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Practical
Tips for Tackling the Psychological Impact of Terrorism:
Managing/Reducing Stress
 1)
Normal reactions to an abnormal situation. Experiencing stress
symptoms that are new — ones that you may not have experienced
before — is normal and understandable following a traumatic event
such as this one. What’s helpful is to know that these are normal
reactions to what is an abnormal situation. When stress symptoms
become uncomfortable, understanding that they are the manifestation
of a normal reaction to such an abnormal situation can help a lot.
2) “There’s
more to process than my processor can handle.”
Take time to breathe.
Remember…just like computers, human beings can require time to re-boot.
Like computers, we may have special maintenance requirements at times.
In times of extraordinary demand, we may need to add to our capacity
by making an investment in our own self-care. Often, this is best
accomplished by doing ordinary kinds of things.
- What do you normally do to take a break and refresh? Enjoy quality
time with people who anchor you emotionally. Take a warm bath.
Work out at the gym or engage in a favorite hobby or sport. Watch
an enjoyable movie or tv show. Share a meal with family or friends.
- Insist on being patient with yourself. Getting re-oriented and
rejuvenated won’t happen if you don’t let it. It’s healthy and
functional to take good care of yourself so that you can do a
good job of providing for others.
- Give the gift of patience and tolerance to those in your life
who may be having a difficult time.
- Have faith in what we know. Research and experience tells us
that most folks feel and function better over time. Stress-related
symptoms at some point should lessen and/or disappear entirely.
3) Use a
Pro-Active, Rather Than Passive, Approach to Media Consumption.
Now’s the time for media literacy skills to kick in. Ask yourself,
“Why am I turning on the television, reading the paper, or
logging onto the Internet?” Get specific — what is it that
you want to know? For some, local news is the priority; for others,
it may be national or international news. Channel surf with remote
control in hand. Selectively read the newspaper. It’s okay if you
don’t cover what you normally would — at times, there will be too
much news for anyone to fully take in right now. Decide on an amount
of “news” to take in each day. Then, respect the limits
you set for yourself by not exceeding that amount. By doing this,
you can accomplish two things:
- enhance your
stress management in terms of exercising a degree of personal
control over the psychological impact of what’s covered in the
news; and
- contribute
to your stress management strategy on a practical level by adding
to your capacity for time-management in day-to-day life.
4) Give yourself
permission to not know all the answers. Take comfort in understanding
that the new level of uncertainty that you may be experiencing is
probably shared by others for whom you have the greatest respect
and admiration.
5) Be gentle
with yourself and others. Our American work ethic can motivate
us to show up for life; but, in getting there, let’s remember to
drive gently.
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“Stress
101” A Primer on Stress for School Employees
Excerpted
from a 41-page guide* written especially for school staff,
this section gives a background for understanding stress —
both everyday stress and that which stems from violence —
featuring information about how stress works in our lives
and tips for managing/reducing it.
*Note:
Includes easy-to-use links to the complete guide, Violence
in Communities and Schools: A Stress Reduction Guide for Teachers
and Other School Staff, produced by the NEA Health Information
Network and the Center for Mental Health Services, SAMHSA,
US Department of Health and Human Services
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For more detailed
information about post-traumatic stress associated with crises situations,
we recommend visiting the Web site for the Montgomery
County (MD) Crisis Center, which serves a suburban community
adjacent to Washington, DC. This center provides stress management
information, advice and counseling to groups within its community.
Important
note: Please do not contact this crisis center unless you live or
work in Montgomery County, MD. This center is funded and mandated
to serve its local community.
Guidance
and Tools for How to Access
Resources that Serve Your Local School and/or Community
EAP –
Some employers provide for their staff an Employee Assistance Program
(EAP) that can offer a variety of appropriate and helpful services
(e.g., short-term counseling, critical incident stress debriefings,
referrals to public or private community-based resources).
School Mental
Health Professionals – Your local school district’s school psychologists,
school counselors and school social workers can be well-positioned
to provide both students and adults (parents and school staff) with
experienced guidance on what resources and services exist in your
community and how to access them.
Typical Community
Resources – To directly access services, information or support
in your community, you can contact your local:
- crisis center
or hotline,
- community
mental health center
- American
Red Cross chapter, or
- United Way
chapter.
If you need
further information on many of the broad array of mental health
services available to your local community, visit the:
The Center for
Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Mental
Health Services Locator at http://www.mentalhealth.org/databases/default.asp
For additional
help on finding information or resources, contact the NEA Health
Information Network mental wellness program coordinator Angela Oddone
MSW at (703) 519-9899 or via email at [email protected].
Thank you.
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NEA Health Information Network