Stress Education Center - Dstress.com Newsletter

March, 2001 Volume VI

"Dedicated to serving by providing information, products, and services to create awareness and then offer control of stress and the process of change."

In this issue:

1. Introduction and Welcome

2. Contests and give-aways

3. Article: Introduction to Communication and Stress

4. Reference/Link: Emotional Stress and the Heart

5. FAQ - Question of the Month (Environment and Stress Reduction )

6. Product of the Month: Commuter Stress Management

7. Stress Management Tip of the Month:

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1. Introduction of the Stress Education Center's - Dstress.com Newsletter

Welcome to the March, 2001 issue of this monthly e-zine. The purpose in providing this newsletter is to offer information about stress and possible solutions to managing stress and change. Your input is encouraged. This will be a forum for answering questions/concerns, offering suggestions, motivating you and your clients to develop and practice a strategy of self-care that includes regular stress management.

The goal is to enhance your quality of life, increase your productivity, and offer tested fun strategies that will give you more time and energy.

Please read the newsletter and provide feedback. This feedback will help to shape the form and content for future editions. Thank you in advance for your assistance in the development process.

L. John Mason, Ph.D.

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2. Contests and Give-aways:

A.) The best suggestion for employee motivation (besides $), will win an audio stress management tape. A list of motivation strategies will be published in a future newsletter.

B.) I would also like your assistance. I would like to interview some CEO's, Presidents, or Executive Leaders of your companies regarding information for future newsletters. (Continued from the last newsletter.)

I would like to ask them about their strategies for:
hiring and training winners (Started interview process)
retaining key personnel (retention strategies) (Started interview process)

managing change
management development programs
health care cost containment strategies
the keys to leadership that they regularly use

As a ROI (Return On Investment) for the time used for this interview, all executives will be offered either a free: on-line stress management course or executive assessments package (Advanced DISC and PIA&V).
(Valued at $200-$350)

If you can introduce me to these people with their names, titles, email, and telephone, I would appreciate your introduction. Thank you in advance.

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3. Article: Communication and Stress

This is the first of a series of contributions regarding the impact of communication on organizational and personal stress. (Your input is welcome. Examples of issues and solutions are both requested.)

Remember, the things that are the most stressful are the things that you care the most about but can not control!

Both at work and at home, it is difficult to avoid symptoms or stress and poor performance when there are problems with appropriate, effective communication. Relationships at work and home are challenged when one or both parties involved are not able to find good ways to express their: needs, desires, expectations, and requests. It is not enough to say these requests. You must also get feedback to find out if the communication was fully understood and agreed upon (buy in to avoid sabotage.)

Good communication is very complicated. That is why we will break this down into several articles.

Effective Communication involves:
1.) Establishing rapport and appreciation of the diversity of "styles" of communication and the understanding of gender and cultural differences
2.) Ability to listen (which is over 70% of communication)
3.) Appropriate communication style, especially when an emotional issue surfaces
4.) Getting clear feedback that important communication is understood & agreement
5.) Effective follow up to gauge success of communication including time of completion accountability

As you can see there is much more to effective communication than simply "speaking your piece." Poor use of these principles can be very expensive. Money and time can be lost. Trust and good will can be broken. Emotional walls can be created that interfere with future communication and progress toward important goals.

A little bit of effort in the beginning can really reduce problems in the future.

Let's begin with establishing rapport. Books have been written regarding the art of "connecting" with other people. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) has explicit techniques for understanding the different "representational" systems that people use to communicate. The basics are: people use several system within their central nervous systems (brain) to process information. The core of this communication pattern is often found in the function of one of your sensory systems. This creates a major tendency to process and then communicate in one of these systems. Commonly, people use visual, auditory, kinesthetic (feeling), or smell/taste systems. (The first three are the most common.) The conflict in styles of communication at this level can create problems in both communication and learning (processing information.)

Examples of this are as follows:
A "Visual" person speaks and processes information through visual pathways (sight.) They might say: "Do you see what I mean?" "It is not clear to me." "picture this"

An "Auditory" person speaks and processes information through auditory pathways (sound.) They might say: "Do you hear what I am saying?" "It does not sound right to me." "Listen to me." "Don't use that tone with me."

A "Kinesthetic" person speaks and processes information through feeling pathways. They might say: "Do you get a feel for what I am saying?" "It does not feel solid to me." "Get a sense of what I am feeling."

When people interact and they use differing representational systems, they might not fully appreciate or feel comfortable with their communication partner's style and build a wall which can prevent easy agreement and full alignment with the communication's outcome. Effective communication can require practice at identifying, then appreciating the other person's style, and then modifying your communication to fit more comfortably for your partner. This is one important way to establish rapport. Some "natural" communicators can do this unconsciously and without much effort. Most people have to work at this by really listening.

