MWCC Video Transcripts
Click any title below to view the audio transcript for each MWCC video
- Stating limits in advance. For example, set a time limit for how long you can stay at an event.
- Asking others to change their behavior. This is best done in a way that doesn’t make the other person defensive. We recommend using “I” statements. If you aren’t familiar with “I” statements and need help doing this, you can follow the Rosenberg non-violent communication script.
- Here is an example of how you would use it: When I see dirty dishes throughout the kitchen, I feel anxious and overwhelmed, because I need a clean kitchen to effectively cook a meal. Would you be willing to put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher instead of stacking them on the counter?”
Decide which strategy you’ll try first. Then, after you give it a try, reflect on how it went. If needed, try a different strategy.
With which could you use some practice?
Did it help with the situation?
Could a different “A” have been potentially more effective?
Hi everyone, and thanks for tuning in! My name is Dr. Michelle Grocke-Dewey and I’m an Associate professor in Community Health here at MSU and the Health and Wellness Specialist for MSU Extension. Today I’ll be presenting the 2nd theme of our Mental Wellness Conversation Curriculum, which is Move: Physical Activity.
Though many occupations (such as ranching, construction work) can be quite physical demanding, it is very important that adults get adequate levels of the three recommended categories of physical activity, which are aerobic (or cardio) activity, strength training and mobility/balance training. Not only do these types of activities help to reduce the risk of chronic disease, they yield a variety of mental wellness benefits including improving mood, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression and supporting relaxation. Given all of these benefits, this is why a lot of research points to physical activity as a means of stress management.
SO let's break down these three categories of physical activity, starting with aerobic activity. Aerobic activity is any activity that gets your heart rate and breathing up for a sustained period. In terms of how much of this you should be doing, the Health and Human Services most recent physical activity guidelines suggest 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week – which amount to about 22 minutes per day. You might be wondering – well what is moderate intensity? This level of intensity usually means you can still hold a conversation with someone while doing the activity. If you are breathing so heavy that you couldn’t hold a conversation, that than would be vigorous intensity.
Here on the slide you also see some examples of aerobic activity – things like brisk walking, biking and gardening. And back to the benefits – not only does cardio make your lungs and heart stronger, it can also boost your mood and help you sleep better.
The second category of physical activity is strength training. Strength training is any activity that requires your muscle to work against a force or a weight (and remember, this can be your own body weight). Health and Human Services guidelines suggest that adults should incorporate strength training at least two days per week. Activities like gardening, shoveling snow, yard work all have elements of strength training. Alternatively, you could also engage with weightlifting either at a gym or at home.
Strength training help build strong muscles, improves bone density, enhances joint health and reduces our risks of falls. Research also suggest that strength training may improve cognitive function and protect again age-related decline.
And finally, our third category of physical activity is mobility/balance training. This type of training involves any type of activity that trains the body to move through full ranges of motion. Think of activities such as stretching, yoga, tai chi. It is important that we incorporate at least 5 minutes of such training into our daily routines. If you’re looking to improve your balance, try standing on one leg for 30 seconds, or walking backwards.
Research shows that good mobility and balance significantly reduces the risks of falls, improves overall coordination and enhances daily functioning. Having heightened mobility can also improve your mental health by reducing stress and promoting mindfulness.
In addition to the cardio, strength and aerobic activities I presented in the last few slides, here are a couple of practical suggestion I suggest incorporating into your everyday life in order to get – and stay – more active.
In addition to the information I have shared over the last few slides, I wanted to ensure that you all were aware of the physical activity resources that MSU Extension has already created. The first is a MontGuide entitled Physical Activity: Different types, How Much is Needed, and Health Benefits, which is available for free via the MSU Extension website. This Mont guide comes with a 12-minutes at home workout that incorporates aerobic, strength and mobility/balance exercises. I also recommend visiting our MsU Extenion wellness website, as we have many other physical activity resources for community use, including a 3-part resistance band curriculum that you can do from the comfort of your own home.
And here are some questions to reflect and discuss:
What changes would you need to make to incorporate all three types of physical activity into your weekly routine?
How can you implement these physical activity categories in small ways to make long-lasting
habits?
In what physical activity categories are you already proficient? Whom could you consider reaching out to for support to encourage you to increase the time spent doing the other physical activity categories?
Thanks for watching, and we hope you’ll return next week to watch the next video, Connect: People, Pets and Nature.
This video presents the third wellness theme, Connect: supporting mental wellbeing
through connection with people, pets, and nature.
There are different types of connection that can contribute to wellbeing. First, let's take a look at connection with other people.
Emotional support refers to empathy and encouragement. If you recall back to the video for the 4 As of stress management, the final A that I described was Accept (find a way to be at peace with the situation), and one of the strategies for Accept is to talk with a nonjudgmental friend who will listen and show empathy... that's emotional support!
