C-Hub Spotlight, Issue 8, November 2023

Featured Topic: Stress Management

People across the world increasingly report stress as a major health concern, with 62% surveyed from 31 countries indicating that stress impacted their daily lives at least once in the last year and 39% sharing that they took time off work due to stress (Stinson, 2023). Stress can come from a multitude of sources – from living situations, family, finances, deadlines, relationships, work, uncertainty, and what is happening in the world, to major threats in your community like violence, disease, and lack of opportunity (World Health Organization, 2020). Stress also accumulates from ongoing subjectivity to micro- and macro-aggressions, resulting in increased disease risk and more direct effects on health through impact on biological systems engaged in the stress response (Mays et al., 2007; Harrell et al., 2003). While there is no single solution to minimizing stress, you can create supportive habits and conditions for yourself based on what you uniquely need.

What is the evidence?

Stress developed in our early ancestors as a fight, flight, or freeze response to threats, where a series of physiological reactions occur that allow us to react quickly and stay vigilant. This includes a flood of stress hormones and responses like increased heart rate and muscle tension, which occur almost instantaneously without us noticing (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020).

While this is a useful mechanism that helps us survive, our brains also activate this physiological response when we are in situations that are stressful but not life-threatening, such as traffic and workplace conflict. This contributes to chronic health effects like high blood pressure, muscle pain, anxiety, and depression (ibid). In a university setting, the frequency of stress and associated conditions of depression and anxiety are high (Asif et al., 2020, Jayasankara Reddy et al., 2018), due to factors like academic and professional pressures, extracurricular demands, family expectations, and sense of self-worth (Kadison & DiGeronimo, 2005).

The effects of stress are magnified for people with marginalized identities in an unjust society. Women are more likely to report that stress has an impact in their life (Stinson, 2023). Over time, a repeatedly engaged stress response wears on the body, plus the “high-effort coping” of withstanding daily inequity (Geronimus et al., 2006) and microaggressions (Sue et al., 2007) leads to a cumulative deterioration in the body’s health and systems called allostatic load, which disproportionately affects people experiencing inequality due to race, gender, sexual orientation, and poverty (Geronimus, 2023).

While systemic changes are necessary to promote overall population health, there are actions you can take at the individual level to cope with stress. Allies and mentors are also critically important to support the mitigation of the harmful effects of stress.

What can you do?

In-the-moment stress interventions

  • Notice and name what you are feeling to ground yourself, then connect to what you feel in your body. This guide from the World Health Organization (2020) gives illustrated instructions.
  • Take a break. Even if you are under intense deadlines, research shows that giving your brain a break can help you regulate stress and improve performance. (Rees et al., 2017)
  • Go for a quick walk or other movement.
  • Go outside. Enjoying views of nature can help regulate stress.
  • Connect with people who make you laugh, or feel at ease, and allow you to be your true self.
  • For allies: Practice allyship and microaffirmations to support those who are subject to ongoing microaggressions. (stay tuned for C-Hub's workshop on addressing microaggressions)

Ongoing interventions

  • Create systems and habits to support you in the long term such as healthy eating, exercise, and adequate sleep where possible.
  • Ask trusted people in your network to be accountability partners for maintaining these habits.
  • Remove notifications from your phone for social media and email to limit distractions and exposure to news, which can increase stress. Even if you still want to check them, be intentional about setting aside one or two times per day to check.
  • Identify your locus of control. When major tragedies occur in the world, this can lead to stress and helplessness, but identifying what you can control and how you behave in a way that aligns to your values can help you regulate your emotions. (World Health Organization, 2020)
  • Stress-reducing practices that center culture and indigeneity can be more effective than Western interventions for indigenous groups and minority culture populations by stimulating further cultural continuity and connection (Aker et al., 2023; Auger, 2016; Kirmayer et al., 2003)
  • Identify an activity you love and dedicate time to it. Refueling your positive energy can help you maintain resilience in the long run.
  • Seek professional counseling or therapy. Having regular space to process and talk through your experiences with a professional is one of the best ways to maintain your mental health.

