Self-Care and Mental Health Professionals

Why Self-Care?

All work and no play… Failure to lead a balanced lifestyle-

MENTAL HEALTH – the capacity to work and love (Sigmund Freud)

Mental Health Act (RA 11036) Section 2.

Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology Resolution No. 11 Series of 2017

Adoption and Promulgation of the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for
Psychology Practitioners in the Philippines

Article II. Competencies

C. Maintaining Competence

Psychology practitioners shall undertake continuing education and training to

ensure that their services continue to be relevant and applicable.

Article VIII. Therapy

C. Client’s Well-Being

b. Psychology practitioners shall not provide services to their clients in

instances when they are physically, mentally, or emotionally unfit to
do so.

F. Competent Practice

a. Psychology practitioners shall keep abreast with the latest knowledge and
scientific advancements to respond to changing circumstances. They shall
carefully review their own need for continuing professional development and
engage in appropriate educational activities.

b. Psychology practitioners shall responsibly monitor and maintain their

fitness to provide therapy to enable them to provide effective service.

c. When the need arises, Psychology practitioners shall seek

supervision or consultative support from competent authority.

ACA Code of Ethics

Section C. Professional Responsibility

Counselors engage in self-care activities to maintain and promote their own

emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being to best meet their
professional responsibilities.
ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors

B.3. Responsibilities to Self

f. Monitor their emotional and physical health and practice wellness to ensure
optimal professional effectiveness. School counselors seek physical or mental
health support when needed to ensure professional competence.

The Nature of A Psychologist’s or Mental Health Practitioner’s Work

Stress

 body’s way of responding to change or to any uncontrollable or overwhelming

event (harm, loss, challenge)
 intended for a good reason (heightens senses, focus)
 becomes bad when
- too much of it
- body is forced to overtax itself in responding to change, over and beyond its
natural capacity.
 public health enemy number 1 (WHO)

Kinds of stress

 Acute
- a response to imminent danger
- turbo changes the body with powerful hormones that eventually damages the
cardiovascular system

 Chronic
- caused by constant emotional pressure the person cannot control
- Produces stress hormones - Cortisol
* weaken the immune system
* damage bones
* suppress the reproductive system
* cause memory problems.
* Increase weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol
* Increase risk of heart disease, depression, mental illness
* Lowers life expectancy
Types of Coping
(Morris, 1996)

A. Effective/successful
– eliminates source of stress, relieves the emotion that it produced.

B. Ineffective
– does not eliminate stress, emotions that accompany it.

Effective Coping
• Problem-focused
– direct changes in the environment to manage the situation more
effectively
• Emotion-focused
– seeks to make a person feel better by lessening the emotional distress
felt;

Some things to do when under stress:

Identify
• list down all the things that stress you
-big and small
-helps you know the consequences that each stressor brings to you
• analyze each item
-why is this item a stressor? Is it within my control?
-what can I do about it?
DECIDE

• be kind to yourself
• to accept the unchangeable
• decide not to be stressed about something-then it stops being a stressor
Overcoming stress

– a rational process
– a willful act

“Think through stress rather than feel through it.”

Do not allow external factors wield their unwelcome power on you

ATTITUDE is the all-important factor; the key determinant of stress control

WHAT IS SELF-CARE?

• Engaging in activities and behaviors that have a positive effect on one’s mental
and physical health (Butler, L. D., 2010)

Goal – reduce stress, preserve relationships, maintain a beneficial work/life

balance, and nurture mental and physical well being.

Self Care Wheel

Self Care Activities to Manage Stress and Maintain Resilience:

• Adapting Positive Thoughts

• Eating healthy foods
• Laughing
• Exercising
• Energy Cultivation
• Meditation/Mindfulness
• Social connectivity
• Music

1. Focus on the POSITIVE

 Cognitive Behavior Therapy Principles
 Surround yourself with people who have positive attitudes
 Focus on positive thoughts
 Develop positive self-talk
 Nurture a positive view of yourself

Say to yourself “I am a good and worthy person regardless of how I perform.”

2. Eating Healthy Foods that Reduce Stress Levels

Under pressure or too close to that breaking point: Reach out for stress reducing food
items

 Complex carbs like oatmeal – boosts serotonin

- helps create a calming effect on the brain
 Magnesium is a stress buster and a natural muscle relaxant
 Potassium lowers blood pressure
 L-tryptophan (an amino acid) - has a documented calming effect and triggers
the release of serotonin
 Beta-carotene - potent antioxidant that supports the immune system
 Vitamins B, C & E - boost the immune system.
 Thiamin (Vitamin B1) - an anti-stress vitamin
- helps keep the immune system strong
Studies: associated with improvements in mood, composure, clear-headedness
& energy.
 Best sources:
Meat, fish, dried beans, soy products, peas, whole grains, thiamine-enriched
bread and cereals.

