a number of reasons. Not only do some foods provide us with necessary nutrients, but healthy eating can put us on the right track to a long life. Food can help us cope with stress through our sense of taste and has been shown to play an important role in the development, management, and prevention of certain mental health issues! 14 Let’s Eat! There are a number of foods we can eat that can benefit our bodies. Let’s take a look at a few: Dark Chocolate: Recent studies show that dark chocolate can help reduce the levels of cortisol and catecholamines which are two hormones associated with stress. But there is the possibility of having too much of a good thing, so keep in mind to eat your chocolate in moderation. Curbing Carb Cravings: Carbohydrates have been shown to facilitate the release of serotonin which is our “feel-good” brain chemical. Research suggests that adults with high-carb, low-fat diets were happier over the long-term than low-carb consumers. Whole grains such as quinoa and oatmeal are packed with more fiber and nutrients than refined ones. Be Pro-Protein: One component of protein is the amino acid called tryptophan which has an effect on the part of the brain that influences mood. There are plenty of meat substitutes that can serve as your protein at each meal. 15 Good Eats It can be hard to have nutritious snacks throughout the day. We might be on a budget, or do not have much time...or maybe even both! No need to worry though because we have a simple, easy, and healthy recipe for you to try here: Egg Muffins To GO! Ingredients: 12 eggs Salt and Pepper or Seasonings of choice 1/2 cup Grated Cheese (of your choice) 1 cup of Vegetables (sautéed & of your choice). Recommended: Green Onions, Peppers, Zucchini, & Mushrooms 1/2 cup of Meat (finely chopped, of your choice - this is optional). Recommended: bacon, turkey, ham. *Substitute Meat with Hash Potatoes Instructions 1. 2. Preheat oven to 350F & grease muffin pan. In the bottom of the muffin cups layer, meat (or hash) & vegetables, the cup should be 2/3 full. 3. Crack eggs into a large bowl, add salt & pepper (and seasoning), scramble well. 4. Pour eggs onto the vegetable/meat layer until 3/4 full. Then, gently stir with fork. 5. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 20 min until cheese is melted and/or golden brown. 6. * Muffins can be stored for a week and should be microwaved for at least 1minute before eating. 16 For more links and resources about healthy eating, you can check these out! Peer Support Food For Thought Booklet: www.kusa.ca/peersupport Diet and Mental Health: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health -a-z/D/diet/ Food and Mood Diary: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/content/assets/PDF/159555/MHF -Food-and-mood-diary.pdf How Diet Protects Your Mental Health: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/content/assets/ PDF/publications/healthy_eating_depression.pdf 7 Stress Busters—Soothing Food and Calming Scents: http://www.eatingwell.com/ nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/7_stress_busters_soothing_ foods_and_calming_scents 17 Sight When you are stressed, what do you see? Truth is, we do not always see what is around us when we are feeling weighed down. For people overwhelmed with negative thoughts, the eyesight tends to go downwards. If this happens to you, try to keep your eyes looking straight ahead or slightly above that. Using your sense of sight in exercises like this can sometimes put an end to negative thought processes. This all goes to show that changing the focus of our vision can be quite helpful in managing our stress. 18 Stopping The World (Adapted from Melissa Tier’s “The Anti-anxiety Toolkit”) 1. Focus on one spot for 20-30 seconds. 2. Slowly expand your peripheral vision to include all the space around the spot. 3. Expand your vision out even further so that you can imagine almost being aware of what is in the space behind you What does this do? After practicing this exercise a few times, you will notice that any internal dialogue you may have been having has stopped. This exercise utilizes peripheral vision which allows you to move the awareness from inside, out. Colour Your World (Relationship Between Colour & Emotion By Naz Kaya & Helen Epps) Looking at different colors can elicit positive responses for certain individuals. In one study, the color green brought feelings of relaxation, calmness, happiness, and peace among other emotions. Try and think about what colors resonate for you so that you can keep an eye out as you are walking, working, etc! 19 Smell Scents can elicit certain responses in our bodies. That is because the part of our brain that processes smells is quite close to the area that regulates our emotions and memories. Using this knowledge, we can find ways to use our sense of smell to relax our bodies. (Check out “Effects of Fragrances on Emotions: Moods and Physiology” by Stephen Warrenburg for more information) 20 Our Two Cents About Scents… Has anyone ever told you to “stop to smell the roses?” While they may not have meant this literally, there could be good reasoning behind taking time to smell nice scents. In one study, the researchers found that a certain relaxing fragrances were able to help reduce stress-induced muscle tension in the shoulder area. This could explain why aromatherapy, scented candles, and other fragrances can foster feelings of relaxation for some individuals. Here are some options you can consider: Stress-relief hand sanitizers Relaxing perfumes Spraying a relaxing fragrance on a tissue and keeping it in your wallet Relaxing scents: eucalyptus, spearmint, honey, cheery blossom, etc. We have to keep in mind however, that some people may not feel well when in the presence of scents and others may be allergic. So try and keep your scents close to you so that we can respect others in the space we are sharing. 