Stress and stress management for national staff



Stress and stress management for national staff

Drs Debbie and David Hawker, Clinical Psychologists, United Kingdom

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 2

Introduction: Stress and stress-management 2

PART TWO: STRESS 5

What is stress? 5

What are signs of stress? 8

Stress and humanitarian work 11

PART THREE: STRESS-MANAGEMENT 14

Self-care 14

Problem-solving 18

Assertiveness 21

Good communication 26

Improving working conditions 29

Seek support and help if needed 32

PART FOUR: Looking forward and looking back MAKING A PLAN 34

Summary

The good news

Making a personal stress management plan 34

Resources and references 36

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

Introduction: Stress and stress-management

“In every extreme situation I have been in during the last three years, it has been the national staff who have given me the best indication of a way forward.”

(Bob MacPherson, Assistant Director of CARE Emergency Group, July 2001)[i]

Do you work for a humanitarian or a mission organization and live in your own country? If so, your organization might refer to you as a ‘national staff member’ or ‘local staff’, to distinguish you from ‘expatriates’ (who come from a different country to work in your country for a time).

You are one of many: most humanitarian workers are national staff. Your work is extremely important, often taking place in very difficult circumstances. You bring important local knowledge which expatriates do not have. Without your experience and skills, humanitarian work would be much less effective.

Yet you may feel that you receive little support, attention, or thanks. Your job may be very rewarding, but it may also be stressful, and even risky. This training module aims to help you think through the stresses and rewards facing you as a national staff member, and some ways you can reduce or cope with the stress that you may experience as a part of your job.

Who should read this module?

A module that focuses on how managers can better support national staff (Supporting National Staff) and a module on Running Stress-Management Workshops with Cross-Cultural Groups are also available. This module was written primarily for national staff who want to learn more about stress and ways they can manage their own stress. It may be most useful for:

National staff of humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or similar organizations (follow this link to read more on Who are national stafff?);

NGO staff originating from nearby countries who feel they have much in common with national staff;

Anyone interested in supporting national staff involved with humanitarian work (including expatriates who have national staff in their teams; Human Resource personnel and others working in a home office; trainers, consultants and mental health professionals who support humanitarian workers).

What will you learn from this module?

This module can help you:

Understand stress and trauma;

Know some of the causes of stress and trauma among national staff;

Be able to recognize signs of stress and trauma;

Learn some different ways to reduce or prevent stress, including:

Physical, emotional, and spiritual self-care;

Problem-solving;

Communicating clearly and assertively; and

Influencing your organization to improve support and working conditions;

How can using this module help you?

This module may help you and others in at least some of these ways:

Being able to take better care of yourself and manage difficulties in work and life;

Less sickness and less time away from work;

Better communication, team dynamics, and morale;

Working more effectively (and therefore better job prospects in the future);

Obtaining better working conditions for national staff in your organization; and

Being able to help colleagues, friends, and family deal with stress.

Only a small number of humanitarian workers are offered stress-management training by their organizations.[ii] Yet there is evidence that stress-management training is beneficial[iii] and appreciated. This module is adapted from many training workshops we have given to groups of national staff. Here are some comments they wrote anonymously afterwards:

Feedback from workshop participant in Burundi

“The sessions have changed my life.”

Feedback from workshop participant in Sudan

“You have helped not only us, but the whole of Sudan, because wherever we go we will take this learning and see transformation.”

Feedback from workshop participant in Serbia

“I have realized that I am not the only one with that kind of problem and doubts. I am relieved now and I have more strength to go on.”

How can you get the most out of this module?

Don’t try to rush through this material. You do not have to read it all at once. If you do, you are unlikely to benefit from it. Make time to think carefully about the material and how it might apply to you. In particular think through the questions in the ‘Stop and think’ boxes (like the one below) before you keep reading.

Stop and think…

It is best if you can talk to other people about your answers to the questions in these boxes, or to write down your response – whichever you find most helpful.

If you are studying this material on your own, we recommend that you write down your responses, or tell someone about what you are learning. However, you will probably get more out of this module if you study it with other people. If you plan to study this module in a group, follow this link to read more about Learning in discussion groups. If you are in a position of responsibility over other national staff, this is also a good way to make this training available to those who cannot read it themselves.

Other Headington Institute training resources

This is one of a series of online modules on stress and humanitarian work produced by the Headington Institute. After you are finished with this module, visit our Online Training Program to find these and other free training modules on trauma, travel stress, vicarious trauma, running stress management workshops, and other topics.

Next: What is stress?

The information contained in these modules is provided solely for educational purposes. The self-examination exercises and scales on this website are not intended to be used as diagnostic or treatment tools. Any concerns you might have about mental health issues should be discussed with a qualified mental health professional. If any of the material in this module raises concerns for you, please contact the Headington Institute staff or other appropriately qualified mental health professionals.

PART TWO: STRESS

What is stress?

Imagine that you are walking across a wooden bridge over a river. The bridge can easily hold your weight and you arrive safely on the other side. Then a herd of cows crosses the bridge. The bridge groans and creaks and some cracks appear. The cows are putting stress on the bridge, and it bends under their weight. Finally, a bus attempts to cross the bridge. The weight is too much. The bridge snaps, and the bus lands in the riverbed (thankfully no-one is hurt).

Like the weight on the bridge, stress is the pressure in our lives. A small amount of pressure (like the person on the bridge) can show us what we are capable of. It can actually help to make us stronger. For example, some students work best when they have exams, because the stress helps them focus on the task and not get distracted. People playing sport often find that the stress caused by having an audience helps them to perform at their best.

But when the pressure gets more intense (like the cows), we can ‘bend’ and ‘strain’ like the bridge. We may start to feel unwell or anxious, or we might become irritable or unable to think clearly.

Sometimes the stress is too much, like the weight of the bus, and we feel like our lives are going to fall apart like the bridge.

Stress is pressure in our lives. A little pressure can be a good thing – it can help us perform better and make us stronger. Too much pressure, however, can make us feel as if we’re under strain, or even breaking.

Different types of stress

Basic stress or chronic stress

This is stress in our day-to-day life. Perhaps someone in your team is ill so you have to do extra work, or you have an argument with a colleague. Or perhaps you work in a difficult location where there are few resources and more restrictions (e.g., there is a curfew which means you can’t go out in the evening; it is extremely hot; there are power cuts; or you have to get permits to travel because of security).

Secondary stress or vicarious trauma

This is the stress that can come from seeing people in pain or need, or hearing many stories of people suffering (e.g., if you work with children who are starving, or you hear people describe being attacked). Witnessing other people in pain can be stressful even though you are not the one directly involved in the situation. You can feel guilty that you are okay while others are suffering, or you can find yourself constantly thinking, ‘It could have been me’. For more on this see the Headington Institute’s online module, Coping with vicarious trauma.

Trauma

Trauma is intense stress produced by traumatic events. Traumatic evens are highly distressing or life-threatening experiences, which lead to feelings of intense fear, helplessness, or horror (e.g., natural disasters, accidents, medical emergencies, or acts of violence or war). For more on trauma see the Headington Institute’s online module, Trauma and critical incident care.

There are at least three types of stress. Chronic stress can come from pressures in everyday life. Vicarious trauma can come from seeing or hearing about people in pain or need. Trauma can come from extreme and life-threatening events.

How can stress cause us problems?