Practical support, sometimes referred to as instrumental support, is tangible support –something a person physically does for you or provides to you to make your life easier. Examples include carrying groceries, cooking a meal or doing farm chores.
Informational support is when someone shares knowledge and awareness of resources to help you, such as recommending someone who will fix your truck at a reasonable price.
The last type of support, companionship, is extremely important for mental wellbeing. Companionship supports feelings of self-worth and is crucial for preventing loneliness. Loneliness is detrimental for health in general, but especially mental health.
Another way to experience connection is to spend time with a pet. Maybe you don’t
think of your dog or your horse or the cats on your farm or ranch as pets, and that’s
okay. It’s still beneficial to spend time interacting with them. Did you know that
petting a cat or dog can decrease the stress hormone cortisol? Another beneficial
aspect of connection time with animals is that it often involves physical activity,
such as taking a dog for a walk or riding a horse. If you viewed the previous video
on theme 2 (Move) then you know that physical activity is a key element for wellness.
Spending time with animals can also be time for connection with nature. Whether it’s
hiking a trail, watching wildlife, or growing a garden, connection to the natural
world around us is valuable for our mental wellbeing. Personally, as a lifelong gardener,
planning my garden, starting the seeds, then planting and watching the garden grow
and change has been a major source of hope, excitement, and purpose during challenging
times. Maybe gardening isn’t your cup of tea, and that’s fine. There are abundant
opportunities to experience nature in Big Sky Country. That’s part of why I love living
in Montana.
Here are some ideas for connection that include at least two of the themes of the Mental Wellness Conversation Curriculum.
Hi everyone, and thanks for tuning in to this next video! Once again, my name is Dr. Michelle Grocke-Dewey and I’m an Associate professor in Community Health here at MSU and the Health and Wellness Specialist for MSU Extension. Today I’ll be presenting the 4th theme of our Mental Wellness Conversation Curriculum, which is Breathe: Controlled Breathing for Stress Management.
Let’s start with some background. Why is controlled breathing helpful? When we are faced with a stressor or find ourselves in a stressful situation, our sympathetic nervous system (the part of our autonomic nervous system responsible for our fight or flight response) becomes activated. When our sympathetic nervous system is activated, it triggers changes to your body (such an an increased heart rate, improved eyesight and hearing) to prepare your body for immediate action in a stressful situation. Although this response can be quite helpful in the short term, it can lead to chronic health issues if your body is operating with a heightened sympathetic nervous system for hours, days, weeks or even longer.
The other part of the autonomic nervous system is the parasympathetic nervous system, which plays a crucial role in many functions such as promoting relaxation and lowering blood pressure. It is also often referred to as the ‘rest and digest’ system, as it also promotes healthy digestion and bowel movements.
Controlled breathing is a very effective way of activating our parasympathetic nervous system. The more you practice this, the more normal it will become and hopefully… next time you are stressed, you’ll have this tool in your back pocket to calm down your sympathetic nervous system and activate your parasympathetic nervous system.
Simply being mindful of your breath a couple of minutes per day is a great way to start.
- Relax your body, close your eyes
- Focus on the act of breathing
- Slowly inhale through your nose, then slowly exhale
- If your mind wanders, gently guide it back towards your breathing
Another technique is Belly Breathing
- Lie down on your back with your knees bent towards the sky
- Follow your body’s natural breathing pattern for a few minutes
- Place both hands, one on top of the other, on your belly and focus on your breath
- Focus on how your belly expands with every breath
- Repeat for five to ten minutes
Box breathing is another simple and effective relaxation technique that involves breathing in a structured pattern. Picture this box on the screen as you breath – inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds, like you are going around the box. Repeat at least 5 times.
The 4-7-8 breathing technique involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. This breathing pattern aims to reduce anxiety and/or relieve tension in the body. This is also a great breathing technique to do right before trying to fall asleep as it helps to relieve both physical and mental tension.
All right so some practical suggestions to try. So before going into a stressful situation think about something in your daily life maybe it's a stressful conversation, potentially a tense work meeting, before entering that situation try box breathing. Remember try it at least five times.
Another practical suggestion is to calm your mind and prepare for sleep by trying 4-7-8 breathing. Again try at least five cycles.
While there are many additional resources out there on controlled breathing, we recommend checking out this heathline article because it includes several breathing exercises that we did not describe in this video, including pursed lip breathing, lion’s breath, and alternate nostril breathing.
Lastly, here are some questions to consider and discuss with others. How can you add controlled breathing to your daily routine? And can you think of a recent stressful situation where you would have benefited from using a controlled breathing technique?
Thank you for watching. Next up in our series: Fives: Eat a Balanced Diet. And please note that next video will be presented by one of our MSU Extension Agents (Lisa Terry) rather than Michelle or Alison. See you all soon!