CARE4CAREGIVERS. Greetings! Did you know? Upcoming Programs. Inside This Issue

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1 CARE4CAREGIVERS April 1, 2012 Volume 3, Issue 2 MSHA Behavioral Health and Employee Assistance Services Kingsport Office Johnson City Office Greetings! Stress can be a positive force in life. But, too much stress for a long period of time can be a problem. It can lead to poor health, strained relationships at home and work, and mental and emotional problems. Read on to learn more about stress, anxiety, and ways to create a healthy and happy stress-free Spring! Inside This Issue Did You Know? 1 Upcoming Programs 1 STRESS at work 2 What to do About Job Stress 3 Featured Team Member 4 Community Resources 4 Inspiration Corner 4 Did you know? * Workers who report that they are stressed incur health care costs that are 46% higher ($6000 more per person) than other nonstressed employees. NIH * One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the #1 stressor in their lives. - Northwestern National Life * 26% of workers feel burned out at work. - Families and Work Institute Now, more than ever, workplace stress is a threat to the overall health and wellbeing of employees, just like you. Don t let workplace stress put a strain on your life, relationships, or health. There is hope. Come see us. We can help. Call to make your appointment today! Kingsport Office Johnson City Office Upcoming Programs These are a sampling of programs hosted by MSHA at the Health Resource Center in the mall at Johnson City and Kingsport, and are taught by a variety of MSHA professionals. All classes are FREE! Please call to reserve your seat. National Walking Day April 4, :00 1:00 pm HRC in Johnson City Mall Tax Time Stress Relief April 13, :00 2:00 pm HRC in Johnson City Mall Special Needs Support Group April 16, :00 7:00 pm HRC in Kingsport Mall Ups and Downs of Bipolar Disorder April 18, :00 7:00 pm HRC in Kingsport Mall

2 Page 2 STRESS at work Following is a summary of the NIOSH publication on workplace stress, sponsored by the Center for Disease Control. Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury. The concept of job stress is often confused with challenge, but these concepts are not the same. Challenge energizes us psychologically and physically, and it motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs. When a challenge is met, we feel relaxed and satisfied. Thus, challenge is an important ingredient for healthy and productive work. The importance of challenge in our work lives is probably what people are referring to when they say "a little bit of stress is good for you. Stress sets off an alarm in the brain, which responds by preparing the body for defensive action. The nervous system is aroused and hormones are released to sharpen the senses, quicken the pulse, deepen respiration, and tense the muscles. This response (sometimes called the fight or flight response) is important because it helps us defend against threatening situations. The response is preprogrammed biologically. Everyone responds in much the same way, regardless of whether the stressful situation is at work or home. Early Warning Signs of Work Stress Headache, Sleep Disturbance, Difficulty Concentrating, Short Temper, Upset Stomach, Job Dissatisfaction, Low Morale. Short-lived or infrequent episodes of stress pose little risk. But when stressful situations go unresolved, the body is kept in a constant state of activation, which increases the rate of wear and tear to biological systems. Ultimately, fatigue or damage results, and the ability of the body to repair and defend itself can become seriously compromised. As a result, the risk of injury or disease escalates. In the past 20 years, many studies have looked at the relationship between job stress and a variety of ailments. Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family and friends are examples of stressrelated problems that are quick to develop and are commonly seen in these studies. These early signs of job stress are usually easy to recognize. But the effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.

3 Page 3 What to Do About Job Stress? There are two basic ways to treat and prevent job related stress: stress management and organizational change. We do not always have the access or power to change the organization we work for, but we do have the access and power to change our own individual skill at managing and preventing stress. Nearly one half of large companies in the United States provide some type of stress management for their workers, just like the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at MSHA. Stress management programs including counseling teach you about the nature and sources of stress, the effects of stress on health, and the personal skills to reduce stress. This type of stress management is very effective in rapidly reducing the symptoms of stress such as anxiety and sleep disturbances. When working toward managing your stress, there are four main techniques that your EAP counselor will help you master: physical and mental relaxation, time management and organization skills, assertiveness skills, and goal-setting and prioritization skills. Pointers for Self-Help Stress Management Think really seriously about and talk with others, to identify the causes of the stress and take steps to remove, reduce them or remove yourself (the stressed person) from the situation that causes the stress. Understand the type of stressors affecting you and the contributors to the stress susceptibility - knowing what you're dealing with is essential to developing the stress management approach. Improve your diet - group B vitamins and Maureen Killoran ~ Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response TO what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose ~ magnesium are important, but potentially so are all the other vitamins and minerals: a balanced healthy diet is essential. Assess the current diet and identify where improvements should be made and commit to those improvements. Reduce toxin intake - obviously tobacco, alcohol especially - they might seem to provide temporary relief but they are working against the balance of the body and contributing to stress susceptibility, and therefore increasing stress itself. Take more exercise - generally, and at times when feeling very stressed - exercise burns up adrenaline and produces helpful chemicals and positive feelings. Try to be detached, step back, look from the outside at the issues that cause the stress. Don't try to control things that are uncontrollable - instead adjust response, adapt. Share worries - talk to someone else - off-load, loneliness is a big ally of stress, so sharing the burden is essential. Increase self-awareness of personal moods and feelings - anticipate and take steps to avoid stress build-up before it becomes more serious. Explore and use relaxation methods - they do work if given a chance - yoga, meditation, selfhypnosis, massage, a breath of fresh air, anything that works and can be done in the particular situation.

4 Page 2 Community Resources Check with your HR office to learn about your Employee Assistance Benefit. RESPOND: The mental health crisis hotline Inspiration Corner "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." ~Steve Jobs Featured Team Member Marsha Litton-Baker, M.S., CTRS "The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation, but your thoughts about it." ~Eckhart Tolle Marsha Litton-Baker has been with Mountain States Health Alliance for 4 years as the Employee Assistance Program manager. She moved to East TN from her home town of Richmond Virginia over eight years ago after receiving her education from Virginia Commonwealth University/ Medical College of Virginia. She has a BS degree in Therapeutic Recreation and Master s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, focusing on domestic violence and eating disorders. She enjoys all aspects of her job and has worked in the behavioral health field for over 14 years. "Is everything as urgent as your stress would imply?" ~Carrie Latet Brain cells create ideas. Stress kills brain cells. Stress is not a good idea. ~Frederick Saunders "Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." ~Chinese Proverb

5 MSHA Behavioral Health and EAP Services Kingsport Office 2012 Brookside Dr. Suite 10, IPMC Campus Kingsport, TN Meet The MSHA EAP Team The Johnson City Office Amanda Chapman, LPC Karen Fleenor, LMSW EAP Therapist EAP Therapist Johnson City Office 508 Princeton Commons Suite 403 Johnson City, TN Bringing loving care to YOU! Karen Forgety Marsha Litton-Baker, CTRS Administrative Asst. Program Director Maggie, the therapy dog The Kingsport Office If you, or a loved one, are experiencing a crisis, call RESPOND at Connie Simpson, LPC EAP Therapist Sybil Smith, LPC EAP Therapist MSHA Behavioral Health and Employee Assistance Program 508 Princeton Commons Suite 403 Johnson City, TN 37614