Stress is the pressures we face in life. Some stresses seem small and others are big. It is the effect of all of them added together which makes the ‘weight’ we carry in our lives. This weight can cause us to ‘bend’ or even ‘break’ – like the bridge. Just as some types of bridges can carry more weight than others, different people can cope with different amounts of stress.

But, different from the bridge, the same activity or event which is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another. Every person’s response to a particular situation is different. For example, some people like writing reports while others find them stressful, and some people like working in a second language while others find it difficult.

A lesson from a proverb: “The last straw”

A proverb describes the “straw that broke the camel’s back.” It seems strange that one straw would break a camel’s back, but less strange if we know that the camel was carrying almost as much as it could before the final straw was added. In the same way, sometimes we cannot understand why a small thing makes us angry. But if we are already carrying a large load of different types of stress, it may take only a small event which would not otherwise trouble us to upset the whole load.

Jorge’s story

Jorge lost his temper and stormed out of the staff meeting today after Maria disagreed with him. Jorge is normally a calm and reasonable man who gets on well with Maria and who likes to hear different opinions.

But it was not hard to understand why he got upset. Inflation is high and money is scarce. Jorge’s son is critically ill after being injured in a road accident, and Jorge cannot afford the full medical treatment. He is carrying a large load of stress, and just a tiny straw of extra everyday stress was too much for him.

We will always have a certain amount of stress in our lives. The stress may have to do with our work, our family or other parts of life. Some stress is not necessarily bad for us. But what is important is to take steps to make sure we do not have so much stress that we start to become ill or ‘break’.

Stop and think…

What is causing stress in your life at the moment? List at least five things you can think of (Hint: Think of your work, your family, home, health, friends, and other matters.)

Think of the bridge. If you are like that bridge, how much weight do you feel you are carrying – a light weight, a moderate weight, or a weight that is almost too much for you to bear?

Can you think of a time when the “last straw broke the camel’s back” for you or someone you know? What was the last straw? What were some of the underlying reasons why you or they reacted that way?

Next: What are signs of stress?

What are signs of stress?

Stress affects everyone in different ways. Sometimes you may not notice that stress is affecting you until you notice small changes in your behavior or your health. Think about it this way. If you put your hand in very hot water, you will feel pain. The pain warns you to move your hand immediately, before any serious damage is done. Symptoms of stress are a bit like that pain. When pressure increases to unhealthy levels for us, stress symptoms warn us to take action and change something, before we are ‘damaged’.

Stress can affect our physical health, how we feel, think, and act, our spirituality, and how we relate to other people. The ‘damage’ that stress can cause includes:

Mistakes and accidents (these are often due to fatigue or to trying to do things too quickly);

Making poor decisions;

Increased risk of various illnesses;

Arguments and relationship problems; and

Exhaustion and burnout.

No-one is immune from the effects of stress, but different people are affected in different ways. Signs of stress can show up in our bodies, feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and spirituality.

Stop and think…

How can you tell when you are under stress – what signs do you notice in yourself? (Hint, think about how stress can affect your bodies, feelings, behavior, thoughts and spiritual outlook on life).

What signs of stress have you noticed among other members of your team? (Don’t mention who you are thinking about, as this might embarrass them – just mention the signs).

Now, look at the list of common signs of stress and trauma below. Which ones have you experienced during the past month? Follow this link to download this list as a handout in English or Spanish.

Common signs of stress*

Physical

Tiredness; Difficulty sleeping, or else spending a lot of time in bed; Nightmares; Headaches; Back pain; Inability to relax; Dry mouth and throat; Feeling sick or dizzy; Pounding heart; Sweating and trembling; Stomach-ache and diarrhea; Loss of appetite, or over-eating; Feeling very hot or cold; Shortness of breath; Shallow, fast breathing; Hyper-vigilance; Irregular menstruation; Frequent need to urinate; Increased risk of ulcers, high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.

Emotional

Depression; Tearfulness, or feeling a desire to cry but being unable to; Mood swings; Anger (at self or others); Agitation; Impatience; Guilt and shame; Shock; Feelings of helplessness and inadequacy; Feeling different or isolated from others; Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope; Feeling rushed all the time; Anxiety; Panic or phobias; Loss of sense of humor; Boredom; Lowered self-esteem; Loss of confidence; Unrealistic expectations (of self and others); Insecurity; Becoming self-centered, and unable to think about others; Feelings of vulnerability; Feeling worthless.

Behavioural

Withdrawal from others or becoming dependent on them; Irritability; Critical of self and others; Relationship problems; Lack of self-care; Nail biting; Picking at skin; Speaking in slow monotonous voice, or fast, agitated speech; Taking unnecessary risks (e.g. when driving); Trying to do several things at once; Lack of initiative; Working long hours; Poor productivity; Loss of job satisfaction; Carelessness; Absenteeism; Promiscuity, or loss of interest in sex; Increased smoking or use of alcohol or drugs (including prescription drugs); Excessive spending or other activities to try to take one’s mind off the situation; Loss of motivation; Self-harm or suicidal behavior.

Thought patterns

Concentration and memory difficulties; Indecisiveness; Procrastination; Pessimism; Thinking in ‘all or nothing’ terms; Very sensitive to criticism; Self-critical thoughts; Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities; Imagining that the worst will happen; Preoccupation with health; Expecting to die young; Inflexibility; Confusion and disorientation; Excessive fears (e.g. about being attacked); Trying to avoid thinking about problems; Avoiding any reminders of a traumatic experience; Flashbacks, or intrusive thoughts about difficulties; Hindsight thinking (‘If only...’ ‘why didn’t I...’); Negative thoughts about oneself, one’s work, family, the future, and the world; Time seems to slow down or speed up; Suicidal thoughts.

Spiritual/ Philosophical

Questioning the meaning of life; Loss of purpose; Loss of hope; Changes in beliefs; Doubts; Giving up faith; Legalism; Rigidity; Cynicism; Loss of sense of community with others; Sense of being abandoned; Submission to excessive control (e.g. may join a religious cult); Spiritual dryness; Unforgiveness; Bitterness; Feeling distant from God; Difficulty praying; Anger at God or at life.

*Some of these signs can also be due to other causes, such as a physical illness – they are not always signs of stress.

Most of the signs of stress in the lists are found in people from various cultures. However, some signs of stress or ways of communicating about stress are more common in certain cultures than in others. For example:

In certain cultures men are not expected to cry (at least in public);

Some cultures do not have words for ‘stress’ or ‘depression’ but talk more of physical pains which may be signs of stress (such as headaches, back pains or stomach pains); and

In some cultures hot tempers and raised voices are common, whereas in others people work hard to hide anger.

If you have recently experienced several different signs, from more than one of the five groups, you are probably carrying a heavy weight of stress. These are all normal signs, found among many people who experience stress. They do not mean that you are weak or unable to cope. However, if you feel your stress symptoms are very severe, or significantly interfering with your life, consider talking to a professional counselor.

Finally, as stress accumulates and stays at high levels for long periods of time, humanitarian workers are at increased risk of experiencing burnout. Burnout is a type of stress reaction linked to long-term exposure to work-related stressors. Follow this link if you’re interested in reading more about burnout.

Stop and think…

What words are used in your native language to talk about the concept of stress?

Which signs of stress do you observe most frequently in your culture?

Which signs do you see less in your culture?

Do you notice any differences between national staff and expatriates in how stress is commonly expressed?

Are you currently experiencing any of these signs of stress? If so, which ones?

