Living With Change: Coping and Stress Reduction in the Library Workplace

1
Living With ChangeCoping and Stress
Reductionin the Library Workplace

• Instructor
• Jean Crossman-Miranda
• mirandaj_at_infopeople.org
• An Infopeople Workshop
• Spring 2005

2
This Workshop Is Brought to You By the Infopeople
Project
Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project
supported by the California State Library. It
provides a wide variety of training to California
libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered
around the state and are open registration on a
first-come, first-served basis. For a complete
list of workshops, and for other information
about the Project, go to the Infopeople Web site
at infopeople.org.
3
Where Were Going

• What is Stress and where does it come from?
• What is its relation to Change?
• Identifying the signs and symptoms of stress
• The protective nature of the stress response
• Customizing a stress resistance plan
• Coping with the stress of change in the library
  workplace

4
A Working Definition Of Stress

• The natural response of the body to any demand
  placed upon it. --Hans Selye, M.D., 1946
• Mental, emotional, or physical strain, tension
  or distress.
• -- Websters New Riverside Dictionary

5
Stress Truths and Myths

• Stress is all around us
• Stress can be positive or negative
• Most people focus on the stress itself, rather
  than on managing it

• A stress-free life is possible and preferable
• Only unpleasant situations are stressful
• Stress is bad - avoid it at all costs

6
Change Can Be.

• Small, incremental
• Predictable
• Positive
• Productive
• A small modification to your life
• Taken in stride, managed

• Huge, catastrophic
• Unpredictable
• Negative
• Unproductive
• A devastating collapse of your world
• Continuously stressful

7
Perception Defines Experience

• Its not the event itself, but how you react to
  it that causes the feeling of stress.
• So, its not the change, but your reaction to it
  that determines how stressed you feel.

8
Basics of Stress Management

• Fight or Flight Natures way of protecting us
  with an adrenalin dump
• Saber tooth tiger and holiday season examples
• Can lead to hypertension and physical breakdown
• Best strategy is to focus on what is under your
  control

9
Responding To The Stress Of Change

• Your body produces physical signals that can tell
  you that the adrenalin dump has happened.
• Your mind produces cognitive signals, which lead
  to emotional signals, which lead to behavior and
  interaction.

10
On-the-job Reactions To Change

• Feel attacked and betrayed
• Caught off guard, blind-sided
• Resistance, anger, frustration, confusion
• Presentee-ism become retired on the job
• Afraid to take risks, innovate, try new things
• Feel victimized due to loss of traditional
  relationships, familiar structure and predictable
  patterns on the job
• Burnout

11
Burnout

• Burnout is an impairment of motivation to work
• the inability to mobilize enough interest to act
• How to recognize if you are approaching burnout?
• What to do about it?
• look for the warning signs
• activate your coping strategy

12
Phases Of Change

• Denial shock, refusal to recognize the change
• Resistance increased distress, blaming,
  complaining
• Exploration/Consideration clarify goals, assess
  resources, look at alternatives, experiment with
  new possibilities, motivated, hopeful
• Commitment/Acceptance focus on new course of
  action after a period of growth and adaptation,
  support others in accepting the change

13
Navigating The Phases Of Change
Denial
Commitment
Resistance
Exploration
14
Improving Your Ability To Handle Change

• Self-assurance
• Personal vision
• Choose realistic and flexible goals
• Get organized
• Proactive perspective
• Anticipate changes, plan contingencies

• Fine tune problem solving skills
• Interpersonal competence
• Socially connected
• Balance your workload
• Self-inventory what helps you be resilient in
  times of stress?

15
Keys To Managing Stress

• Reframe the situation with positive Self-talk
• Turn trigger thoughts into coping thoughts
• Use assertive communication to create a win-win

16
Self-talk Re-framing The Situation

• Self-talk is the way you make sense of a
  situation
• Happens automatically, instantaneously
• Sets the stage for your emotions and your
  behavior
• Re-framing puts the situation into perspective
  seeing with new eyes

17
The Big Picture

• Thoughts lead to emotions, which lead to
  behaviors
• Taking more control of each step is the name of
  the game

18
Transform Trigger ThoughtsInto Coping Thoughts

• Trigger Thoughts
• automatic response to an event
• just the right reason to get upset
• great justification for stonewalling

• Coping Thoughts
• reduce stress by changing your perception of the
  event
• the goal is that this response becomes automatic

19
Assertive Communication Is Problem-solving
Communication

• Focused on solutions
• The goal is a win-win
• Helps you move through stressful interactions
  while taking care of yourself and others

20
More of the Big Picture

• You own 50 of any relationship and are 100 in
  control of your own behavior.

21
Multi-tasking

• Is this helpful or detrimental in your library?

22
Stress Reduction TechniquesThat Work

• Something internal
• deep breathing
• guided imagery
• meditation
• re-framing
• thought stopping
• Trigger thoughts to coping thoughts

• Something external
• aerobics, stretching
• running, jogging, swimming, biking
• lifting weights
• expressive arts

23
Physical Self-care

• Diet healthy breakfast low-fat, low-sugar diet
  restrict alcohol intake
• Rest daily quiet time relaxation exercises
  before bed get a good nights sleep
• Exercise 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three
  times/week participate in games/sports
  regularly walk as much as possible
• Recharging regular time with friends/family
  establish personal and professional goals assess
  accomplishments

24
Reactions To Change

• People dont resist change they resist being
  changed
• habit, have always done it this way.
• uncertainty, anxiety about what will happen
• self-interest, non-aligned goals
• misunderstanding, poor communication
• lack of trust, team not cohesive
• peer pressure
• too little time to adapt
• feeling victimized

25
How Can I Stop Feeling Like A Victim Of Change?
26
Responding to Feeling Victimized

• Derail your automatic response
• Think WIIFM (whats in it for me?)
• Determine the costs and benefits of your reaction
• New strategies become automatic through practice

27
Learning From Past Change

• How do predictable changes differ from
  unpredictable changes?
• How can we anticipate and handle each type of
  change?

28
A Closer Look at Change in My Library

• Clarify what is really over for you, whats not.
• Identify what is lost and what is gained by this
  change.
• Determine if your reaction is based on current
  losses or old wounds.
• Reevaluate what you have and what you want from
  this change.
• Look at the challenge that this change offers.
• Look at the opportunities that this change offers.

29
Discussion

• A Closer Look at Change in My Library

30
Workplace Change in Process

• Is there a way to distinguish between current
  losses and old wounds?

31
Exploring Other Points Of View

• Value of looking at the change through the lenses
  of others
• management
• colleagues
• library users
• Develop new perspectives on the change
• Avoid us-them thinking

32
Coping Strategies

• Manage your own reactions
• Set goals and reward yourself
• Build a support system
• Reinforce your skills
• Manage your time and tasks
• Identify and eliminate time wasters
• Rationally detach
• Exert control and/or influence

33
Develop An Effective Response to Change

• Stay involved and committed
• See change as a challenge an opportunity
• Focus on things you can control
• Ask for help and support from coworkers, work
  for a sense of connection to others