Seminar:
Managing Stress in The Workplace And Beyond
By: Dr. Ivor Lensworth Livingston and Shaffiran Livingston
I.
INTRODUCTION
Stress
affects everyone, yet few people understand it. Stress is the body's way of
coping with emotional and physical change and a very necessary part of our
modern-day survival response. Numerous stress-related illnesses and diseases, as
well as personal behaviors (e.g., the frequent use of tranquilizing drugs like
Valium), underscore the need for the seminar. While many people know of stress,
few fully understand its nature. As a 
positive force, stress gives us the push
we need to achieve our most coveted goals. However, when stress is unrelenting
and out of control, it is a villain that causes unhappiness, sickness, and even
death. Stress affects work and productivity. Recent surveys indicate that one in
three workers thought about quitting work because of stress. Businesses spend
more than $300 billion annually on stress-related conditions, such as:
absenteeism, burnout, accidents, violence, alcohol and drug abuse.
Format of the Seminar
Involves an interactive discussion, self-assessments on stress and a multimedia
presentation broken down into three modules based on Dr. Livingston's simplified
I-R-M Approach to Stress Management (mentioned in his books, e.g., "The
ABC's of Stress Management - Taking Control of Your Life" &
"Understanding Stress Using Pointed Illustrations").
The seminar is divided into the following areas:
I. Introduction
II. Administration of Stress Survey
[Workshop Only]
III. Multimedia/Audiovisual Presentation (3 Modules)
Module I:
Identifying Your Stressors - Focusing on the Nature and
Background of Stress and Stressors.
Background Information About Stress and its
"Epidemic" Nature in Police Work. Common
Misconceptions About Stress. What is Stress? What is the
Relationship Between Stress, Health and Productivity? What is
the Relationship Between Stress and Burnout? The Stressor-Stress
Relationship. Different Types of Stress. How Does the Stress
Process Begin? What Are the Divisions of the Stress Process? The
Classification of Stressors [External: physical, social,
organizational (extra and intra)l, life events, daily hassles],
Internal [lifestyle choices, negative self-talk, mind traps,
personality traits].
Module II: Recognizing When You are Experiencing Stress -
Focusing on Signs and Symptoms of the Body's Reaction to Stress.
Biological Aspects of Stress (e.g., The General Adaptation
Syndrome) Possible Responses to Stressors (Fight the stressor,
Flee from the stressor, Accept the stressor, Ignore the
stressor, Flow with the stressor and Cope with the stressor) How
Do You Respond to Stressors? Common Signs of Stress You Need To
Know [Behavioral Signs, Emotional (Feeling) Signs, Mental
(Thinking) Signs, Physiological Signs] How Do You Respond to
Stress? The Burnout-Stress Relationship Some Signs of
Work-Related Stress For Police Officers Specific Sources of
Stress For Police Officers Selected Stress-Health Outcomes.
Module III:
Managing Stress Using Selected
"Changing" Strategies - focusing on the individual
and/or combined use of a variety of proven short-term and
long-term changes for reducing and controlling stress. The need
to be "proactive" versus "reactive" in
managing stress. This allows for greater protection or
inoculation against stress.
IV. STRESS-RELATED EXERCISES/ACTIVITIES [Workshop
only]
V. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD
VI. WRAP-UP AND SEMINAR EVALUATION
Please Note:
The length and detailed nature of the seminar are mainly
determined by the duration of the seminar. The format of the
seminar can be modified to conform with the needs of a workshop.
Please see notations to this effect that are included in this
overview.
For more information relating to the seminar (or Workshop),
contact the StressHealth Institute International.
Tel.: (301) 570-6650 or 1-800-WIL-COPE or 1-800-945-2673 Fax:
(301) 570-6672
SEMINAR
STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND THOSE
by
Dr. Ivor Lensworth Livingston & Shaffiran Livingston
I. INTRODUCTION
Stress affects everyone, yet few people understand what causes
it, how it develops, how it affects their bodies, and how they
can be more effective in managing their stress. Basically,
stress is the body's way of coping with emotional and physical
change and a very necessary part of our modern-day survival
response. Numerous stress-related illnesses and diseases, as
well as personal behaviors (e.g., the frequent use of
tranquilizing drugs like Valium), underscore the need for the
seminar. While many people know of stress, few fully understand
its nature. As a positive force, stress gives us the push we
need to achieve our most coveted goals.