Other types of communication styles have been assessed and then demonstrated using models such as Meyers-Briggs or DISC. These models say that there are 4 main behavior styles that shape a person's style of how they go about getting things done. (More about this in future newsletters.) The bottomline is, if people have different styles and they do not fully understand how these function, they may have serious conflicts that will be barriers to success. DISC are initial for the four basic styles.
D is for Dominance
I is for Influence
S is for Steadiness
C is for Compliance

A person with strong characteristics in a certain style will behave and communicate in certain ways.
A high D will be direct, fast paced, forceful, demanding, innovative, decisive, combative, aggressive, and often short tempered.

A high I will be warm, demonstrative, trusting, sociable poised, optimistic, people oriented, a team player, and often persuasive.

A high S will be relaxed, passive, patient, possessive, predictable, steady, supportive, slow paced, loyal, good at listening, and resistive to change.

A high C will be driven by facts and details, cautious, exacting, neat, systematic, conventional, precise, high standards, logical, more fearful.

By identifying these tendencies in your partner for communication can give you the upper hand if you are attempting to sell them on your vision and enlist them (and their powerful behaviors) in the success of your venture.

Books have also been written regarding differing gender styles and the influences of differing cultural backgrounds. Appreciating these, with sensitivity, can greatly enhance the success of a communications outcome.

In future newsletters we will examine other factors related to increasing your ability to be effective in communication. Your experiences and your questions will be appreciated. More in the future.....

Along the way, do not forget to take good care of yourself!

Good Health!
L. John Mason, Ph.D.

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4. Reference/Link: Stress and the Heart....Article

I found this article on emotional stress and its effect on circulation to the heart. Find it at the following link:
http://onhealth.webmd.com/conditions/in-depth/item/item%2C2415_1_1.asp

If you want to use temperature training biofeedback to minimize the effect of emotional stress on the circulatory system consider the informational link from the last newsletter:

Information about how to use temperature training biofeedback can be found in our Articles area in our Website.

Temperature training biofeedback is best when combined with stress management strategies such as Autogenic Training phrases, visualizations, breathing techniques, or other forms of deep relaxation. Each individual experiences the increase in hand (and foot) temperature slightly differently. Some people feel their hands "glowing with warmth" while other people may feel a pulse or even a "tingling" sensation in their hands and feet to indicate increased blood supply to these extremities.

I hope that these articles will be of service to you or your clients.

Please e-mail your suggestions for references and links available on the www.

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5. FAQ - Question of the Month

Environment and Stress Management

I received a query this month regarding stress management that comes from controlling your environment.

A harsh or toxic environment can cause stress levels to rise. Conversely, modifying your work or living environment can reduce stress. Some people are more sensitive to environmental stresses than others. For some people, their driving values and attitudes reflect a need for harmony and balance within the surroundings. These people respond powerfully to being a peaceful natural setting or surrounded by beautiful artistic things. These people also usually like to avoid conflict and disharmony (not so for everyone.)

Environmental adjustments can take the form of: softer or natural lighting, reduced noise or soft background music, adjusting office furniture to ideal ergonomic positions, clean/fresh air (reduced odors or re-circulated air), softer colors, reduced clutter, "no interruption" times in work day, natural setting for lunch time walks, meditation or "quiet rooms," and even bringing pets with them to work (or allowing pictures of their families in work areas.) Some people have water fountains or fresh plants/flowers to enhance relaxation at work. People will often hang photos or pictures of natural scenes if they do not have windows in their work space.

I will be writing more about this in future newsletters. Send your suggestions for improving environments for these future articles.

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6. Product of the Month:

Commuter Stress Management # 302

Relax - Safely as you drive to and from work!

A good use of your commute time. You can begin to unwind after work or relax to get better focused on your way in to work.

Learn to re-focus on your breath and relaxation as you drive. Also, notice some new, natural settings along your established route. You will be surprised that you can reach your destination without adding to your stress from exposure to commuter traffic.

This guided relaxation has been very beneficial to many people.

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7. Stress Management Tip of the Month:

A powerful style of relaxation comes from thousand of years of an Eastern Yogic tradition. This simple, but powerful, relaxation technique can have a significant effect upon blood pressure, heart rate, levels of anxiety, and general rest and recovery. Shavasanna, also translated into "corpse pose," has been around a very long time and is very useful. The technique suggests that if you lie down with your legs and arms slightly separated and remain very still for 20 minutes you will experience positive effects. A key is focus on breathing very slowly. You want to keep your mind in the present moment by focusing on cool air as you inhale and the warm air as you exhale. Some people like to imagine that as they exhale they release thoughts, tension, anxiety, and even pain with the warm breath that flows out and away.

Chandra Patel, a famous stress researcher, has used this technique to find practitioners in her research group, reducing blood pressure by 10-11 points (diastolic) after 12 weeks of practice.

A problem that many people have is to keep extra thoughts and distractions from invading the meditative practice. This usually improves with time and practice. Many people get frustrated and may prefer a taped, Western relaxation style. Find what works best for you...

Try this. It can really work well for you.

Try this. It can really work well for you.