Upcoming C-Hub Events:

  • OIST Inclusive Communication Symposium Registration and Calls for Proposals: due Friday, December 8, 2023. The OIST Inclusive Communication Symposium will occur March 7-8, 2024. Our 2024 theme, Inclusive Communication, creates a forum for considering the ways in which organizations and individuals can center equity and inclusion to enable maximally effective communication structures and practices to ultimately foster engagement, creativity, and wellbeing. C-Hub invites you to submit a proposal for a symposium session to engage an international audience and showcase ideas; proposals are due December 8. You may propose different categories: panel discussions, professional development sessions, shared interest sessions, or poster submissions. Presenters must register for the symposium; seats are limited to 130 participants, so we encourage you to register early. Registration closes January 31, 2024.
  • Workshop: Facilitation as Leadership – Inclusive Event Facilitation. Tuesday, December 5, 3:00pm-4:30pm in Lab 4, Floor E, Room 01. If you facilitate events for diverse audiences, you may encounter unexpected situations that are difficult to navigate at the moment. Effective facilitation centers on what participants are doing and experiencing, setting the tone of the event, and tending to the group dynamics in the room. Inclusive facilitation is a leadership skill that requires self-awareness, observational skills, agility, and intention. Join this session to sharpen your leadership facilitation skill set in preparation for your next event. This workshop is intended for participants who have some prior facilitation experience. The workshop will be conducted in English by Kristin Macapagal, Program Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
  • Study Sessions for Administrative Staff (English): Overview of OIST Organization, Questions and Discussion. Wednesday, December 6, 14:30-15:30pm Lab 3, Floor C, Room 700, led by Dr. Mizuki Shimanuki (Office of the Provost) and Ayumi Nagai (C-Hub). This series of sessions are for members in the administrative and management divisions to provide basic overall knowledge of OIST’s research activities, and to connect the understanding to a broader perspective of their role in the organization. Find out more about the series.
  • Academic Job Market Workshop: Writing Diversity Statements. Thursday, December 14, 4:15pm-5:30pm in Lab 4, Floor E, Room 01. This is a series for those who are either currently in a job search for an academic position and would like to improve their existing materials, or for anyone who plans to engage in a job search on the academic market in the future. The series will cover the most common application materials required for academic jobs, as well as an introduction to the process of searching for a job itself. You will be asked to submit a draft diversity statement (or at least an outline of one). More information will be provided upon registration. Register by Monday, December 11.
  • Workshop: Practical tools for managing work, classes, and research amid tragedy (option 2). Friday, December 15, 12:00pm-1:15pm in Lab 4, Floor F, Room 01. Struggling with being "on" in the professional setting due to tragedy and grief in your personal life? Join this workshop to develop a personal action plan and practical toolkit for resilience in your daily professional setting after experiencing loss. This session is open to administrative staff, students, and researchers and is facilitated in English by Kristin Macapagal, Program Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Spots are limited to create a safe, respectful space for dialogue.


Other OIST Events:

  • Scientific Writing Session #2: Abstract Writing. Friday, December 1, 15:00-16:30, in Lab 3, B700. An abstract is the most important part of a scientific article. This session shows you how to write an abstract with clarity and accuracy, while not being lost in the data. Gain hands-on experience by writing your own abstract (real or imaginary) for class discussion and comparison.
  • Women's Minds and Bodies: Hormonal Perspectives on Life Planning and Wellbeing. Wednesday, December 6, 15:00-17:00 in B250. Hosted by Ganjuu Wellbeing Service. This workshop is open to people of all sexes and gender identities who are interested in learning about how sex hormones affect life planning and wellbeing and are comfortable in a space that centers the health experiences of people with female sex characteristics. This workshop will feature English simultaneous interpretation and can contribute to employee 40 hours (4-T) training and learning target.

