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THE WHOLE WOMAN’S SURVIVAL KIT

Presented by: Judith GissyPCC, LICDC, NCAC II, SAP

“© 2016 Bethesda Healthcare, Inc. All rights reserved.

Copying or reproducing this document is strictly prohibited."

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TriHealth EAP is a part of the Corporate Health division of the TriHealth Healthcare

System. We provide:

• Assessment

• Referral

• Counseling

• Crisis Intervention

• Work/life services

• Management Consultation

• Workplace Training

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ABOUT WOMEN TODAY

• Women are 50.6% of the U.S. population.

• Women are 46% of the world’s workforce.

• 59% of Bachelor degrees and 60% of Masters degrees in the United States go to women.

• 51% of women report living without a spouse.

• Women buy 22.5% of the new homes.

• Women spend $5 trillion per year and control 83% of household spending.

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• Women continue to take the primary role as the schedulers and organizers in their family.

• Women are more capable of multi-tasking than men. This often means that they often take on more stress.

• As a result, many women juggle so many tasks at once that they feel overwhelmed, spread thin with responsibilities, and with too many scattered projects that feel half-completed.

• Women often focus so much on caring for others that they place their own needs on the bottom of their list.

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A WOMAN OFTEN MANAGES

Career Relationship Children

Household Parents

Finances Pets Church

Family’s Health Community

Friendships Her HealthExercise

Her Own NeedsSocial Activities

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WOMEN

HANDLE STRESS DIFFERENTLY

• Men respond to stress with “flight or fight.” Women respond by “tending and befriending.”

• Women’s estrogen aids a hormone called oxytocin, which triggers a “calm and soothe,” reaction, which then increases the oxytocin levels.

• Women manage stress best when they have: – A strong and supportive network of friends– A happy marriage/partner relationship

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PROMOTING OUR OWN WELLNESS

1. Develop and Utilize a Support System

2. Stress Prevention and Management

3. Implement Self Care Techniques

4. Take Charge of Our Physical Health

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1.USING OUR SUPPORT NETWORK

• Surrounding ourselves with people who are positive, supportive and help us feel our very best.

• Asking for help when we need to!!• Using every-day situations as opportunities to connect,

commiserate and relax with friends.• Exercising emotional expression as a daily habit. • Avoiding social groups that are depleting. • Compiling an “emergency list” of friends we can call when

upset, and have “stress fire drills.”

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WOMEN’S FRIENDSHIPS

• Women continue to make new friends through their lives.

• Friendships are often based on similarities or shared interests, and within the same age, sex, & marital status.

• Women use each other as objective and accurate “sounding boards” on their relationships.

• Women can be themselves with female friends, discussing issues they don’t talk about to anyone else, and take a break from being “Achiever Woman” or “Super Mom.”

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2. MANAGING OUR STRESS

• Give yourself a “time out” from stressful situations.

• Take “deep breathing” and/or muscle relaxation breaks.

• Allow things to be imperfect.• Take up chewing gum.• Use laughter frequently

-- at the circumstance, at life’s little absurdities, at ourselves.

• Get counseling when feeling overwhelmed.

• Soothe yourself by doing something that appeals to the five senses.

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NAVIGATING OUR SCHEDULES

3. Rely on Routines -- Make a schedule, and stick to it.

4. Synchronize Events--

Get several chores done simultaneously.

5. Make Contingency Plans --

Have a “Plan B” ready.

1. Prioritize -- Schedule the essentials first.

2. Negotiate -- Arrange flexible time with your employer, when necessary.

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3. SELF-CARE

• Schedule in special time to do nothing.

• Work on self-growth and self-actualization; discover what you enjoy beyond your job, household and family responsibilities.

• There are needs only we can fill in ourselves, such as self-esteem, serenity, and self-satisfaction.

• Find ways to place yourself at the top of the “to do list,” such as: by scheduling in special time to do nothing, asking yourself “Do I really want to do this?” and saying “no” at least once a day.

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SETTING BOUNDARIES

• Learn to say “no,” even though you feel guilty. Then eventually learn to say “no” without the guilt.

• Make a “joy list” of those things you enjoy.

• Do one positive thing just for yourself a day, and keep an ongoing list of what they were.

• Differentiate between the needs of others and your own. When a situation or problem occurs, routinely ask, “Is this my problem, or theirs?” “Shouldn’t they do it themselves?

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SELF ESTEEM

• Mens’ self esteem is most often based on performance; women’s self esteem is most often based on the quality of their relationships.

• Self esteem consists of security (unconditional love) and significance (having a meaning in life, making a difference).

• Some of a woman’s self esteem is connected with body image.

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• 75% of American women report being unhappy with their bodies.

• On any given day, approximately 50% of American women are on a diet and 40-60% of high school girls report being on a diet.

• Fashion models are thinner than 98% of U.S. women• The average American woman is 5’4” & 140 lbs.;

the average model is 5’11” & 117 lbs.

WOMEN & BODY IMAGE

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BEING PROUD OF OUR BODY!!

• Refrain from self-criticizing our body to our friends and family

• Don’t wait until you’re the “right size” to be happy, or to do things you enjoy.

• Celebrate Love Your Body Day. • Teach “body pride” to your children.

• Wear whatever clothes and colors we want, no matter what flaws you think it reveals, or doesn’t conceal.

• When you look in the mirror, make yourself find one positive quality for every critical thought.

• Question the messages in our media.

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4. TAKE CHARGE OF OUR HEALTH

• Eat healthy & regular meals.

• Get enough sleep.

• Get regular exercise.

• Get frequent recreation.

• Avoid cigarettes; drink alcohol in moderation only.

• Obtain regular medical checkups.

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U.S. WOMEN AREN’T

GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP

• 16% have missed work during the past month due to a sleep problem.

• Women report coping with lack of sleep by pushing themselves despite the exhaustion, drinking caffeinated beverages, and frequent napping.

• 67% report difficulty sleeping at least a few night per week.

• 46% report sleep problems every evening.

• 34% report some type of sleep disorder.

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Women in their 50’s

have the highest rate

of sleep disturbance.

74% of fulltime Moms

report rarely getting a

good night’s sleep.

72% of working

Moms report sleep

disturbances.

62% of working

single women report

sleep problems.

Women with partners &

no children report better

sleep than most groups.

Part-time working

Moms report getting

the best sleep.

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• Make sleep a priority.

• Spend the hour before bedtime relaxing, calming down.

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

• Get regular exercise.

• Leave no “unfinished emotional business.”

• Try relaxation exercises.

• Sleep in a cool room.

• Find what works for you.

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THE GOAL IS BALANCE

• You feel satisfied about both your personal life and your paid occupation.

• You achieve moments when life "flows" and feels relatively stress-free.

• You feel in good health, and ready to face the challenges of the day.

• You feel like you’re growing, developing, and moving in the direction of your personal & professional goals.

• You have resources in reserve for an emergency.

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THE BETTER WE CARE FOR

OURSELVES, THE BETTER WE CAN MEET ALL OUR LIVE CHALLENGES.