Next: Stress and humanitarian work

Stress and humanitarian work

Voices from the frontlines

“I have another line of sustained tension that comes from belonging and yet being apart. I belong to those who are helping and to those being helped, but I’m neither an expatriate nor a beneficiary. It is as if I am being followed by a ghost which constantly reminds me that the needy person – for example, the displaced person in the transit camp – could have been me.”

(A Ugandan staff member)[iv]

“It’s all right for you expatriates – for you this is just a job, and then you leave and do something else. It’s harder for us to say “no” to beneficiaries. When you leave, we remain. We will remember the stories we have heard from beneficiaries we are unable to help, and we will remain involved”.

(A Serbian national worker’s experience after the Balkan conflict)[v]

The rewards of humanitarian work

Working for a humanitarian organization can be a very positive experience. Helping improve the lives of people in need can be fulfilling, and doing a challenging job can give a great sense of achievement. Here are some other ways that your work may benefit you:

A positive sense of purpose that comes from helping others and contributing to important issues;

Developing new skills (e.g. technical expertise, computer skills, finances, language, report writing, etc.);

Learning about other cultures;

Making friends;

Earning a wage, and other benefits to support your family;

Promotion and training opportunities; and

Good experience, which can help you find another job in future.

Working for a humanitarian organization can be something that is fulfilling and satisfying, and helps you grown and develop as a person in many positive ways.

Stop and think…

In what ways has working for your organization been good for you? How have you found it rewarding?

What have you learned and how have you grown and changed in positive ways?

The stress of humanitarian work

On the other hand, your work may cause you sometimes to feel unhappy, tense or angry. What causes you the most stress will depend on where you are working, what type of work you are involved with, your own job, and how your organization functions. Here are some ways national staff can find their work stressful:

Job insecurity because of short term contracts and the fact that the program may finish or the organization may leave the area;

Problems in communication or relationships at work;

Security risks (e.g., risk of accidents if the job involves travel; or security risks through being associated with an NGO);

Witnessing or hearing stories of personal tragedy, suffering, and devastation;

Difficult working conditions (e.g., remote postings, insufficient pay, or too much work to do); and

Separation from family and friends if working away from home.

Follow these links if you’re interested in reading more about research on Common causes of stress for national staff and Common causes of stress for expatriate staff.

Humanitarian work can also be stressful and cause you to sometimes feel unhappy, tense, or angry.

Stop and think…

What do you find most stressful at the moment? Be specific – list the top ten factors that are causing you most stress (whether at work or in the rest of your life).

Is your work a cause of stress, or does it help reduce stress, or both? How?

Do you feel that you have changed in any negative ways because of your work?

What skills would you especially like to learn when it comes to dealing better with stress?

What can you do to prevent or cope with stress?

Recognizing that you have signs of stress and are ‘carrying a heavy weight’ is the first step in coping with stress. Understanding the causes of your stress is the second step. The next steps are to use strategies to reduce stress and/or cope better with unavoidable stress.

The rest of this module looks at different stress-management strategies that can help you do this. T, and the ultimate aim of these strategies are not just to help you survive your work, but to help you grow and thrive as a result of the challenges you may face.

Recognizing your own signs of stress is the first step in coping with stress. Understanding the causes of your stress is the second step. The next step is to figure out how to reduce stress and/or cope better with unavoidable stress.

Next: Self-care

PART THREE: STRESS-MANAGEMENT

Self-care

The next several sections after thisof this module will look at stress-management tools such as problem-solving, assertiveness, and good communication. These tools can help you reduce the cause of stress. However, sometimes there is little that can be done to solve the problem which is causing stress, at least in the short-term. For example, you might feel stressed because you are living in a conflict zone, or because your work involves hearing sad stories about people who are suffering.

EHowever, even when the situation cannot be changed, there are things you can do to help yourself feel less stressed. Although working to reduce or manage your symptoms of stress may not change whatever caused you to feel stressed in the first place, it can help you feel better and work more effectively.

Therefore, before we look at other stress-management tools, this section explores ways you can look after yourself even when you’re in the middle of stressful situations.

The story of the donkeys

There were two noisy donkeys. A man was disturbed by the noise and said ‘I am going to bury these donkeys alive because I hate the noise!’ So he dug a big hole. He pushed the donkeys down the hole – they were completely under the ground.

Then the man started to push earth back into the hole, to bury the donkeys. He shoveled spade after spade of earth into the hole. But when he had finished, there was one of the donkeys, standing on top of the pile of dirt! ‘What happened?’ he asked an onlooker. The onlooker replied, ‘every time you put more earth on top of the donkeys, this donkey just shook it off himself and stood on top of it. The other donkey didn’t pay any attention. He just stood there and kept making noise until the dirt covered his head’.

What does this have to do with stress? We can either let stress engulf us by not paying attention to it as it comes to us, or we can look for a way out – which is easier if we face it bit by bit!

Even when the situation cannot be changed, you can try to find ways to reduce your symptoms of stress, so that you feel better and are able to work more effectively.

Stop and think…

What helps you to feel better during difficult times in your life now?

What has helped you during difficult times in the past?

What do you do to relax and get away from work and your problems?

Individual and cultural differences mean that every person is different when it comes to exactly what helps them feel refreshed and less stressed. For example, some people like to go for walks or climb a mountain to help manage stress. Other people find this a very odd idea, and prefer to talk together or to play team sports. Because one of the best ways to avoid high stress or burnout is to have balance in your life – to have positive times to balance out the stressful aspects – it is important that you know what types of stress-management strategies might work for you.

Here are some stress management techniques which many people find helpful. We have listed There are 32 different techniques to choose from. There may be somea couple which will not be possible to use in your situation, but you should be able to try many of them. It is a good idea to try a few strategies from each of the five categories. This list is also available as a handout in English and Spanish.

Different people need different techniques to reduce their signs of stress, so it is important that you find the ones which work for you. Try some strategies from every domain – physical, emotional, thinking, behaviour, and spiritual.

Physical strategies

Be self aware, and spot when you have symptoms of stress. Use this as a warning sign to encourage you to take stock and look after yourself.

Physical exercise enhances mood and helps to relieve tension. Find an activity you enjoy (e.g. walking, swimming, running, cycling, playing sport, an aerobic video, gardening, or chopping wood).

Eat a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins. Ensure you are eating enough (for energy), but don’t overeat. Drink plenty of water.

Relaxation exercises can help your body feel more relaxed and take away aches and pains. Try tensing and relaxing your muscle groups (e.g. your hands, then your eyes, mouth, stomach, toes etc). Click this link for more information about relaxation strategies.

Reduce your alcohol and caffeine intake, as these tend to magnify feelings of stress or depression.

Get enough sleep. Stress is tiring, so you may need to sleep for longer than usual. Having a banana or cup of milk before bed may help.

If you are having severe sleeping problems or feeling depressed all the time, you might benefit from taking medication for a while. Speak to a doctor about this.

Emotional strategies

Write a journal, including your thoughts and feelings. Or, if you prefer, write emails or letters, or tape record your thoughts, or talk to someone about them. This helps you process your experiences, and stops them going round and round in your head.

Talk to friends/ family/ colleagues about your experiences.

Allow yourself to cry if you want to. Emotional tears contain a stress hormone, and so crying helps people feel better.

Smiling and laughing can help you feel better. Try watching a funny movie, reading something amusing, or having a laugh with friends.

If you feel very distressed, consider seeking help.

Behavioral strategies

Do things that help you relax or that you enjoy (e.g. chat with friends; watch a film; go to a place you like; read; have a relaxing bath; listen to music; draw; make something).

