Developing Resilience and Self-Care – Web Resources

Siegel’s Story of the Patient who Cured his Therapist (1998):

www.psychologytomorrowmagazine.com/achieving-failures-the-patient-who-cured-his-therapist/

Improve your Wellbeing at Work (Cooper, 2014):

‘There are a number of ways to improve wellbeing at work and also to cope with the fear of redundancy and continue to work effectively’. Take a look at Cooper’s suggestions:

• Don’t work longer hours than you need to just because you want to demonstrate your commitment. You have to have a good balance of work and leisure if you want to be resilient. Resist becoming a workaholic or you will exhaust yourself.
• Be fully engaged with your work colleagues or team and focus on getting your job done.
• Don’t go to meetings that aren't helpful to you.
• Be focused. It’s more effective to work in short, intense bursts and then take a break.
• If you’re feeling really insecure about your job, talk to your boss or to a trusted colleague. Tell him or her how you’re feeling. Rumours are often worse than the reality.
• If you’re a manager, boost people’s morale by giving praise and don’t focus on finding fault.
• Take regular exercise. Exercise won’t solve your problems if you’re feeling insecure about your job, but it improves your general wellbeing and makes you more able to put things in perspective.
• Have breaks from work and spend time with colleagues at lunch or in the pub. Make sure you spend time with your family and friends as well. Having a social support system both at work and at home is very important for dealing with stressful situations such as job insecurity

Reference: Cooper, C. (2014) Redundancy Fear. Available at www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Onabudget/Pages/Redundancyfear.aspx (accessed 5 March 2015).

Additional References for Mindfulness Research:

Kabat-Zinn and others have conducted further investigations across a range of populations, resulting in findings being replicated. See below:

• Holzel, B.K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S.M., Gard, T. and Lazar, S.W. (2011) ‘Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density’, Psychiatry Research, 191(1): 36–43.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. (1993) ‘Mindfulness meditation: Health benefits of an ancient Buddhist practice’, in D. Goleman and J. Gurin (eds), Mind/Body Medicine. New York: Consumer Reports Books. pp. 259–76.
• Kabat-Zinn, J., Massion, A.O., Kristeller, J., Peterson, L.G., Fletcher, K.E., Pbert, L., Lenderking, W. R. and Santorelli, S.F. (1992) ‘Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders’, American Journal of Psychiatry, 149(7): 936–43.
• Kabat-Zinn, J., Wheeler, E., Light, T., Skillings, A., Scharf, M.J., Cropley, T.G., Hosmer, D. and Bernhard, J.D. (1998) ‘Influence of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy (UVB) and photochemotherapy (PUVA)’, Psychosomatic Medicine, 60(5): 625–32.
• Shapiro, S.L., Brown, K.W. and Biegel, G.M. (2007) ‘Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training’, Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1(2): 105–15.

NHS Guidance on Building up Emotional Resilience:

www.nhsinform.co.uk/mentalhealth/accessinghelp/self-help/building-up-your-emotional-resilience/ (accessed 5 March 2015).