TRAINING FOR STRESS

LEARNING TO TAKE THE HEAT

Chris Nickson FACEM FCICM

Intensivist, The Alfred ICU

http://intensiveblog.com/training-for-

stress/

Objectives

1. Discuss acute stress and the effects on

performance

2. Discuss strategies and techniques for

maintaining performance in stressful

situations

Beat The

Stress,

Fool!

Credit: Mike Lauria

What is stress?

The Stress ResponseAn evolved stereotypical response

with physiological and psychological effects

Siddle & Grossman, 1997

Bandwidth Overload

In a lake there is a patch of lily pads

Every day, the patch doubles in size

If it takes 48 days for the patch

to cover the lake…

How long would it take for the patch to

cover half the lake?

How is the stress response

triggered?

Acute Stressors

PERCEPTION

SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENT

RESOURCE ASSESSMENT

situation > resources

= THREAT

resources > situation

= CHALLENGE

Stress can be positive!

The Yerkes-Dodson Law

acute + chronic stress > resilience + resources

How can we train for stress?

“We don't rise to the level of

our expectations,

we fall to the level of our training.”

Archilochus

Stress Inoculation Training

Stress Exposure Training(1) Conceptualisation

(2) Rehearsal

(3) Application

Prepare before stress

Overlearning

Mental practice

Visualisation and Mental Practice

Physical

Environment

Task

Timing

Learning

Emotion

Perspective

Reset during stress

Breathing

Power Posing

Talk

(Self) Talk

Reflect and recover after stress

The Post-Stress Reaction

Team check

Imbibe & ingest

Equipment resupply

Debrief

The stress response

is normal

The stress response is

physical and psychological

The stress response

is modifiable

We can modify

our perceptions

We can prepare

for stress

We can reset

our responses in real-time

We can reflect

and recover

We need to

train for stress

Beat The

Stress, Fool!

BREATHE TALK SEE FOCUS

Inspired by Mike Lauria

http://intensiveblog.com/training-for-

stress/