Fall Well-Being and Resilience Series 4: Coping with Uncertainty and the Effects of Chronic and Acute Stress on our Well-Being

This is part of a four-part series on the third Thursday monthly at 3pm from September through December, 2022.

Objectives: Look at the impacts of uncertainty on our well-being, especially in a COVID and post-COVID era. Examine the shift in impacts of stress on our well-being through exploring both acute and chronic stressors in our environment. Explore the concept of radical acceptance as developed in dialectical behavioral therapy.

Content: Look at models of post disaster recovery and emotional well-being. Normalize the challenges we have experienced over the last year and will experience in the coming years through validating emotional responses and considering the impacts of anniversary reactions and on-going disruptions. Discuss research on the differences between acute and chronic stress. Explore one’s agency or control in times of chronic and acute stress to leverage radical acceptance of the challenging situations we find ourselves in during our careers and lives.

Take Away: Chronic and acute stress impacts our well-being in terms of our mental, physical, and social health. Focusing on the agency and control we have in difficult situations allows us to accept reality, take action where we can, and to stay hopeful for the future.