21 Hear Noises can play an interesting role in our lives. At times, we want to get away from them while at other times, we try to surround ourselves with noise. Through our sensing of hearing, we can listen to sounds that can bring us a sense of calm so as to reduce our stress. 22 Taking Time To Listen... There are many sounds that surround us as we go through our day to day lives. Some sounds are pleasant while others are not. When we have time, during a lunch break, while we are going for a walk, etc., listening to certain sounds can actually be quite relaxing. Try listening to one of the following: Your favorite music. Songs from a genre you have never listened to before. Who knows? Maybe you will like it! Making your own music. In one study, nursing students who made their own music, experienced reduced burnout and improved moods! Soothing sounds from nature. Guided meditations. As you can see, there are many different sounds for you to listen to. See what works for you so that you can put that audio on your phone, your ipod, a CD, etc! 23 Beats Per Minutes by Sunny D Music helps us improve memory, attention, focus on concentration, and even enhances imagination. Different types of music can have a positive effect in retrieving valuable information back. Music is a very powerful learning tool if you listen to the right kind of music most suitable for you, which depends on what you are doing. Tempo BPM - speed of the music; heart beat of the song. It may influence how the song sounds and how the song feels - number of beats that appear in a song per minute. It varies across genres. Genre BPM Baroque 50-80 BPM Hip Hop 85-95 BPM Glitch Hop 105-115 BPM Disco Techno 120 BPM 120-125 BPM House 115-130 BPM Pop 110-140 BPM Electro 128 BPM Dubstep Drum and Bass 140 BPM 150-180 BPM To find the BPM of your favorite song, visit www.bpmdatabase.com To understand what type of music that is most appropriate for you and the situation you are in, it is important to understand tempo and Beats per Minutes (BPM). 24 Sunny D continues with examples of music genres and how they are effective! Classical Music : Music of the classical genre or the baroque genre tend to have a calming effect on one’s mind due to their low amount of BPM, which is typically around 50 to 80. This calming effect occurs when the mind sets to an Alpha state, where any mental, physical and emotional rhythms stabilize to attain a state of deep concentration and focus. When in Alpha state, a large amount of content information can be processed and learned, and ability to learn vocabulary, read and memorize facts increases, thus making retrieval of information much easier. Try it out! Listen to classical music in the background while studying! Rap: Rap songs are great for improving memory. Try to write your own rap song, it can be a great way to improve memory! Tips: → Remember to only listen to music in the background when studying—using headphones would only create more distraction → When trying to absorb and retain new information , no music or instrumental music in the background, is most effective → Lyrics can be distracting but may still be effective if you are very familiar with the song 25 Sunny D’s tips on making a playlist! Creating a play list can be difficult and very tedious. The following steps can teach you how to easily make an amazing study playlist. Remember: Similarly to us, each song is different Use songs that are very familiar to you and unique from another. Listen to your mind Pick the songs that you love and body and use the songs that you feel com Use the music that speaks to you fortable with and create the playlist that best fits Make sure the songs match your mood your personality . Try using instrumental music The following are a list of songs you can try out: • Mozart Sonata in D Major • The Power, Snap • Gonna Fly Now (Rocky Theme Song), Bill Conti • Deadline, Dutch Force • No Way Back, Foo Fighters • Adagio for Strings, Samuel Barber • Reflection Eternal, Nujabes • Pleiadian Harp, Gerald Jay Markoe • Every Breath You Take, Sting • What Makes You Beautiful, One Direction • Exogenesis Symphony Pt 1: Overture, Muse • Sagittarius, Nish (alphazone remix) *Remember, these are just some suggestions and may not work for you. 26 Now, that’s a wrap! “No matter how bad my anxiety got however, I would always make sure I found time to sit down and work on music as it was what made me feel confident, powerful, and brought meaning to my life. What I have accomplished in life thus far is to show my peers that with confidence, passion, and perseverance, we can all find our own individual successes and happiness. Above everything, helping to stimulate inspiration and creativity is why I make music. From what I’ve learned over the past few years, living in a stress free world is completely unattainable. What is important is to find ways that will help deal with those anxieties. Music is my medicine and as a peer support volunteer, I hope to utilize my music and bring creativity to the program in any way I can.” My name is Calvin Tiu but I also go by my rapper name “Kalvonix.” I am a fourth year English Major, Counseling Minor at KPU. 27 Other Stress Relief Techniques Here are some other stress relief techniques for you to try! 28 Frozen Water Bottles (Adapted from Melissa Tier’s “The Anti-anxiety Toolkit”) 1. Fill a water bottle up with water and place it in the freezer until the water has turned into ice. You might want to consider having two frozen water bottles if possible. 