Don’t isolate yourself. Spend time with people you like.

Give yourself treats; be kind to yourself.

If you feel overwhelmed by having too much to do, try to set yourself small goals and just focus on doing one thing (perhaps starting with an easy task). Prioritize.

Be assertive. Delegate tasks, and ask for time off if you need it. Be willing to ask for help.

Thought patterns

Realize it is normal to feel low or have symptoms of stress when involved in humanitarian work. Don’t blame yourself – most people have such symptoms. It is not a sign of weakness, and does not mean that you are ‘not coping’.

Remember that these feelings will likely pass, and you will feel better.

Lower your expectations of yourself. You don’t have to do everything perfectly.

Don’t become too introspective, or spend long periods of time just thinking about your worries.

If you have negative thoughts (e.g. ‘I’m really bad at this job’), try to speak to someone else to get an objective, external perspective. Negative thoughts may be a sign of stress or depression, rather than reality.

Remind yourself of times you have coped with stress before, and what helped you then. ‘Success breeds success’ – remembering past times of coping helps you to cope again.

Spiritual/ Philosophical strategies

Sometimes there is little we can do to change a situation. It is can be interesting to observe that the same situation produces different responses in different people. Some people get very stressed by the situation. Others accept it, or even embrace it as a challenge. If you cannot change the situation, you might be able to change your attitude to it. For instance, some people find the Serenity Prayer helpful (God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference). Others find it helpful to say ‘Inshallah’ (‘if it is God’s will’).

Remind yourself of the value of the work you are doing.

Remember the good things in the world – the people who are helping others, etc.

If you have spiritual beliefs, use these to help you gain a sense of perspective and meaning.

Talk with others who share your beliefs or values, or read some books which help sustain your inner life.

If you have questions about the meaning of life or why there is suffering, find people to talk to (or email) about these matters.

Pray, or ask people to pray for you.

If necessary, forgive yourself or other people.

If you find it helpful, remind yourself that there will be a day when you will no longer know any suffering, pain, sorrow or tears.

1

2 The example of Elijah the prophet

Elijah’s story is told in 1 Kings 19: 1-18 in the Bible. What helped Elijah deal with stress? Each of the answers below can be found in the passage. Notice how the word ‘stress’ is spelt out by the answers, to help you remember the points.

Sleep

Talking about what happened (telling his story not just once, but twice), and being touched

Rest & relaxation (under a tree)

Exercise (walking though the desert) and eating well

Support (discovering people to delegate to, and that there were 7000 prophets left – he wasn’t isolated as he had thought)

Spiritual resources and silence

Stop and think…

How much of your time is spent with people you like or doing activities you enjoy? Is this a good balance?

Which of the stress management techniques on the list can be used where you live and work, and which cannot? Create your own list of stress management techniques which work for you.

What are one or two techniques you could use this week? When will you use them?

Next: Problem-solving

Problem-solving

1 Story of the saw

2 A man wanted wood for his fire. He needed to saw the wood up so it could be stored in the dry, before the rain came and the wood was spoiled. So he took his saw and tried to saw the wood as quickly as he could. But it took a long time to saw up even one log. People kept passing him and saying ‘you need to sharpen your saw – it’s blunt, and you will be much quicker if you sharpen your saw’. But the man said, ‘no, no, I don’t have time to stop’, and he kept going very, very slowly. When the rain started he had very little wood cut up.

What does this have to do with stress and problem solving? Often when we are stressed we think we don’t have time to stop. But we might need to stop to rest, or to figure out a new way to do things in order to work more effectively and feel less stressed.

There are some causes of stress which we can do little to reduce. In those situations self-care can help us feel more refreshed and less stressed. In the story above, for example, the man may have been less tired if he’d rested. Then he may have been able to saw faster.

However there are also many causes of stress that we can reduce. In the story above, the man may have been able to reduce the cause of his stress if he had problem-solved – thought about different ways he could have solved the root cause of his problem. For example, he may have decided that the best way to fix the problem wasn’t just to stop and rest, but to stop and sharpen his saw.

If we take the time to problem-solve we can often identify at least partial solutions to difficulties. The steps of problem-solving are listed below. It often helps to work through the problem-solving steps with a friend or even a group of people, because other people may offer ideas you had not thought of.

There are some causes of stress which we can do little to reduce, but there are many which we can reduce. We can identify solutions by working through steps of problem-solving.

The steps of problem-solving

Here are the steps of problem solving:

Identify the problem as early as possible.

Specify the problem accurately. Try to break it down into its different parts. What exactly is causing the problem?

‘Brainstorm’ solutions. This means listing as many ideas as possible, without dismissing any that you think would not work. At this stage don’t consider whether they are good or bad ideas, just list them all. Sometimes listing a silly or impossible idea triggers us to think of one which is possible.

List the advantages and disadvantages of each solution.

Choose the best solution or combination of solutions.

Try out the solution.

Review the problem-solving process. How well did the solution work? If it did not work well, consider what you could do differently another time.

Follow this link to read about how a humanitarian worker in Darfur used this process to tackle a common problem: Too much email to deal with!

A problem-solving exercise

Consider your list of your top 10 causes of stress. Choose one of these which you believe may have a solution that you can try (e.g. don’t choose something like ‘I’m living in a war-zone’ if you don’t think you can do anything to change that).

Work through the steps of problem-solving. Doing this with a friend or a group of people is often a good idea as they might have ideas you would not think of.

In the days and weeks ahead, try out the solution(s) you choose and then reflect on whether problem-solving has helped. Some solutions are short-term, and others take longer to put into practice. The box below gives examples of solutions that national staff in East Africa identified for problems they were facing:

Case studies: Problems and solutions in East Africa

Problem: GuardsStaff who worked night shifts (e.g. guards) were being stopped on their way to and from work by security forces. TheyWe were accused of being involved with criminal or violent activities (as the security forces did not believe there would be any other reason for themus being out in the dark).

Solution: The guardsWe requested identity cards and a letter from the NGO explaining why theywe needed to travel at night. TheyWe were able to show the identity card and letter when challenged at night.

Problem: Guards who were outside all night frequently suffered malaria, and then were absent from work due to sickness.

Solution: TheyWe asked the NGO to provide anti-malarial medication and mosquito repellent coils.

Problem: When the security situation was very unstable, national staffwe would sometimes be unable to travel back to their families at night. TheirOur families would become very worried, about as they did not know where theywe were. TheOur families did not have phones.

Solution: The national staffWe asked permission to use the NGO phone to ring neighbours who had phones and could give a message to theirour familiesy.

Problem-solving is a skill. The more you practice, the better you will become at it. It can help you in many aspects of life. Being a good problem-solver is associated with having better mental health and being more effective in many jobs. Think about setting some time aside over the next month to problem solve all of the problems on your ‘top ten list’ that you think you can do something about, however small.

If you are reading this module, the chances are that you are also in a position to be a positive influence within your organization. Your perspective and the perspective of other national staff are important. You may see ways your organization could better support national staff using problem-solving. You might want to consider organizing a group discussion with your team, or asking your manager to help find someone who can run a workshop about these issues using the ideas outlined in the module on running stress management workshops with cross cultural groups.Supporting National Staff.

Next: Assertiveness

Assertiveness

Problem-solving is one skill which can help reduce or prevent stress. Another skill is communicating assertively.

