ORIENTEERING Toward Paths of Thriving

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ORIENTEERINGToward Paths of Thriving
Thursday May 14, 2009
In the spirit of sustainability I will email
these slides to everyone who clearly prints an
email address on the pad Im passing around!
Dr. Stan Clark Employee Assistance Wellness
Office
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Workshop Description

• When we encounter huge obstacles on our life path
  we
• may be forced to explore an alternative route.
  From this
• point we may travel along trails of despair,
  endurance,
• resilience, or thriving. In this workshop you
  will
• 1) explore ways to identify which of these trails
  you
• have taken 2) practice consulting your inner
  compass to
• get back to your preferred path 3) practice
  "climbing
• trees" to get your bearings and 4) rehearse ways
  to
• encourage yourself to keep moving along the most
• challenging sections of the trail.

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Which trail HAVE you TAKEN?
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Four coping pathways

• Rank the following responses to the most
  significant stressful situation you are
• currently facing on a scale from 1 (how I respond
  most of the time) to 4 (how I
• respond rarely or not at all)
• ___Feeling so overwhelmed by the stressful
  situation that I feel powerless
• ___Struggling with the stressful situation, at
  lower levels of well being and functioning than
  previously experienced and just trying to endure
• ___Recovering from the stressful situation back
  to the prior level of well being and functioning
  (or at least heading in this direction)
• ___Doing whatever it takes to meet the challenge,
  confident in my ability to grow to an even higher
  level of functioning and well being than
  previously experienced

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coping pathways 2

• Despair (giving up)
• Succumbing to the stressful situation and feeling
  defeated
• Endurance (putting up)
• Struggling with the stressful situation,
  resulting in lower levels of well being
• Resilience (bouncing up)
• Recovering from the stressful situation back to
  the prior level of functioning
• Thriving (stepping up)
• Doing whatever it takes to meet the challenge and
  grow to an even higher level of functioning and
  well being than previously experienced
• Crossroads by Calvin Russell

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Responding to adversity

• The path we take is based on the predominant
• ways we are coping with the challenge or
• challenges we face.

Stressful event
Stepping up
Emotion-Focused Coping (avoidance)
Level of Well Being
Bouncing up
Putting up
Solution-Focused Coping (engagement)
Giving up
(Steinhardt Dolbier, 2008)
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Taking a bearing on your Inner compass
Perhaps you can visualize the direction you need
to go OR maybe you can just begin to attend to
your own sense of inner guidance
Breathe naturally. As you breathe in think IN.
As you breathe out think OUT.
Imagine an inner compass you can use to get your
bearings
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Emotion Focused Coping

• __Doing something to think about it less, such as
  going to movies watching TV, reading,
  daydreaming, sleeping, or shopping.
  (Self-distraction)
• __Saying to myself "this isn't real. (Denial)
• __Using alcohol or other drugs to make myself
  feel better. (Substance use)
•  
• __Giving up trying to deal with it. (Behavioral
  disengagement)
• __Saying things to let my unpleasant feelings
  escape. (Venting)
• __Blaming myself for things that happened.
  (Self-blame)

Select an emotion focused coping strategy you are
most likely to use when you feel overwhelmed. You
will plot a new course from here.
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solution focused Coping

• __Concentrating my efforts on doing something
  about the situation I'm in. (Active coping)
• __Trying to come up with a strategy about what to
  do. (Planning)
• __Trying to see it in a different light, to make
  it seem more positive. (Positive reframing)
• __Accepting the reality of the fact that it has
  happened. (Acceptance)
• __Making jokes about it. (Humor)
• __Praying or meditating. (Religion)
• __Getting comfort and understanding from someone.
  (Emotional support)
• __Trying to get advice or help from other people
  about what to do. (Instrumental support)

Imagine that you want to head in the direction of
thriving select a solution focused strategy
that offers the best prospects for taking you
there and discuss practice it with a partner
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Systematic Thinking

• Past
  Future
• Theory 2-Diagnosis 3-Direction
• What does it mean? Where do we
  want to go?
• Real World 1-Data 4-Do next
• What do we know? How do we get
  there?

Fisher Sharp (1998, p.79)
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Climb a tree!

• How can you expand your perspective and get your
  bearings?
• Foundational ideas
• Supportive conditions
• Touchstone memories accomplishment
• System-clearing activities
• Recall and select one of each
• As we precede through the
• next few slides. You will then discuss them in
  triads

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Foundational ideas

• The Serenity Prayer
• God grant me the SERENITY
• to accept the things I cannot change,
• the COURAGE to change the things I can,
• and the WISDOM to know the difference

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Foundational ideas
The Circle of Influence

• 
  What is beyond my influence
• What I can
  influence with help
• 
  over time

What I can directly influence now
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Supportive conditions

• People ( other beings)
• Places
• Things

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Touchstone memories
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System clearing activities

•  

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Self encouragement

• Intentional Self Direction
• A song, poem, mantra, inspiring image, prayer,
  etc.
• Mindfulness practice
• (clearing space for felt sense of support)
•  

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Personal sustainability cycle
Expanding conditions for well being

• 
  
• 
  

Reactivity Spiral
CIRCUMSTANTIAL ORIENTATION
CIRCUMSTANTIAL ORIENTATION
THOUGHTS
ACTIONS
ACTIONS
THOUGHTS
FEELINGS
FEELINGS
Creative Engagement Spiral
Self Direction
Seeking Sufficient Support
Model developed by Stanley R. Clark updated 2009
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Recovering Sense of Control