 Omega-3 fatty acids (natural anti-inflammatory)

• contribute to healthy moods & optimal brain functioning;

• keep the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline from peaking;
• protect against heart disease.
- Salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, swordfish, soybeans and
soybean oil, walnut, soy nuts, shrimps, pumpkin seeds (high in
omega-3 fatty acids)

 A German study in Psychopharmacology found that vitamin C helps

reduce stress and, after a stressful situation, returns blood pressure & cortisol to
normal levels.
– Citrus Fruits (Oranges, Dalandan, Pomelo, etc.)
– Guava
– Broccoli - more vitamin C than orange; contains potent antioxidants that
help manage stress
 Shiitake Mushrooms - popular in Asian cultures - rich in vitamin-C.
– Known to help protect the immune system and increase
vitality.
 Berries – rich in antioxidants with stress-relieving properties
-excellent source of vitamin C - keeps our cortisol levels in check
 Bell peppers - high in vitamin C (291% of RDA content)
 Guyabano- contains sufficient amount of vitamin C, potassium, flavonoids
 Flavonoids (antioxidants) - lower blood pressure, make us feel calm & more
relaxed; prevent cancer & heart disease
-Dark chocolate contains flavonoids
 Sweet Potatoes (stress reducing)
-packed full of beta-carotene, potassium and other vitamins;
-the fiber helps your body to process the carbohydrates in a slow, steady
manner.
-satisfy the urge you get for carbohydrates & sweets when under a great
deal of stress;
  Dried Apricots - rich in magnesium - a stress-buster and a natural muscle
relaxant.
 Almonds are packed with B and E vitamins (boost the immune system)
 Walnuts and pistachios help lower blood pressure
-Walnuts (high in omega 3, vit B, magnesium)
-prevent surges in stress hormones and guard against mood swings.
 Peanuts - good source of magnesium and vitamin E

***The simple act of crunching any nuts can help relieve feelings of aggression.

 Turkey and other protein rich food

-Turkey contains the amino acid L-tryptophan

-people who eat turkey feel relaxed, or even tired, after eating it.
-Cheeses such as cottage cheese, cheddar, and swiss cheese are rich in
L-tryptophan.
Other sources: poultry, lean meats, fish.

 Squash and Pumpkin Seeds, Crude rice bran, spinach, and other dark
green vegetables (saluyot, kamote tops, kangkong, malunggay, etc.)
- power houses of vitamins that help replenish our bodies in times of
stress.
- rich sources of magnesium.

Magnesium
• relaxes the muscles;
• reduces high blood pressure;
• relieves anxiety

Deficiency in magnesium cause migraine headaches feeling of fatigue.

A cup of spinach provides 40% of your daily needs for magnesium.

 Avocados
- Monounsaturated fats and potassium in avocados help lower blood
pressure.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says that one of the best
ways to lower blood pressure is to consume enough potassium
(avocados have more than bananas).
- Rich in glutathione
GLUTATHIONE (mother of all antioxidants)
• Master detoxifier
• Body’s main antioxidant
• Protects our cells and make our energy Recycles antioxidants
• Critical for immune function and controlling inflammation
- prevents absorption of fats that cause oxidative damage from stress;
- helps strengthen the immune system;
- good source of beta-carotene, vitamin E & the ever-important folate
(mood stabilizer) ;
- potent antioxidant that fights damage from cancer-causing compounds

 Asparagus – highest dietary source of glutathione

– L-tryptophan, magnesium, thiamine, Vitamins C, E
– high in folate – an amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin
which helps ward off stress or a blue mood;
– helps us sleep and supports a healthy mood

 Chamomile Tea – a calming herbal drink known to be a mild tranquilizer and

sleep-inducer
 Carrots - rich in beta carotene – potent antioxidant helps support the immune
system
 Coconut H20 - high in potassium and magnesium and is fortified with minerals
 Celery – contains phthalides – compounds that relaxes muscle of arteries
– regulate blood pressure & allow vessels to dilate, reducing high blood
pressure (common symptom of too much stress)
 Swiss Chard- loaded with magnesium, which is considered by many nutrition
experts as the ultimate “anti-stress” mineral

3. Laugh
• Because it is the best medicine for a long and happy life…
• “He who laughs – lasts.” (Wilford A. Peterson)

“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain
that your daily mood and emotional states support good health.”
-Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D

Clinically proven to:

 Lower blood pressure

  Boost the immune system
 Reduce risk of heart disease
 Decrease stress
 Make you look younger
 Re-energize the mind and body
 Build resiliency
 Aid with sleep

4. Exercise - correlated with stronger level of resilience and relieves stress

- Burns up and reduce cortisol
- Boosts glutathione levels

 Walking- simplest, effective way of killing stress

 Dancing- an amalgamation of physical & mental exercises which helps
deal with stress in an enjoyable, fun filled way
 Sports- not only gets you connected with people but gives you a complete
body work out.
 Aerobic exercise – raises heart rate and gets you breathing fast.