Zhenya’s story: “You need to be more assertive”

Zhenya works as a translator for expatriates who come to her country, Chechnya. Some expatriates treat her well, but a few are very inconsiderate. For example, they promise that they will finish by five o’clock in the evening, the time Zhenya needs to leave to feed her children. But then they don’t let her leave until much later – sometimes as late as seven o’clock. Zhenya feels upset about this, and one day she mentions it to a counselor she is translating for. The counselor says, ‘you need to be more assertive’.

Stop and think…

What do you think ‘assertive’ means?

What could Zhenya do to be more assertive?

What would be the most likely result?

What is assertiveness?

Many people have a negative view of assertiveness and think that it means demanding that you get your own way. This is especially true in certain cultures and faith groups where people believe that it is good to be modest and deferential and never say ‘no’ to the requests of other people.

In fact, assertiveness is related to:

Respecting and valuing other people and yourself;

Listening to other people;

Communicating honestly and clearly about your views and needs;

Being able to politely say ‘no’ to requests when you want to.

When you are assertive you clearly and honestly communicate your views and needs without anger or aggression, and also listen to and respect other people’s point of view.

How can assertiveness help?

It can be very difficult or feel risky to communicate honestly and assertively about your opinions, needs, and problems if:

You are worried about losing your job if you are seen as a “complainer” or “difficult”; and/or

You feel that your manager only cares about productivity – that you show up on time and get your job done.

However, many things may seem obvious to you as a national humanitarian worker that may not be obvious to your expatriate colleagues. Here are just a fewcouple of examples of issues where you as a national staff member will probably have a greater understanding of the situation or of culturally appropriate behavior:

How to dress appropriately in your country;

Expectations that beneficiaries have of you;

Security issues that you face when traveling;

SAny security risks you face as a result of working for an international NGO;

Your responsibilities to your family (including your extended family); and

Realistic timelines for projects involving the local community.

It can feel risky communicating about such issues with your managers. In some cases it may actually be risky. However, it may also benefit both you and the organization if you communicate with management about suchthese issues and others like them. It can assist your managers in understanding problems or issues they just had not recognized or considered. And it may lead to changes that help you meet important needs (yours and your family’s). Sometimes these changes can seem relatively minor from your manager’s viewpoint but make a big difference to your well-being.

Stop and think…

Can you think of one or more issues that your manager or expatriates you know don’t understand very well, or where they behave in very different ways than you think is effective or appropriate?

How have differences in this area been dealt with in the past by the staff of your organization?

How can you communicate assertively?

Assertiveness can feel difficult to put into practice, but it’s not a complicated concept. It involves:

Speaking about your own feelings about a situation, circumstance, or behavior using the formula, “I feel… when… because…”;

Expressing what you would like to see happen instead (e.g., “I would appreciate it if…”);

Being polite, clear, and honest; and

Giving the other person a chance to speak, and listening to them with respect.

Some of the alternatives to being assertive are:

Putting yourself first and completely ignoring the needs of others; or

Letting other people make so many demands of you that your own needs end up being ignored; or

Quietly manipulating circumstances to get your own way (e.g., saying one thing to a person’s face, but doing something different later when the other person hais gone).

Here is an real-life example from some national staff members, showing that shows how assertive communication helped them address a work-problem.

Case study: Answering a request for money

Situation: You go to visit some beneficiaries in one of your remote projects. They ask you for money, saying that their children are hungry. Your NGO has a policy which states that the NGO does not give out money to beneficiaries, as that would encourage dependency; they assess the need and give out tools and seeds to those who meet their criteria.

Stop and think…

What would you do in this situation?

Here are some possible responses:

Option 1 – You feel unable to say ‘no’, so give them money of your own even though that means your own family will go hungry.

Option 2 – You shout ‘You people are lazy! Why can’t you work like anyone else? We gave you seed and tools last year – you should be saying “thank you”, not begging for food!’

Option 3 – You lie to them and say that you will ask someone else to come back with money later. You want them to like you, but you make them false promises and they will lose trust in the organization.

Option 4 - An assertive response – You ask to speak with the elders. You remind them that last year they received tools and seed from the NGO, and you ask what happened.

In this real-life example, option 4 was chosen, which was an assertive response. Here is what happened:

The eldersy explained that the tools and seeds provided the previous year had beenis was very useful and provided some food. But the tools wereare now broken and the harvest did not last long due to bad weather conditions; the community werey are hungry again. The NGO staff saidYou they were say you are pleased to hear that the tools had been hey used the tools. TheyYou promised to write a recommendation to the NGO that the beneficiariesy get more tools and seeds very soon, and some training in how to look after the tools. TheyYou explained that theyour NGO woulddoes not give money to beggars. They said theyYou say you wanted to help the community tom provide for themselves, as they wereare not beggars – they are people worthy of respect.

Outcome – The community was happy with this response, as they were treated with dignity and respect. The promise was kept and tools and some seed quickly provided so the people could feed themselves again.

This was an example involving beneficiaries. It might feel more challenging to communicate assertively with your manager or other people you work with, but it is not impossible, even with tricky or sensitive issues. For example, follow this link to read some possible ways you could address the issue of expatriates wearing clothes that are viewed as offensive in your culture: Challenging the expatriate dress code.

Although it might feel especially difficult or risky to approach expatriates about things like this, it might help to remember that many expatriates come from cultures where they are more used to people being assertive. They may also be grateful to you for being honest with them. How else can they learn about what is appropriate in your culture? Of course, if you criticize them day after day they may become angry and defensive. But if you give occasional feedback on important matters, they may value your insights and respect you for being willing to speak to them. Think about how you would feel if you were the one who was living outside your culture and trying to learn how to do things in a new land. The chances are that you would be pleased when someone helped you out like this.

Back to Zhenya’s story

We began this section with the example of a translator who needed to finish work by five o’clock, but often ended up translating later than that. Zhenya spoke to the counselor about how she could be assertive.

What did Zhenya do?

After learning about assertiveness, every time she was asked to translate she said before accepting: “I will need to finish by five o’clock, in order to collect and feed my children. Will we be finished by then?”

If she was still translating at 4.50 pm, she reminded the expatriate, “I will need to leave in ten minutes, to collect and feed my children.”

She found that most expatriates would then finish at five o’clock, or just afterwards. (Zhenya would allow an extra ten minutes if that was necessary to complete the work). Only one expatriate did not respect Zhenya’s request. In that instance, at 5.15pm Zhenya said, “I am sorry but I have to go now,” and she left.

Zhenya felt very happy that her request was respected. She noticed that she had fewer headaches after this, and she enjoyed her work more. Her family were happier too and there were fewer arguments. Zhenya started being assertive in other situations too, and felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Stop and think…

Do you think that it is good to be assertive? Why or why not?

What is one example of a work-related issue where it might benefit you to be assertive (e.g., could you talk to someone about a problem, or say ‘no’ when someone asks you to do something which you do not have time to do?) Discuss or write down how you could respond assertively. Try it out, and then review how it went. If you think you will find it difficult, try it out as a role-play first – perhaps with the people you are discussing this module with. Ask for their feedback and suggestions. Remember, being assertive is a skill. With practice, you will find it easier and feel more confident[vi].

Next: Good communication

Good communication

The fourth stress-management strategy we will look at, good communication, is related to problem-solving and assertiveness but deserves to be considered in its own right as well.

Good communication can help to resolve problems and reduce stress at work, just as it can help a marriage or relationships with family and friends. This is especially true when working in a multicultural team where misunderstandings are common and can lead to tension. Having greater understanding about what is going on around you tends to help you feel more in control, and less stressed and frustrated.