2. When you are feeling anxious or stressed, take out the water bottle. 3. Place the water bottle on the top of your cheek bone. If you have two, place one bottle on each cheekbone. 4. Leave them there for as long as you are feeling overwhelmed. Take a deep breath, and check in with yourself. What does this do? This exercise is meant to have a similar effect as splashing cold water on your face does. The cold causes a “fight-or-flight” response in your body which allows you to conserve energy by slowing or shutting down functions that are not necessarily essential to survival. When this happens, it can divert anxious thoughts elsewhere! 29 Natural Remedies Looking for a natural way to help reduce stress or anxiety? Give these things a try! Chamomile flower Chamomile has properties similar to antidepressant drugs, well known for calming nerves B vitamins A lack of B vitamins has been tied to anxiety, ensuring you have enough vitamin B can help relieve stress/ anxiety Kava ( A Polynesian plant) A calming herb from the South Pacific, helpful in treating anxiety and nervous tension. Unlike other anxiety medications, Kava can enhance rather than impair cognitive function. Valerian Root: Helps relax the nerves and is particularly useful for relieving anxiety related insomnia 30 Back and Forth (Adapted from Melissa Tier’s “The Anti-anxiety Toolkit”) 1. Grab a ball, your keys, anything you can toss. 2. Pass that object from one hand to the other. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. 3. Continue doing this for a minute. 4. Stop. Take a deep breath, and check in with yourself. What does this do? You might notice that your stress or anxiety levels have gone down quite a bit. This is a result of bi-lateral stimulation which involves activating both sides of the brain. When this happens, blood and electrical impulses are pumped throughout your brain and overloading it so that your stress or anxieties are not as strong. This technique can also be used to help stop a cycle of negative thinking. 31 Active stress-busting tips If you tend to shut down when you are under stress, stress-relieving exercises that get you moving may be particularly helpful because these help to engage your muscles. Try one of the following: These activities can help to lower the levels of the stress Squeeze a rubber stress ball hormone cortisol in the body Take a short walk by giving you a more positive outlet to release your stress Stretch and/or roll your head in circles and anxiety. Do repetitive motions like brushing your hair or knitting Bounce or tap your heels Chewing gum (Adapted from Martha Davis et al.’s “The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook”) 32 Changing Thoughts and Perceptions TECHNIQUE 1: Schedule a Worry Period TECHNIQUE 2: Creating Positive Affirmations While trying to stop or to get rid of an anxious thought may not be entirely effective, postponing worrying is an effective alternative because it breaks the habit of dwelling on worries in the present moment. To do this: We are more likely to engage in negative affirmations than in positive affirmations. Repeatedly thinking that you are not going to succeed on a particular test is a negative affirmation. Set aside 20 minutes the same time each day as your worry period, during which you are allowed to worry about whatever is on your mind. The rest of the day, however, is a worryfree zone. If an anxious thought or worry comes into your head during the day, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone it till your worry period. Choose to engage in positive affirmations throughout your day by using words forceful words such as “I can”, “I will”, or “I am going to” Since the brain is always adapting to thought patterns, positive affirmations will help to change your mood, state of mind and establish the change you desire in your life. (Adapted from Martha Davis et al.’s “The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook”) 33 34 Keeping Grounded (More info from Lisa M. Najavits’ “Using Grounding to Detach from Emotional Pain”) When we are going through a difficult time, it can be hard to detach from the emotional pain. This pain can take its toll on our physical and mental wellbeing so it is in our best interest to try and gain control over it. At times like this, we recommend using grounding which is a “set of simple strategies to detach from emotional pain.” It relies on looking outward as opposed to inward towards oneself and can be done any time, any place, and anywhere without anyone having to know! Ways to keep grounded There are three major ways of grounding so while one type might not work for you, another could. Take a look at the following and see which long or short-term techniques fit