Stress is inevitable. Ongoing doubt, anger or fear are not. The ability to name our stress, claim our power over it and reframe it in a way that allows us to let go of whatever holds us back is a skillset we all can learn and refine.
Using these workshop materials will help participants to:
- Name their stress – this sounds easier than it is. When we can identify how our stress is impacting our thoughts and emotions, we are no longer powerless.
- Claim their power – once they have named it, now they can challenge the unhelpful or untrue thoughts and difficult emotions that stress is causing them.
- Reframe it – changing how we look at whatever has or is causing us stress can make it easier to move forward.
We can all benefit from learning this skill and sharing it with those we care about.
This page includes links to a slide presentation, a facilitator guide and a participant handout as to facilitate a workshop, as well as the Name, claim and reframe prompts in fillable digital forms, a printable version as well as in an audio format.
Facilitating this workshop
The facilitator guide can help you present this 2.5-hour workshop with any size group, using the slide presentation and participant handout. The intention is to explain how and why the personal stress tools work, and then leave individuals to use them privately whenever they feel it will be helpful. The tools are meant to be used for personal reflection, not as a work requirement – individuals don’t need to submit them or share them with anyone else unless they choose to.
While the facilitator guide has all the information you need to host the workshop, what follows is a high-level overview of the main elements of the Name, claim and reframe process.
Name
The first step – naming – is being able to recognize when you’re having, or have had, a stress response.
It’s also about being able to name the thoughts and emotions you were experiencing during and after your stress response.
Claim
Claiming is about stepping into the power that you have to challenge the meaning that you assigned to whatever is stressful in your life.
Reframe
Reframing is when you’re able to gain perspective that may or may not include changing the meaning that you assigned. But it always includes coming back to a place of emotional, psychological and physical well-being. This can happen by choosing things and actions that bring you comfort and allow you to maintain your day-to-day routine.
Facilitation tips for leaders is a guide that can help you increase your comfort level and effectiveness in managing participant responses and attitudes.
Workshop materials
Individual use
For those who have already participated in the workshop, you can use the tool whenever you want as a form of self-reflection and to help you reframe and reset.
If you have not had the opportunity to participate in the workshop, you could read through the facilitator guide | PDF on your own to learn the Name, claim and reframe process.
In the beginning, you may want to write out your answers, as evidence suggests this is the most therapeutic approach. You can do so using the printable version of the prompts | PDF. Note that this version is not accessible to screen readers, an accessible version of the prompts is also available.
We offer the Name, claim and reframe prompts in several formats.
Additional resources
- Window of tolerance. What is your window of tolerance for stress? Is it narrow, causing you to respond with fear or anger? Or is it wide, allowing you to effectively manage the majority of everyday stressors?
- Resilience. This resource helps you develop healthy coping strategies to deal with life's challenges.
- Managing stress. Learn how to manage your reactions to stress and protect your well-being.
- Use mindfulness-based audio or videos including:
- Let go of anxiety | YouTube. This short meditation aims to help you release anxious thoughts
- Breathwork for anxiety | YouTube. This activity can help you when you’re feeling anxious and need some release. This guided breath-work is known as square breath.
- Movement to help reduce anxiety. Being mindful while moving can help reduce feelings of anxiety by taking your attention away from stressful thoughts.
- Build self-compassion. Building self-compassion can help you overcome anxious or negative feelings towards yourself.
References
- Best Practices for Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress: Consensus Guidelines for Professionals and Organizations. (2021). Secondary Traumatic Stress Consortium.
- Iyadurai, L., Visser, R. M., Lau-Zhu, A., Porcheret, K., Horsch, A., Holmes, E. A., & James, E. L. (2019). Intrusive memories of trauma: A target for research bridging cognitive science and its clinical application. Clinical psychology review, 69, 67-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2018.08.005
- Norman, S. (2022). Trauma-Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy: Overview of the Treatment and Research. Current treatment options in psychiatry, 9(3), 115–125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40501-022-00261-7
- Qi, W., Gevonden, M., & Shalev, A. (2016). Prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder after trauma: current evidence and future directions. Current psychiatry reports, 18(20), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-015-0655-0
- Shi, C., Ren, Z., Zhao, C., Zhang, T., & Chan, S. H-W. (2021). Shame, guilt, and posttraumatic stress symptoms: A three-level meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 82, 102443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102443
- Vasterling, J. J., Jacob, S. N., & Rasmusson, A. (2017). Traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder: conceptual, diagnostic, and therapeutic considerations in the context of co-occurrence. The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 30(2), 91-100. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.17090180
- Watkins, L. E., Sprang, K. R., & Rothbaum, B. O. (2018). Treating PTSD: A review of evidence-based psychotherapy interventions. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 12, 258. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00258
- Williams, H. M., & Erlank, E. C. (2019). Traumatic incident reduction: A suitable technique for South African social work practice settings. Health SA=SA Gesondheid, 24. doi: 10.4102/hsag.v24i0.110610.4102/hsag.v24i0.1106
In 2023, Workplace Strategies hosted a series of roundtables across Canada on workplace stress and trauma. It is through this collaboration and feedback from first responders, including police, healthcare workers, journalists and paramedics that this tool was refined. The work was also reviewed by trauma experts Dr. Catharine Munn and Kate Harri, Psychologist Emeritus.