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SOS Stress Relief Toolkit Overview
ABOUT
THE HEALTH ISSUE
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Caregivers of adults with autism (and other developmental disabilities) often experience a great deal of stress.
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Stress can lead to burnout, illness and poor quality of care.
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Stress can contribute to health conditions that can affect the cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems.
MANAGING STRESS
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Contributes to a healthy, happier work life and home life.
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Impacts how caregivers respond to recipients.
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Can lessen stressful interactions between them.
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Helpful for when there is aggressive behavior and outbursts.
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Care for the caregiver = good quality of care for the recipients.
Developing a “therapeutic alliance and empathy with
each individual ” as a skill, (Singh et al., 2006) can contribute to more of an environment of wellness
for everyone.
WHAT DO WE PRACTICE AND LEARN FROM MINDFULNESS?
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Focused attention
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Being here now
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What are you paying attention to?
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Non-judgement
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Self-awareness of thoughts & feelings
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Resilience
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Patience
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Going with the flow
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Ability to adapt
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Responding vs. reacting
(Center for Mindfulness, 2014)
The foundation of the SOS stress relief toolkit is the practice of Mindfulness. The definition of mindfulness, according to the Center for Mindfulness at University of Massachusetts, is:
“It is the intention to pay attention to each and every moment of our life, non-judgmentally. While there are many possible definitions, the key aspects of any definition of mindfulness involve purposeful action, focused attention, grounded in the current experience, and held with a sense of curiosity. The Center for Mindfulness believes that we all have the capacity for mindfulness” .
With mindfulness, the practitioner is said to develop a stronger awareness of mind - body connection, thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
Some positive results from a mindfulness program include: lowered blood pressure, reduced stress and more ability to be present to what is without reactivity.
Mindfulness is taught in some of the the top medical centers in the US, such as UCLA. It is taught in schools, prisons, workplaces and the U.S. Army. It's backed by research and is evidence -based.
Classes typically follows a 6 to 8 week format.
Includes meditation practices, breathing exercises and more.
Our instructors are professionally trained in mindfulness facilitation through a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program MBSR or through the The Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) at UCLA.
Here is link to information about Mindfulness provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) . Be sure to watch the video embedded in the page : What is Mindfulness? https://nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
Amy Reich created SOS Stress Relief Toolkit with the wish of offering support to individuals with autism and to their parents and/or caregivers. Amy has family members with autism that are dear to her. As a yoga teacher and health educator, Amy has taught individuals (adults & children) with autism and other developmental disabilities.
REFERENCES
Center for Mindfulness. (2014) MBSR 8-week: how it works. Retrieved from
http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/stress-reduction/
Singh, N. N., Lancioni, G. E., Winton, A. W., Curtis, W. J., Wahler, R. G., Sabaawi, M., & McAleavey, K. (2006). Mindful staff increase learning and reduce aggression in adults with developmental disabilities. Research In Developmental Disabilities, 27(5), 545-558.