Stress Management for Library Workers: Real Tools for Your Life, Career, and Workplace

1. STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR
LIBRARY WORKERS:
Real Tools For Your Life,
Career, and Workplace
presented for the ALA by
Dr. Steve Albrecht
(619) 990-2685
DrSteve@DrSteveAlbrecht.com
Twitter @DrSteveAlbrecht

3. Let us be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot
today, at least we learned a little, and if we
didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick,
and if we got sick, at least we didn't die, so
let us be thankful.
Siddhartha Gautama
Indian spiritual teacher, founder of
Buddhism (563-483)

5. Some Early Questions . . .
One foot in the present and one foot in the
future?
Pleasure versus happiness?
Positive self-talk?
Daily breath-based relaxation practice?
Are you doing what you really want to do?
Do small changes make big differences?

6. The “B.R.E.A.D.S.” Stress “Cure”
Breathe: Slow and deep.
Relax your Body: The best results come from a 10-minute
session, at least once per day.
Exercise: At least 30 minutes, three to five days a week.
Attitude: Relentlessly positive.
Diet: Go light on feel-good foods, manage your blood sugar
throughout the day.
Sleep: Develop pre-sleep rituals; get 7 to 8 hours.

7. Breathing
Yoga
Meditation
Self-Hypnosis
Guided imagery
Focused relaxation
Focus on the pauses.

8. Relaxation
Start once per day for 10 minutes, in a
place that’s safe, comfortable, and quiet.
Try to get up to 20 minutes each day.

9. Meditation De-Mystified
You don’t “lose control.”
You don’t cluck like a chicken.
You don’t pass out.
You don’t make unethical choices.
You don’t get brainwashed.
You don’t wake up with a new personality.

10. Meditation Un-Mystified
Lower blood pressure and pulse rate.
Lowered metabolism.
You control your oxygen and CO2 use.
You boost your immune system.
You stimulate anti-aging function.
You fight off disease.

11. Exercise
Walk at least 30 minutes per day, at least
three to five days per week.

12. Attitude
Relentlessly positive.
Find the “Zen Moments”; the good in
every situation, no matter how small or
how brief.
Stop your negative self-talk.

13. Diet
Proteins early, carbs mid-day, go to bed a
little hungry.
Five to six good days, one or two cheat day.
Moderate use of caffeine, alcohol, fats, and
sugars.

14. Sleep
Program your sleep in 90-minute cycles.
Develop pre-sleep rituals.
Use the bedroom for what it was
designed for.
Cool, dark, quiet (white noise?), peaceful.
Minimize blue light exposure.
Be careful with pills.
Don’t worry about occasional insomnia.

15. Is Technology Making You
Happy or Unhappy?

16. Sleep Stages and Brain Waves
Beta – wide awake
Alpha – half-awake
Theta – REM or dream sleep
Delta – deep sleep

17. Phone Apps
HEADSPACE
10% HAPPIER

18. EAP Services
Marital or relationship problems
Grief from a death or loss
Blended families
Substance abuse
Financial problems
Legal problems
Gambling addictions
Medical problems
Elder care support
Depression or mental health concerns
Suicidal thoughts
Pet care or loss
Personal stressors
Work stressors
Smoking cessation

19. Our Goals
What is Stress?
What (or Who) Creates Your Stress?
What Can Stress Do to You?
How Can You Best Deal with Stress?

20. What is “Stress?
An everyday fact of life? A necessary
stimulus?
The result of change: Comfort zone shift?
Both negative and positive?
A biological reaction: Adrenaline, cortisol
A cognitive reaction: Related to thinking
An emotional reaction: Related to feelings

21. Where Do You Feel Stress?
Your neck and shoulders?
Your lower back?
Your stomach?
Your teeth?
Headaches? Muscle aches?
Your energy level?
Your interactions with people?

23. How Do You Perceive Your Job?
Engagement
Satisfaction
Commitment
or Intention to Quit?

24. What Do You Like About Your Job?

25. My Bug List:
What Bugs Me About My Job?

26. Change or Not?:
The Seven Choices
1. Leave the situation or the person.
2. Live with the situation or the person.
3. Change the situation or the person.
4. Change your perception of the situation or the
person.
5. Change your behaviors around the situation or the
person.
6. Change both your perceptions and your behaviors.
7. Pretend you’ve changed.

27. Stressmakers
Workload
Work schedule
Co-workers
Bosses
Patrons
E-Mails
Meetings
Can’t say no?

28. Family and In-Laws
Spouse / Partner
Kids
Conflicts
Bills
Car and Home Repairs
Illnesses
Toxic friendships
Stressmakers

29. Anger Mastery
Pause!
Breathe!
Keep your voice down.
Agree to disagree.
Stop your desire to be right.
Think about the consequences sooner.
Recognize your hot buttons.
Leave.

30. Closure Tools for Tough Situations:
Using the Two “T’s”
TIME
TALKING

31. “THOUGHT STOPPING”

32. The Five Stages of Job
Burnout
Stage 1 – The Honeymoon
Stage 2 – Gas Shortage
Stage 3 – Physical and Psychological
Symptoms
Stage 4 – Time Bomb
Stage 5 – Crash Landing

33. Stress Coping Tools
 Keep to your daily routines.
 Seek support from significant
others.
 Limit the amount of time you watch
the news, read about recent events.
 Do activities which give you purpose
and satisfaction.
 Be patient with yourself.

34. (Re) Balancing Your Priorities
Simplify your life when you can.
Develop true perspective.
Watch your language and negative self-talk.
Focus on what is most important to you.
Use the P.I.N. Technique.
Become a Zen Master.

35. People Or Resources That Can
Help Me Cope . . .

36. Got Stress?
Got 10 Minutes?
USE FOCUSED RELAXATION.
1. Breathing: The 4-4-4-4 Technique.
2. Head-to-Toe Muscle Relaxation.
3. Private Getaway Place, Color, Finger
Touch, Chosen Word.

39. STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR
LIBRARY WORKERS:
Real Tools For Your Life,
Career, and Workplace
presented for the ALA by
Dr. Steve Albrecht
(619) 990-2685
DrSteve@DrSteveAlbrecht.com
Twitter @DrSteveAlbrecht