However, when stress is
unrelenting and out of control, it is a villain that causes
unhappiness, sickness, and even death. Nowhere is stress the
greatest than in law enforcement. In fact, some have referred to
law enforcement as possibly one of the most stressful of all
occupations. Wherever police officers are found they usually
suffer from similar stressors (e.g., bureaucratic "red
tape;" negative interactions with superiors; shift work;
mutilated and dead bodies; etc.) and stress-related outcomes
(e.g., suicide; family-life problems, as divorce; depression;
substance abuse, feelings of excessive anger; etc). Because of
these realities, stress management information, like what is
presented in this seminar, has become a very needed factor in
allowing police officers to know more about stress and how to
cope with it more successfully.
Description
This seminar is designed to help police officers, and those
close by them, learn how to handle the tension and anxiety that
come from the demands of multiple priorities of their personal
and professional lives. Because stress occurs both on-the-job,
as well as off-the job, the seminar presents information about
stress management in general, as well as stress management in
the specific organizational lives of police officer (e.g.,
critical incident stress and post-traumatic stress disorders).
By way of an easy-to-follow, multimedia presentation (involving
slides, audio and video tapes), interactive discussions, and
question and answer period, the seminar provides valuable and
current information on stress, as well as proven tools to
effectively cope with stress and gain insight into how stress in
one area of life (e.g., home) impacts other areas (e.g., work).
Essentially, participants will learn techniques to help in
managing priorities and methods to effectively reduce everyday
stress, thereby improving their health, interpersonal
relationships and productivity and health.
Objectives
This seminar teaches police officers and other participants to
personally identify causes (both internal and external) of
stress, myths about stress, personal reactions to stress, and
how to effectively manage stress using a variety of strategies
involving "change," as well as the application of
selected "skills" (e.g., awareness, acceptance, coping
and coping).
Benefits
Overall, learn about stress management from current and
state-of-the-art equipment and materials (e.g., biodots, etc.)
Identify common sources of police stress. Identify common
personal signs and symptoms of stress. Know what stress is and
what stress is not. Identify four proven strategy areas and
"tools" to use in successfully managing stress.
Who Should Attend
Participation is recommended for police officers and related
personnel (e.g., police staff, family members) who experience
work or non-work related stress and who feel a need for
developing more effective and lasting means of controlling
stress at work, at home and in other related environments.
Format of the Seminar
This lively and dynamic four-hour seminar involves a combination
of : a) interactive discussions; b) current and state-of-the-art
multimedia presentation; and c) an additional question and
answer period. The multimedia presentation is presented under
three modules patterned after Dr. Livingston's simplified I-R-M
Approach (see modules) to Stress Management (mentioned in his
books).
Registration (On-site - 8:30am - 9:00am. Prior registration
highly recommended)
I. Introduction (9:00am - 9:15am)
II. Administration of Stress Survey (9:15am - 9:30am)
III. Multimedia/Audiovisual Presentation (3 Modules)
Module #1 ( 9:300am - 10:15am)
Break: 10:15 - 10:30
Module # (10:30am - 11:15am)
Module #3 (11:15am 12:00 noon)
IV. Additional
Question and Answer Period (also during the presentation (12:00
noon - 12:15pm)
V. Wrap-Up and Evaluation (12:15pm-12:30pm)
I. INTRODUCTION
II. ADMINISTRATION OF STRESS SURVEY
III. MULTIMEDIA/AUDIOVISUAL PRESENTATION
Module III:
Managing Stress Using Selected "Changing" Strategies -
focusing on the individual and/or combined use of a variety of
proven short-term and long-term changes for reducing and
controlling stress. The need to be "proactive" versus
"reactive" in managing stress. This allows for greater
protection or inoculation against stress.
Four Strategies Involving Change For Managing Stress
Behavioral Changes
(which involve changes brought about
by behaviors, actions and/or responses).
Lifestyle Choice Changes (which involve changes that are
associated with the choices made in how you live your life).
Psychological Changes (which involve changes that you
need to make as they relate to you how think and feel about
yourself, as well as others).
Situational Changes (which involve changes that you need
to make as they relate to situations, events, structures and/or
people you come in contact with on a daily basis).
The Importance of Having a Personal Plan of Action or PPOA
(which ensures more effective stress management, increased
productivity and increased health and wellness).
IV. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD
V. WRAP-UP AND EVALUATION
For further information on SHII, whether it be on Information, Products
and /or Services, go to our web site at www.stresshealthsolutions.com
