How to care for the coping of your actors? HYY s Tuning Day, 22 February 2018
NYYTI RY National non-profit association Our operations aim to strengthen and promote students mental wellbeing and study ability
Today s programme, 12.15 pm 1.45 pm Short review of the basic pillars of coping Issues that negatively affect the coping of organisational actors >> what could be done to support coping in organisations Bringing up the topic
What does coping consist of?
Sleep, food and exercise the three basic pillars of coping Sleep restores you from the strains of the waking hours Sleep researchers: we should value sleep more. Time for sleep should not be compromised to make time for other things. What factors improve your sleep? Regular meals maintain alertness and coping during the day Does your eating support you coping and feeling good? Exercise repairs the body and mind What is your favourite way to exercise?
NOTICE Small things that bring you joy Be curious Examples Seasonal changes in nature Wall decorations in buildings as you walk Having lunch in a new place
KEEP IN TOUCH Talk and listen Participate Make connections Maintain relationships Examples Ask your friend about their weekend stop and truly listen to them Who have you not contacted in a while send them a message
LEARN NEW THINGS Get excited about new things See possibilities Challenge and surprise yourself Examples Try out a new recipe Change the order of your furniture Fold a new origami
BE ACTIVE Take joy from exercise exercise your mind Move around in your everyday life Examples Take the stairs instead of the elevator. You could even run up the stairs once in a while. You can plan group work while having a walk.
GIVE OTHERS Your time Your words Your presence Examples: Look after your friend s kid for a couple of hours Help your mom with the computer Volunteer work
Time management = Refers to organising how you use your own time so that you can use most of your time on things that are in some way important and meaningful for you.
Ability to relax and rest
Different levels of recovery Daily Take a break from work every 1 2 hours Take a short walk on the break, talk with a friend, look at the traffic from the window what could you think of? Sleep; most have a need for about 7 8 hours of sleep Weekly One longer while without having to focus on work/studying/accomplishing something in a certain amount of time Annual 2 4 weeks of vacation
Quick maintenance for the mind 5 minutes Listen to a good song Stretch your legs and have a glass of water Make a to-do list of the next day s tasks 30 minutes Workout walk, exercise, run Call/message a friend and exchange the latest news Take a nap 1 hour Have lunch with a friend Watch an episode of your favourite TV series Can you come up with something else?
Signs of overexertion Changes in sleep Changes in appetite Being tense and strained Worrying Bad temper Difficulties to focus or make decisions Constant tiredness Difficulties to recover from the day s activities
Signs of stress 1/4 Stress can exhibit itself as physical symptoms, for instance: Headache Muscle tension or pain Upset stomach or stomach pains Sweating Dizziness Being out of breath Heart palpitation
Signs of stress 2/4 Stress can exhibit itself in behaviour, for instance: Bursts of anger Changes in eating habits Sleep disorders Alcohol usage or smoking Impatience, nervousness or restlessness
Signs of stress 3/4 Stress can exhibit itself on the emotional level, for instance: Irritation Anger Anxiety Nervousness Melancholy Feeling of powerlessness Tendency to cry a lot
Signs of stress 4/4 Stress can exhibit itself in processing information, for instance: Trouble with memory Difficulties to focus Learning becoming more difficult Difficulties in making decisions Lack of creativity Pessimistic thoughts Increased self-criticism
Exercise Draw a battery on an empty piece of paper, marking the + and - sides List things that help with recovery and give you energy on the left side of the battery List things that drain you and take away your energy on the right side of the battery
Exercise In groups, think about what kind of challenging things that negatively affect coping are connected to organisational work List as many of the challenging things as possible on post-it notes
In groups, think about concrete ways your organisation could support organisational actors in the situations listed on the post-it notes Try to come up with as concrete ways as possible
Bringing up the topic How do you start a conversation when you notice that someone has difficulties coping?
Voice your worries Express your worries directly, for instance: how are you coping, I m worried Speak a common language Tell about the observances you have made Do not interpret ask for more information if needed Show interest towards the situation
Invest in yourself and take care of others!