Good communication can help you understand more about what’s going on around you. This can help you feel more in control and less frustrated.

What and how are you communicating?

In a work setting, good communication is something that every team member is responsible for contributing to. Communication usually works best when it is two-way, so a good place to start with the topic of communication is thinking about how you are communicating with others. How are you helping other people understand your thoughts, actions, and intentions?

For example, if you know you will be late for work, do you let others in your team know? You may come from a culture where being on time is not important. But some of the expatriates in your team may feel it is very important to begin and end meetings on time, and to start work each day at a set time.

Stop and think…

Think of a time when you had a misunderstanding or disagreement with a colleague that was at least partly related to the way that you communicated. What happened? How could you have helped prevent or resolve the situation?

Are there any frequent or common misunderstandings you have with colleagues (situations where you feel as if you keep having the same type of misunderstanding over and over again)? How might you be contributing to that type of misunderstanding? What steps could you take to help prevent that from happening again?

Asking questions

How and what you are communicating to others is one piece of the puzzle, but so is how and what they are communicating to you. Some of the time (especially in multicultural teams) other people won’t communicate what we need or want to know in a way we can understand it. That’s why asking questions when you would like an explanation or when you do not understand a decision is such an important part of good communication!

Below are some examples of questions which national staff might ask, and responses which management or expatriate staff might give. These are simply examples. You can think of your own questions about things which concern you. W, but when asking questions it will help if you do the following:

Choose a good time to ask questions (e.g., not when the person you ask is very stressed or busy with something else). Perhaps ask first “when would be a good time to ask you something?”

Be polite;

Listen to their point of view; and

Thank them for their response.

|Question |Answer |

|1. Why do you expect me, as a married man, to |1. In my culture, when people share a kitchen we also share the jobs – and we all|

|wash dishes in the team kitchen? That is women’s |do our own washing up. If you are not happy about that, maybe we should discuss |

|work. |the options (for example, should we hire a cleaner?) |

|2. Why are you paid so much more than I am? |2. In my country, a house costs twenty years’ wages. Unless I pay the bank $2000 |

| |every month now, I will not have a house to live in or share with my family when |

| |I return to my country. I am given a wage which enables me to keep up these |

| |payments. Although it seems a lot here, in my country this wage would not buy |

| |much as things are so much more expensive there. Our NGO tries to give you and I |

| |a fair wage based on what the money will pay for in our own countries. |

|3. Why does the NGO have a policy that no ransom |3. We know that organizations which pay a ransom tend to be targeted with |

|will be paid if I am kidnapped? |repeated kidnappings, because people hear that kidnapping ‘works’ and money will |

| |be paid. We would do what we can to help ensure the release of a colleague who is|

| |kidnapped, but we would not pay ransom money. We have the same policy for |

| |expatriates – no ransom would be paid for me either. |

|4. Why don’t you spend time with us? |4. I forget that relationships are so important in your culture. In my culture, |

| |we tend to be focused on time, and getting many things done. But people are |

| |valuable. Thank you for reminding me of this. Let’s see if we can spend more time|

| |together. |

|5. My family does not have enough food to eat. |5. As an NGO, we have to use all money for the purpose it was donated for, and we|

|Can’t we use some of the money or food from the |have to be accountable. If we used it for a different purpose, the donors would |

|NGO for my family? |stop giving it, and we would have no more money. We cannot transfer donations to |

| |another need. We must also be impartial when assessing needs – we cannot be |

| |biased and give to employees first. We will try to pay you a fair wage so that |

| |you are able to feed your family and meet your other needs. |

|6. If I take a taxi during the course of my work |6. Expenses can only be claimed if they really were paid (and necessary) for the |

|I am allowed to claim the expenses back. If I |work to be completed. The NGO has a limited amount of money, and we need to use |

|choose to walk instead, why am I not allowed to |it for the beneficiaries. We must be accountable to our donors, or we may lose |

|claim the fare and keep it? |our status as a charity and lose all funding. So, all staff must be honest and |

| |transparent, and we must all submit receipts for any expense claims. |

|7. I need to use the computer for my work, yet I |7. Thank you for asking. Yes, extra training would help you in your work and |

|have very little training in this area. Please |could help you apply later for promotion. That is a reasonable request – I will |

|can I receive more training in computer skills? |recommend you the next time a suitable course is held. |

You may not always like the response you get to your question, or you might want to discuss it further. But even if you disagree with the response, you might feel better because you at least raised the issue and now have more understanding of why things are done in a certain way.

Stop and think…

What questions would you like to ask the managers or expatriates in your team, or staff based at headquarters? For example, these might include requests, or you might ask for an explanation of a policy or a cultural difference.

Who could you ask this question? How could you ask?

Next: Improving working conditions

Improving working conditions

The strategies we’ve looked at so far can go a long way towards helping you prevent and reduce stress. Another strategy for reducing stress is to use some of your problem-solving and communication skills to encourage your organization to do everything they can to respect your rights as an employee and provide a good, healthy, and safe working environment.

Another strategy to help reduce stress is to encourage your organization to do everything they can to respect your rights as an employee and provide a good, healthy, and safe working environment.

Employee rights

You have certain rights as an employee. The laws about employees’ rights vary from country to country. If you are employed by an international NGO, you may have rights under the laws of the country in which your NGO is registered. The NGO may also have a written policy outlining your rights.

Among NGOs operating internationally it is generally accepted that the rights of an employee include the right to:

Be respected;

Not be harassed or victimized at work;

Not to be discriminated against because of your gender, race, tribe, religion, sexual orientation, or disability;

Work in adequate conditions which do not cause you health problems;

Have sufficient breaks (to allow you to eat, and to rest for a few minutes after several hours of work);

Have enough time for adequate sleep between shifts; and

Have adequate safety at work so that you are not put at unnecessary risk.

You can also follow this link to read some provisions about employee rights from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the People In Aid Code of Good Practice in the management and support of aid personnel.

Stop and think…

Do you have Are all of these rights, you have as a national staff member of your NGO?

Are there any rights you feel your NGO does not respect fully?

Are the rights of all national staff in your NGO respected equally?

Encouraging your organization to improve working conditions and support

A humanitarian organization which neglects the rights and needs of their own staff makes nonsense of its humanitarian principles and mission. An NGO should do what it can to ensure that working for the NGO does not make national staff unwell or cause them unnecessary additional problems.

No organization is perfect, and working conditions and expectations will vary from one culture to another. But if you feel your NGO is ignoring your basic rights or compromising your health and safety (e.g. not providing seatbelts in vehicles, or making you work too many hours each week) you may want to address this.

We recognize that this is not without risk. Some organizations do not care about their staff’s quality of life, and staff at these types of organizations may lose their jobs if they are perceived as ‘troublemakers’. Only you can judge whether or not it is worth it for you to approach your managers about these issues. However, remember that international NGOs are usually expected by their donors to have high ethical standards. Many NGOs are actively involved in campaigning for better rights for all workers worldwide. It may be in your NGO’s interests to respond fairly to your questions, and to ensure that all employees’ rights are upheld.

We have written a separate module on Supporting National Staff, which includes reasons for supporting national staff, as well as information about how to do this. It would be good if your managers would read that module (or at least the section on ‘reasons to support national staff’). You may also want to read that module yourself. YBut you can use the information in the sections below to get you thinking about these issues.

Why is it in the interests of an NGO to support national staff?