C-Hub Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Updates:

  • Building upon the foundations laid by GEDI and OIST policy, we developed an event code of conduct that can be modified for other OIST events to set the tone for how we engage as a community in shared spaces
  • We developed a draft mission, vision, and values plan for DEI strategic planning, currently under review
  • In collaboration with stakeholders across OIST, we developed a university-wide system for addressing the disability needs for the OIST community and external visitors
  • We designed and provided implicit bias training for research university faculty searches and provided training for all OIST faculty
  • We were invited to give a presentation for the University of Tokyo, titled “Opportunities to revise hiring search practices in universities to improve equity and excellence”
  • We presented an invited keynote at the National University of Singapore, titled “Cultivating resilient ecosystems through new paradigms of mentorship and leadership”
  • We were featured in a podcast on diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, and the role of mentorship in creating cultures of excellence
  • We hosted a RAM roundtable discussion about considerations for the job search for the LGBTQIAP+ community; resources are here
  • We met with different stakeholders to discuss opportunities for centering Okinawan indigeneity

While we plan to offer workshops and trainings in the coming months, please do not hesitate to reach out if you or your group would like an individual or team consultation in the meantime: C-Hub@oist.jp

References and Further Reading:

Aker, A., Serghides, L., Cotnam, J., Jackson, R., Robinson, M., Gauvin, H., Mushquash, C., Gesink, D., Amirault, M., & Benoit, A. C. (2023). The impact of a stress management intervention including cultural components on stress biomarker levels and mental health indicators among indigenous women. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-023-00391-0

Asif, S., Muddassar, A., Shahzad, T. Z., Raouf, M., & Pervaiz, T. (2020). Frequency of depression, anxiety and stress among university students. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 36(5), 971–976. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.5.1873

Auger, M. D. (2016). Cultural Continuity as a Determinant of Indigenous Peoples’ Health: A Metasynthesis of Qualitative Research in Canada and the United States. International Indigenous Policy Journal, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.18584/iipj.2016.7.4.3

Finkbeiner, K. M., Russell, P. N., & Helton, W. S. (2016). Rest improves performance, nature improves happiness: Assessment of break periods on the abbreviated vigilance task. Consciousness and Cognition, 42, 277–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2016.04.005

Geronimus, A. T. (2023). Weathering (1st ed.). Little, Brown Spark.

Geronimus, A. T., Hicken, M. T., Keene, D. E., & Bound, J. (2006). “Weathering” and Age Patterns of Allostatic Load Scores Among Blacks and Whites in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 96(5), 826–833. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2004.060749

Harrell, J. P., Hall, S., & Taliaferro, J. (2003). Physiological responses to racism and discrimination: an assessment of the evidence. American Journal of Public Health, 93(2), 243–248. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.93.2.243

Harvard Health Publishing. (2020, July 6). Understanding the Stress Response . Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response

Jayasankara Reddy, K, Rajan Menon, K., & Thattil, A. (2018). Academic Stress and its Sources Among University Students. Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal, 11(1), 531–537. https://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bpj/1404

Kadison, R., & DiGeronimo, T.F. (2005). College of the overwhelmed : the campus mental health crisis and what we must do about it. Jossey-Bass; Chichester.

Kirmayer, L., Simpson, C., & Cargo, M. (2003). Healing Traditions: Culture, Community and Mental Health Promotion with Canadian Aboriginal Peoples. Australasian Psychiatry, 11(1_suppl), S15–S23. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1038-5282.2003.02010.x

Mays, V. M., Cochran, S. D., & Barnes, N. W. (2007). Race, Race-Based Discrimination, and Health Outcomes Among African Americans. Annual Review of Psychology, 58(1), 201–225. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190212

Rees, A., Wiggins, M. W., Helton, W. S., Loveday, T., & O’Hare, D. (2017). The Impact of Breaks on Sustained Attention in a Simulated, Semi-Automated Train Control Task. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 31(3), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3334

Stinson, J. (2023, October 9). World Mental Health Day: 39% say they have had to take time off work due to stress in the past year. Ipsos. https://www.ipsos.com/en/world-mental-health-day-2023

Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M. B., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271–286. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.62.4.271