• Reactivity Spiral
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

CIRCUMSTANTIAL ORIENTATION
ACTIONS
THOUGHTS
FEELINGS
Self Direction
Seeking Sufficient Support
Model developed by Stanley R. Clark updated 2009
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Self Direction Activity

• Allow your body to find a comfortable position
• As your body begins to release tension and relax
• imagine withdrawing, at a comfortable pace,
  getting nearer
• to a place you might think of as your Directors
  seat
• move into this part of you who is an active,
  compassionate inner leader who can provide
  perspective vision
• like the best teacher, coach, mentor, or parent
  you ever experienced or imagined TAKE TIME TO
  CONNECT
• Now, you can pay attention to all the agendas
  inside each vying for your attention
• Decide where to focus your attention, energy, or
  actions NOW as you imagine you are in charge

ACTION!
CUT!!!
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AUTOMATIC INTENTIONAL Narratives
I CAN CHOOSE WHATEVER I WANT TO BE IN THIS SPACE
DWELL HERE WHENEVER I
LIKE
BADGONNA GET WORSE MIGHT LOSE MY
JOBCANT WONT BE ABLE TONEVER EVERYONESHOULD
HOPELESSWHATS THE USE? WHY ME?...BLAH, BLAH,
BLAH

• Everything we say and think is a story (i.e.,
  views of reality)
• Some stories support a greater sense of well
  being for self others
• Thinking and organizing intentional efforts
  requires a story one cannot proceed to make
  choices or exert an impact without one
• Our stories suggest answers to questions such as
  Who am I? What am I doing? What
  shall I do? Does what I do make any difference?
  What will become of me? Why is the world the way
  it is? Why do others do what they do?
• Reminding ourselves This is just a story allows
  us to alter the story for the better as we go!
  Try it notice the impact.
• The bottom line We cannot ultimately know how
  things really are! We can be open to
  more than what we are currently dwelling on.
• All of these ideas are just a part of my story.

The 2nd Bubble
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intentional Narratives
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
ACCEPTANCE
The 2nd Bubble
SELF DIRECTION
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Mindful Breathing self Monitoring

• Attend to your breathing
• Silently say to yourself
• Breathing in, Im aware of breathing in
• Breathing out, Im aware of breathing out
• Now just let yourself observe all experiences
  that arise pass in your awareness feelings,
  movement, sensory input, thoughtsarising and
  passing

Life can be found only in the present moment.
The past is gone, the future is not yet here,
and if we do not go back to ourselves in the
present moment, we cannot be in touch with
life. Thich Nhat Hanh
http//www.mindfulnessdc.org/mindfulclock.html
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Orienteering Plan

• What pathway am I traveling now? (Despair,
  Endurance, Resiliency?, or Thriving?)
• How might I take a bearing on my inner compass?
  What are 2-3 solution-
• focused coping strategies I can use
  immediately to move toward my
• preferred path? How might I apply
  Systematic Thinking in the process?
• What tree shall I climb to get a sense of
  perspective? (Foundational ideas,
• Supportive Conditions, Touchstone
  Memories, System-Clearing Activities)
• How will I encourage myself when the going gets
  rough? (Self Direction, A Guiding Phrase or
  Image, Practicing Mindfulness)

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• Hope is like a road in the country
• there was never a road,
• but when many people
• walk on it, the road
• comes into existence.
• Lin Yutang

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References

• Carver, C. S. (1998). Resilience and thriving
  Issues, models, and linkages. Journal of Social
  Issues, 54, 245-266.
• Fisher, R. Sharp, A. (1998). Getting it done.
  New York HarperCollins
• Frederickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive
  emotions in positive psychology. The
  broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions.
  American Psychologist, 53(3), Pp. 218-226.
• Siebert, A. (2006a). The resiliency advantage.
  San Francisco Berret-Kohler.
• Siebert, A. (2006b). Be up more often Develop
  emotional resiliency. www.LeaderExcel.com.
• Siebert, A. (2002). Resiliency An essential
  skill in a rapidly changing workplace. Portland,
  OR Practical psychology press.

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References

• Steinhardt, M.A., Dolbier, C.L. (2008).
  Evaluation of a resilience intervention to
  enhance coping strategies and protective factors
  and decrease symptomatology. Journal of American
  College Health.
• Waite, P. J. Richardson, G. E. (2004).
  Determining the efficacy of resiliency training
  in the work site. Journal of Allied Health, 33,
  (1), 178-183.
• Workplace Survival Guide http//betterworkplacenow
  .com/guide/index.html
• The Resiliency Center
• www. Resiliencycenter.com/topics/articles

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Emotion Focused Coping

• __Doing something to think about it less, such as
  going to movies watching TV, reading,
  daydreaming, sleeping, or shopping.
  (Self-distraction)
• __Saying to myself "this isn't real. (Denial)
• __Using alcohol or other drugs to make myself
  feel better. (Substance use)
•  
• __Giving up trying to deal with it. (Behavioral
  disengagement)
• __Saying things to let my unpleasant feelings
  escape. (Venting)
• __Blaming myself for things that happened.
  (Self-blame)

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Solution Focused Coping

• __Concentrating my efforts on doing something
  about the situation I'm in. (Active coping)
• __Trying to come up with a strategy about what to
  do. (Planning)
• __Trying to see it in a different light, to make
  it seem more positive. (Positive reframing)
• __Accepting the reality of the fact that it has
  happened. (Acceptance)
• __Making jokes about it. (Humor)
• __Praying or meditating. (Religion)
• __Getting comfort and understanding from someone.
  (Emotional support)
• __Trying to get advice or help from other people
  about what to do. (Instrumental support)