Effect: Suppresses the production of cytokines- proteins associated with the

kind of heightened immune response often seen in stressed out individuals
such as students taking exams.

5. Energy Cultivation

“In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was
accomplished by moving energy.”

Albert Szent-Györgyi, Nobel Prize for Medicine

• Acupuncture
• Yoga
• Kinesiology
• Qigong

Qi-Gong cultivation

• most cost-effective yet potent self-healing practice

 • mysterious life force energy travelling through meridians—energy highways
within your body

– beats with the heart, nourishes the muscles & raises one’s
consciousness.
– unlocks the hidden energy
– brings mind into the present
– brings body to equilibrium and balance
– keeps qi flowing inside

EXERCISE

• Rub palms vigorously until your hands feel warm (like creating a fire)
• Bring hands down to your side; shake lower arms and wrists. Shake for 30
seconds to 1 minute.
• Completely relax, hands by your side
• Feel the energy circulating down your arms and into your fingertips

Tai Chi
– an old martial arts form
– a combination of meditative movements connecting mind and body.
• reduces stress; brings a sense of calmness

6. Meditation
* an activity that calms the mind and keeps it focused on the present

• practiced for thousand of years

• hundreds of techniques
• effective means at treating stress and managing pain.
• 2 categories: concentrative and mindfulness

 Concentrative Meditation
Attention is focused on a single sound, object, phrase or breath to bring
about a calm, tranquil mind.

 Mindfulness Meditation
Mind becomes aware of but does not react to the wide variety of
sensations, feelings and images

• Reduces anxiety, quiets down the nervous system, lowers blood pressure,
slows heart rate, improves circulation and digestion, protects body from
 damaging effects of stress, gives relief from ordinary anxiety and depression,
allows better rest and sleep;

• Valuable in preparing patients for surgery.

EFFECTS: less bleeding, reduce hardening of arteries, combined with dietary changes
slows tumor progression in prostate-cancer patients

• Regular meditation boosts level of activity in the left side of the prefrontal
cortex –
– responsible for feelings of joy and serenity.
• Shrinks size of amygdala (region in the brain that registers emotional
response)
– enables the brain to think rationally

7. Social Connectivity – Antidote to Stress

• Fastest way to calm your nervous system & relieve stress.

• “tend-and-befriend” response increases oxytocin and reduces cortisol.
- Be more sociable with coworkers; engage with colleagues who build
you up
- Connect with a cause or a community group that is personally
meaningful to you.
- a religious, social, or support group
- talk to like-minded people.
- Spend real face-to-face time with loved ones whenever you can.
- Phone calls, facebook can reduce cortisol - foster a feeling of
genuine connectivity.

8. Music

 Improves mood and reduces stress.

 Listening to uplifting music/ music that you love / fits whatever is your
mood
- lowers cortisol levels.
References:

• Atkinson, R. 2010. Coping with Stress George Mateljan's The World’s Healthiest
Food List
• Keri Glassman, R.D. 2012: Slim, Calm, Sexy Diet: Proven Food Strategies for
Mind/Body Bliss
• Lazarus, R. S.1991. Theory of Cognitive Appraisal
• Morris, Emily A; Brooks, Peggy R; May, James L. The relationship between
achievement goal orientation and coping style: Traditional vs. nontraditional
college students, College Student Journal 37.1 (Mar 2003): 3
• Natural Health Sherpa: The Ultimate Detoxifying Vegetable. Wilmington, NC
28405
• Psychological first aid: Guide for Field Workers. World Health Organization 2011
• Ross, J. 2013: The Mood Curehealthiestuniverse.com
• http://www.cancercenter.com/treatments/laughter-therapy/
• http://guyabano.com/Nutritional_Value.html
• http://www.ivillage.com/stress-no-more-try-these-30-calming-foods
• http://www.mensxp.com/health/mental-health
• http://ph.she.yahoo.com
• http://whqlibdoc.who.int
• http://www.village.co

Evangeline P. Aguilan, Ph.D, RGC, RPsy, RPm