into these categories: Mental: focusing on your mind Physical: focusing on your senses Soothing: talking to yourself in a kind way 35 Short-Term Grounding Long-Term Grounding These are quick strategies for you to use in moments of stress: These are strategies that may take a little longer to do but can have longer-term effects: Sit down, look around the room. Name 3 things you see, hear, and are touching. Label your feelings and write them out. Progressive muscle relaxation. Count down from 5 on an exhale, count up to 5 on an inhale, repeat. Practicing self-compassion. Disconnect from technology. Yes, sometimes we can put the cellphone down. Social connection: connecting with people who are important to us, reconnecting with good friends from the past, or even meeting someone new! Moving only your eyes, look side to side 20 times. Try this 3 times! Exercise! For some individuals, this can reduce their anxiety by 20%. 36 The Zzz’s A good snooze. Sleep. We all need it but are we all getting the amount we need? Sleeping less than what our mind and body needs can have a set of negative consequences on our health and mental well being. While the amount of sleep each person needs can vary from person to person, it is best to try and gauge how much sleep we will need and ensure that we get that right amount. When we have a good sleep, we will be able to function better in more ways than one! (Information from the Mental Health Foundation’s “Sleep Matters: The Impact of Sleep on Health & Wellbeing”) 37 Practicing Sleep Hygiene Sleep hygiene is a term that is used to describe the environmental and lifestyle factors that can impact our sleep. When we have good sleep hygiene, the chances of improving our sleep quality goes up. Here are some tips that can help your sleep hygiene: Regular exercise can help improve sleep quality and reduce feelings of anxiety. Take a look around your sleeping area. Too much light or noise can impair your sleep quality so feel free to move things around, invest in some earplugs or maybe even a sleeping mask! Try to avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine close to your bed time. While caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, it also supresses the production of melatonin (a hormone which regulates your sleep-wake cycles). Alcohol is a diuretic which means you may have to wake up in the middle of night to go use the toilet. In one study, it showed that nicotine can make the process of falling asleep longer and may also result in an overall shorter sleep time. Eating a light snack before you go to bed is alright but try avoiding having a large meal close to bed time as your body needs some time to digest the food. 38 39 40 41 Some other break ideas by our Peer Support Volunteers….. Arts and Crafts: Clay, Finger Painting & Embroidery Healthy food & Food with different textures Cuddling a pet Relaxing at the beach or taking a Nature walks Watch funny animal videos Bake some pastries Exercise Count Your Blessings Chat with friends Read a Book 42 Reminder: eat healthy sleep well balance work and play take care of yourself 43 Good Reads The Anti-Anxiety Toolkit by Melissa Tiers The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions by Christopher K. Germer, Sharon Salzberg Transforming Negative Self-Talk by Steve Andreas The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith The Mindfulness Journal by Corinne Sweet 10% Happier by Dan Harris 44 Resources Interested in the Resources we looked at? Check them out: The Anti-Anxiety Toolkit – Melissa Tiers Effects of Fragrance on Emotions: http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/suppl_1/i248.full.pdf+html Music for Reducing Stress: http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-power-of-music-to-reduce-stress/000930 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3734071/ Want some more? You can take a look at these too: Stress Relief Tips Through Your 5 Senses: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/07/23/quick-stress-relief-tips-through-your5-senses/ Exercise Fuels the Brain’s Stress Buffers: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/exercise-stress.aspx SOS for Emotions: http://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/studentHealthServices/documents/PDFs/mentalhealth/CWS_SOS_for_Emotions_Booklet.pdf 45 KPU Counselling KPU Academic Advising KPU’s Counsellors are fully qualified to offer As a student, you may have many questions personal counselling in regards to many about your courses, programs and academic different issues, basically, anything that policies. KPU's Academic Advisors can assist you affects your academic performance or with this and more, such as: course well-being. Counselling services also offers planning & selection, program choices, course seminars on topics such as: gratitude, prerequisites, program & graduation mindful self-compassion, career exploration requirements, academic regulations & policies, and happiness. educational planning for career goals. CONTACT: [email protected] CONTACT: [email protected] BOOK APPOINTMENTS: advisorconnect.kpu.ca CONTACT: 604.599.2044 (Surrey) - 604.599.2600 (Richmond) 604.599.3213 (Langley) - 604.598.6044 (Tech) 46 Contact Peer Support: [email protected] For more resources: www.kusa.ca/peersupport 47 This Self-Care Book Belongs to… __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 48