Benefits of improving support for national staff may include:

Better quality work;

Greater loyalty, integrity, motivation and commitment;

Improved team dynamics and morale;

Reduced absenteeism, illness and staff turnover;

More effective work with beneficiaries;

Better reputation of organization among donors;

Better use of donor resources.

Other points to make are that, in general:

National staff face more risks than expatriates;

National staff face multiple causes of stress in humanitarian work; and

Reducing stress improves work performance.

Ways NGOs can support national staff

Here are some suggestions for ways that your NGO could support national staff, if these practices are not already in place:

Providing employment contracts;

Briefing about the cultures of expatriate team members to improve understanding (and vice versa);

Proper induction to the NGO and the job;

Developing a staff manual in a form which national staff will use;

Negotiating working hours for national staff (e.g. time off for a siesta after lunch, then working in the evening to make the time up) as well as arrangements for Rest and Recuperation (R & R);

Giving thanks and rewards for good work;

Providing stress-management training;

Providing good endings for staff finishing their contract;

Improving communication.

If your organization has signed up to a ‘code of good practice’ for the care of employees, you could review that to see how well the code is being adhered to from the perspective of national staff. If your organization has not accepted such a code yet, maybe you could encourage them to look into this – or at least to see how their practice compares with the code. For an example, see People In Aid’s Code of Good Practice in the Management and Support of Aid Personnel.[vii] You might also want to read the Antares Foundation Managing stress in humanitarian workers: Guidelines for Good Practice for further ideas.

Tips for approaching management

When trying to persuade others that supporting national staff and improving working conditions is an important issue:

Choose the reasons which apply most to your own working situation;

Think carefully about how to best communicate clearly and in a way that is least likely to make your manager feel attacked or get defensive; and

Tackle one thing at a time, and to make positive requests and suggestions, rather than appearing critical and negative. Choose one area where improvement might be possible (it may be best to start with a small example) and only to move on to bigger issues after succeeding with a small one.

Stop and think…

What changes would you like your NGO to make to improve the working conditions of national staff? Where is the greatest need for improvement? What would make most difference to you and your colleagues?

Who could you approach about this? How?

Next: Seek support and help if needed

Seek support and help if needed

Everyone has times of life which are more difficult than usual. During such times, it can be very helpful to receive extra support. This might be emotional (e.g., someone who listens to us), practical (e.g., someone who brings us food or looks after our children), or spiritual (e.g., someone who prays for us). Some people give support without us asking, but at other times you might need to let someone know that you are going through a difficult time and would value help.

Support can come from many places, for example your:

Family;

Friends;

Colleagues;

Manager; and

Community or group (e.g., religious community).

There may also be times when support from a doctor or a mental health professional can be helpful – for example, if you experience:

Health problems which are worse than normal or do not go away;

Symptoms of stress which do not improve after a month or so and interfere with normal life; or

An extreme trauma (e.g. being in a life-threatening situation) that leads to difficulties such as feeling as if the trauma is occurring again, persistent nightmares, or ongoing distress.

It is a sign of wisdom, not a sign of weakness, to seek professional help at such times. There are treatments for these difficulties and it is wise to seek help so that you can receive the treatment you need to overcome the problem and be able to function according to your full potential again. You may already know where to find help in your community, but if not, some possibilities are:

Speak to a medical doctor;

Contact a counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist if they are available;

Ask friends, colleagues or your manager who they would recommend you talk to;

Consult a religious leader, or a respected elder in your community;

Read a self-help book (see the resources section of this module for some suggestions) if you are able to access these through a library or bookshop;

Try a free internet self-help site for overcoming depression, preventing anxiety, or building life skills; and

Explore the Headington Institute website. As well as providing lots of information about stress and trauma, their free CARD Directory provides a list of counselors worldwide who are interested in supporting humanitarian workers.

If the stress or trauma was related to your work, consider asking your organization if they will pay for some assistance for you. They may be unable to do so, but it might be worth asking.

It is a sign of wisdom, not a sign of weakness, to request professional help when you are really struggling. There are treatments for these difficulties and it is wise to seek help so that you can receive the treatment you need to overcome the problem.

Stop and think…

When times are especially difficult who do you usually receive help or support from?

Are there other people you can approach for help and support during these times? Who?

Next: Making a personal stress management plan

PART FOUR: LOOKING BACK AND LOOKING FORWARDMAKING A PLAN

Making a personal stress management plan

Summary of this module

National staff make up the majority of employees of humanitarian organizations. If you are a national worker for an NGO, you probablylikely work in challenging conditions and encounter various causes of stress in the course of your work.

You cannot prevent humanitarian disasters from occurring, and work and life from being stressful at sometimes. But you can learn to recognize how to reduce stress in your life, and to cope better with unavoidable stress. These stress-management skills can help you avoid many personal disasters.

In this module we have looked at how to:

Recognize when you (or your colleagues) are under stress;

Find ways of relaxing and reducing the symptoms of stress you experience;

Learn how to use problem-solving, assertiveness and good communication to deal with solvable problems;

Understand your rights and some ways organizations can work to improve policies and procedures related to national staff; and

Know when and how to ask for help and support.

It i’s a good idea to share and discuss these ideas with other national staff. As you put this material into practice, you should become even more resilient in your work and life.

The good news

You have now read a great deal about stress. Yet it i’s important to remember that most people are fairly resilient and cope well with stress and trauma. Factors which may protect you from some of the harmful effects of stress include:

A strong sense of family and community;

A high value placed on generosity and hospitality;

Not always expecting to get what you want - this creates an ability to endure disappointments; and

An expectation that life will be difficult at times.[viii]

It i’s also important to remember that most people who work for humanitarian agencies are positive about most of their work experience. The best aspects of their work are related to the friends they make, the people they meet, and the work being fulfilling and worthwhile.[ix]

Finally, even stressful and traumatic experiences can lead to positive changes. Recognizing we are vulnerable can make us determined to make the most of every day. We live life to the full, with a sense of gratitude for all we have. You might also:

Find a new sense of purpose in life;

Feel closer to loved ones;

Increase your self-confidence and self-esteem;

Discover new strengths; or

Experience spiritual growth.

Looking forward: mMaking a personal stress- management plan

As you think about what you ha’ve learned from this module it may be helpful to create your own ‘stress-management plan’. Look back on your answers to some of the ‘Stop and think’ questions in the module. We recommend particularly that you review your answers to the following questions, and use them to help you fill in your personal stress management the summary plan below:.

What are three things you like about your work?

What are three things you find stressful about your work?

What are the top causes of stress in your life right now?

What signs or symptoms do you notice in yourself when you are stressed?

What are three self-care strategies that already help you cope with the unavoidable stress in your life?

What are two other self-care strategies that might help you cope better with the unavoidable stress in your life?

What are three things you could do to reduce a cause of stress in your life (hint: think about problem-solving, assertiveness, and communication skills)?

What are two things you can do during the next month to manage stress in your life.

Write these things down as goals (e.g., I will…). These goals should be specific, realistic, and achievable.

When will you do these things?

What were one or two things you found most helpful in this module?

Is there anything you would like to learn more about? How will you do that?

My stress management plan

I will continue to use these self-care strategies to help me cope with stress (seeQ. 5)………………………………………………………………………………..

I will also try these strategies (see Q. 6)…………………………………………..

I will try to tackle stress in my life by (see Q. 7)………………………………

In the next month I will (see Q. 8a and b)……………………………………….

Thank you for reading! We hope this module has been helpful to you, and we would value your feedback and suggestions as to how we can improve this module in the future. For example, what stories or examples could you add from your experience and culture? Please email us your feedback.

