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Katie McEachen Short and Long-term Goals

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Leadership Styles Worksheet Dan Beverly 

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Clifton Strengths

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This is interpretive and not a one-to-one comparison with artifacts. I just created while imagining my past, present and future professional self.

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Dark Blue Starbursting Business English Brainstorm

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These are a collection of quotes, most from this semester, that had a significant impact on me and my emerging professional identity. The Zitkala-sa quote is an old one I've loved since college, and reminds me that it's not a person's outsides as much as their insides that determine who they are and what they can do.

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Walking this in the morning before exams has helped ease some of my anxiety. Anxiety management is an important skill that I will be working on as I continue to develop my professional self.

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Video: Student at Nursing Home Invents Games to Keep Residents Engaged

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Video: Student at Nursing Home Invents Games to Keep Residents Engaged

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I love the creativity of the OTs  and joy of the residents in this video. It shows not only the importance of keeping things fresh and dynamic for the clients we work with, but also keeping the creative spark alive for OTs themselves. I believe creativity is one way we can keep ourselves from that "heartsick" feeling Wood wrote about.

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Staff At Nursing Home Invents Games to Keep Residents Engaged

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This model resonated with me because of the centrality of spirituality, which isn't present in many of the other models. I've also come to appreciate the theoretical models in general, as important tools to guide our profession.

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This graphic resonated with me for many reasons, but mainly because of the connection between the people and the land. In this model/worldview it's not just a connection, but there's actually no difference between the community and the land; they are one and the same. I suppose this doesn't seem to have a direct impact on my professional identity (perhaps it relates to "soul" more than anything else), but it does remind me that worldviews can be so drastically different from each other, and as professionals we shouldn't make assumptions about what our clients do and don't believe.

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It was helpful to be exposed to another non-western theoretical model, and I also resonated with a lot of the principles, specifically the way the model is so client story-centric. Storytelling is so important to me, and I'm a big believer in the power of story for teaching and learning.

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Sand sculpture "The Protectors" by artist Bruce Peck of St. Louis, Missouri. Seen at Clam Fest in Yarmouth.

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Dynamic and Fluid Episode 5: Allie A and Katie Discuss Insurance Caps on Services

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Dynamic and Fluid Episode 4: Applying the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E) to the Grad School Experience

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Dynamic and Fluid Episode 4: Applying the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement to the grad school experinence

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Dynamic and Fluid Episode 3: "Jacinta" and Aspects of Professional Reasoning

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Dynamic and Fluid Episode 3: "Jacinta" and Aspects of Professional Reasoning

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Dynamic and Fluid Episode 2: Elizabeth June Yerxa's Slagle Lecture 1966

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Dynamic and Fluid Episode 2: Elizabeth June Yerxa's Slagle Lecture 1966

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Anxiety disorders can affect a person's ability to work, study and participate in other activities. Recovery is possible with appropriate treatment. There are different types of anxiety disorders. These include:

Anxiety disorders can be distressing and debilitating. They may contribute to loss of educational and employment opportunities and difficulties in family and social relationships.

Recovery is possible with appropriate treatment such as exposure therapy, attention training, and a range of anxiety management techniques that can help you manage your symptoms. You can learn the following strategies yourself (using books or taking courses, for example) or you can consult with a trained professional.

Managing anxiety

Some of the management options for anxiety disorders include:

mindfulness

relaxation techniques

correct breathing techniques

behaviour therapy

dietary adjustments

exercise

learning to be assertive

building self-esteem

structured problem solving

support groups

Learning about anxiety

The old adage 'knowledge is power' applies here - learning all about anxiety is central to recovery. For example, education includes examining the physiology of the 'flight-or-fight' response, which is the body's way to deal with impending danger. For people with anxiety disorders, this response is inappropriately triggered by situations that are generally harmless. Education is an important way to promote control over symptoms.

Mindfulness

When feeling anxious, a person can spend a significant amount of time caught up in anxiety-provoking thoughts. guides us to bring our attention back to the present moment and unhook from thoughts that may be unhelpful.

Mindfulness is becoming more and more popular as people start to realise how beneficial it is for a number of issues. There are many .

Relaxation techniques

A person who feels anxious most of the time has trouble relaxing, but knowing how to release muscle tension can be a helpful strategy. Relaxation techniques include:

progressive muscle relaxation

isometric relaxation exercises.

Correct breathing techniques

The physical symptoms of anxiety may be triggered by , which raises oxygen levels and reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood. Carbon dioxide assists in the regulation of the body's reaction to anxiety and panic.

It can be helpful for a person who suffers from anxiety to learn how to breathe from their diaphragm, rather than their chest, to safeguard against hyperventilation. The key is allowing your belly to expand as you breathe in.

You can make sure you are breathing correctly by placing one hand on your lower abdomen and the other on your chest. Correct breathing means your abdomen moves, rather than your chest. It also helps to slow your breathing while feeling anxious.