Next: Resources and references

Resources and references

This module provides an introduction to the topic of stress and stress management for national staff. It is intended to provide you with some basic information and guide you towards additional resources on of this topic. Helpful websites and books are listed below.

If you would like more information, wish to speak to a mental health professional, or desire a professional referral, please contact the Headington Institute at info@headington- or phone +1 (626) 229 9336.

References are provided in the following sections:

More information about support for national staff (some available online)

Books to help you understand people from different cultures

Self-help books

Useful websites on stress and trauma

References on cross-cultural issues related to stress and trauma

Endnotes referenced in the text of this module

More information about support for national staff is provided in…

Ager, A., Flapper, E., Van Pietersom, T. & Simon, W. (2002). Supporting and equipping national and international humanitarian non-governmental organizations and their workers. In Y. Danieli (Ed.), Sharing the front line and the back hills: Peacekeepers, humanitarian aid workers and the media in the midst of crisis (pp.194-200). Amityville, NY: Baywood.

Ahmad, M.M. (2002). Who cares? The personal and professional problems of NGO fieldworkers in Bangladesh. Development in Practice, 12 (2), 177-191.

Allan, A. & Melville, F. (2004) Mitigating stress of national staff: suggestions for proactive management. Presented at conference Cross-cultural perspectives on psychosocial issues of humanitarian staff care, Melbourne, 16-17 November 2004.

Ehrenreich, J.H. (2005). The humanitarian companion. Rugby, UK: ITDG.

Fawcett, J. (2002). Care and support of local staff in Christian humanitarian ministry. In K. O’Donnell (Ed.), Doing member care well: Perspectives and practices from around the world (pp.277-288). Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.

Fawcett, J. (2003) (Ed.). Stress and trauma handbook. Monrovia, CA: World Vision International.

FRONTERA (2007). Motivating staff and volunteers working in NGOs in the south.

Lopes Cardozo, B., Holtz, T.H. et al. (2005). The mental health of expatriate and Kosovar Albanian humanitarian aid workers. Disasters, 29, (2), 152-170.

Lopes Cardozo, B. & Salama, P. (2002). Mental health of humanitarian aid workers in complex emergencies. In Y. Danieli (Ed.), Sharing the front line and the back hills: Peacekeepers, humanitarian aid workers and the media in the midst of crisis (pp.242-255). Amityville, NY: Baywood.

Lovell-Hawker, D. (2008). Debriefing aid workers and missionaries: A comprehensive manual. London: People In Aid. Order from

Lovell-Hawker, D. (2008). Supporting staff responding to disasters: Recruitment, briefing and on-going care. London: People In Aid. Order from

Shah, S.A., Garland, E. & Katz, C. (2007). Secondary traumatic stress: prevalence in humanitarian aid workers in India. Traumatology, 13 (1), 59-70.

Books to help you understand people from different cultures include…

Lanier, S.A. (2000). Foreign to familiar: A guide to understanding hot- and cold-climate cultures. Hagerstown, MD: McDougal Publishing.

Maranz, D. (2001). African friends and money matters: Observations from Africa. Dallas, Texas: SIL International.

Massey, B. (2006). Where in the world do I belong? Jetlag Press.

Useful websites on stress and trauma

headington-

See the other materials and modules on this website, including the online training modules on ‘understanding and coping with traumatic stress’ and ‘trauma and critical incident care for humanitarian workers’.



Mental Health Workers without Borders: This site contains a useful manual by J.H. Ehrenreich (2001) entitled ‘Coping with disaster’, which is available in Spanish or English. This site also contains a bibliography of resources on managing stress in humanitarian, health care, and human rights workers.



An excellent website with information about stress, depression and related problems. This includes assessments; self-help materials; relevant articles, and interviews with leaders from different faith communities about issues related to mental health. Includes information in Polish and Slovac (with Urdu translations also planned). Audio tracks and videos can be downloaded for those who prefer to listen to the information than to read it.



‘Multicultural mental health’ website. Includes fact sheets on depression, anxiety and other difficulties, in 20 languages. Many of the sheets are available in audio as well as print format. Has links to other multicultural resources.



This is the website for the (American) National Center for PTSD. It contains a wealth of useful information. Papers and books can be downloaded free.



Trauma Central Website, containing numerous excellent papers on many issues related to trauma, including information about children.

.uk

A clinic specializing in physical and psychological care for aid workers. Website includes useful guidelines, resources and links.



The Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies. A journal containing many informative articles, which can be downloaded free.

.uk

UK trauma group, providing fact-sheets.



Free publications, including ‘Managing stress in the field’ (in English, Spanish or French); ‘Best practices for psychosocial support; and ‘Community-based psychosocial support’.



Community Stress Prevention Center (Israel). Helpful material under ‘articles’ and ‘models and checklists’, for use with children and adults.



Trauma information, including principles for working with traumatized children. Handouts available in English and Spanish.

traumatic-

Links to other trauma sites.



French language resources for helping families



Chapters from the book, “Doing Member Care Well”, in Arabic.



Lots of information about mental health and illness, including diagnosis and medication.



Audio downloads (also available in print) on many issues related to cross-cultural teams, emotional health (including stress, depression and burnout), communications, leadership, and family matters.

References on cross-cultural issues related to stress and trauma

Kleber, R.J., Figley, C. & Gersons, B.P.R. (1995). Beyond trauma: Cultural and societal dynamics. New York: Plenum Press.

Marsella, A.J., Friedman, M.J., Gerrity, E.T. & Scurfield, R.M. (1996). Ethnocultural aspects of posttraumatic stress disorder: Issues, research and clinical applications. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Summerfield, D. (1999). A critique of seven assumptions behind psychological trauma programmes in war-affected areas. Social Science and Medicine, 48, 1449-1462.

Endnotes referenced in the text of this module

-----------------------

[i]

Fawcett, J. & Tanner, V. (2001). The security of national staff: Towards good practices. A report for interaction.

[ii] Lopes Cardozo, B. & Salama, P. (2002). Mental health of humanitarian aid workers in complex emergencies. In Y. Danieli (Ed.), Sharing the front line and the back hills: Peacekeepers, humanitarian aid workers and the media in the midst of crisis (pp.242-255). Amityville, NY: Baywood.

[iii] Brown, J.S.L., Cochrane, R., Mack, CF., Leung, N. & Hancox, T. (1998). Comparison of effectiveness of large scale stress workshops with small stress/anxiety management training groups. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 26, 219-235.

[iv] Fawcett, J. (2002). Care and support of local staff in Christian humanitarian ministry. In K. O’Donnell (Ed.), Doing member care well: Perspectives and practices from around the world (pp.277-288). Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.

[v] Lovell-Hawker, D. (2008). Supporting staff responding to disasters: Recruitment, briefing and on-going care. London: People In Aid. (Order from ).

[vi] If you would like to read a self-help book on how to become more assertive, we recommend Alberti, R. & Emmons, M. (2001). Your perfect right: Assertiveness and equality in your life and relationships. Atascadero, CA: Impact.

[vii] For a list of agencies which are members of People In Aid, showing which ones are committed to implementing the Code, see .

[viii] Carr, K. F. (2006). The Mobile Member Care Team as a means of responding to crises: West Africa. In L. Barbanel & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), Psychological Interventions in Times of Crisis. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

[ix] Lovell, D. M. (1997). Psychological adjustment among returned overseas aid workers. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wales, Bangor.

-----------------------

9

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download