Some people can find abdominal breathing challenging. There are many . You can also try to hold your breath for a few seconds. This helps to boost carbon dioxide levels in the blood.

Cognitive therapy

Cognitive therapy focuses on changing patterns of thinking and beliefs that are associated with, and trigger, anxiety. For example, a person with a social phobia may make their anxiety worse by negative thoughts such as, 'Everyone thinks I'm boring'.

The basis of cognitive therapy is that beliefs trigger thoughts, which then trigger feelings and produce behaviours. For example, let's say you believe (perhaps unconsciously) that you must be liked by everyone in order to feel worthwhile. If someone turns away from you in mid-conversation, you may think, 'This person hates me', which makes you feel anxious.

Cognitive therapy strategies include rational 'self-talk', reality testing, attention training, cognitive challenging and cognitive restructuring. This includes monitoring your self-talk, challenging unhelpful fears and beliefs, and testing out the reality of negative thoughts.

Behaviour therapy

A major component of behaviour therapy is exposure. Exposure therapy involves deliberately confronting your fears in order to desensitise yourself. Exposure allows you to train yourself to redefine the danger or fear aspect of the situation or trigger.

The steps of exposure therapy may include:

Rank your fears in order, from most to least threatening.

Choose to work first on one of your least threatening fears.

Think about the feared situation. Imagine yourself experiencing the situation. Analyse your fears -- what are you afraid of?

Work out a plan that includes a number of small steps - for example, gradually decrease the distance between yourself and the feared situation or object, or gradually increase the amount of time spent in the feared situation.

Resist the urge to leave. Use relaxation, breathing techniques and coping statements to help manage your anxiety.

Afterwards, appreciate that nothing bad happened.

Repeat the exposure as often as you can to build confidence that you can cope.

When you are ready, tackle another feared situation in the same step-by-step manner.

Dietary adjustments

The mineral magnesium helps muscle tissue to relax, and a magnesium deficiency can contribute to anxiety, depression and insomnia. Inadequate intake of vitamin B and calcium can also exacerbate anxiety symptoms. Make sure your daily diet includes foods such as wholegrain cereals, leafy green vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

Nicotine, caffeine and stimulant drugs (such as those that contain caffeine) trigger your adrenal glands to release adrenaline, which is one of the main stress chemicals. These are best avoided. Other foods to avoid include salt and artificial additives, such as preservatives. Choose fresh, unprocessed foods whenever possible.

Exercise

The physical symptoms of anxiety are caused by the 'flight-or-fight' response, which floods the body with adrenaline and other stress chemicals. Exercise burns up stress chemicals and promotes relaxation. Physical activity is another helpful way to manage anxiety. Aim to do some physical activity at least three to four times every week, and vary your activities to avoid boredom.

Learning to be assertive

Being means communicating your needs, wants, feelings, beliefs and opinions to others in a direct and honest manner without intentionally hurting anyone's feelings. A person with an anxiety disorder may have trouble being assertive because they are afraid of conflict or believe they have no right to speak up. However, relating passively to others lowers self-confidence and reinforces anxiety. Learning to behave assertively is central to developing a stronger self-esteem.

Building self-esteem

People with anxiety disorder often have low self-esteem. Feeling worthless can make the anxiety worse in many ways. It can trigger a passive style of interacting with others and foster a fear of being judged harshly. Low self-esteem may also be related to the impact of the anxiety disorder on your life. These problems may include:

isolation

feelings of shame and guilt

depressed mood

difficulties in functioning at school, work or in social situations.

The good news is you can . Community support organisations and counselling may help you to cope with these problems.

Structured problem solving

Some people with anxiety disorders are 'worriers', who fret about a problem rather than actively solve it. Learning how to break down a problem into its various components - and then decide on a course of action - is a valuable skill that can help manage generalised anxiety and depression. This is known as .

Medication

It is important that medications are seen as a short-term measure, rather than the solution to anxiety disorders.

Research studies have shown that psychological therapies, such as cognitive behaviour therapy, are much more effective than medications in managing anxiety disorders in the long term. Your doctor may prescribe a brief course of tranquillisers or antidepressants to help you deal with your symptoms while other treatment options are given a chance to take effect.

Support groups and education

Support groups allow people with anxiety to meet in comfort and safety, and give and receive support. They also provide the opportunity to learn more about anxiety and to develop social networks.

Where to get help

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Learning all about anxiety is central to recovery.

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Dynamic and Fluid Episode 1: Occupational Therapy and Professionality.

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Being a "protector" in the way described here is an idea I've identified with for a long time and want to carry forward with me as a future OT.

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An Introvert’s Guide to Surviving on the Job

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It’s tough to be an introvert in a world that equates success with performing. Here’s how to change the way you work while staying true to you.

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Executive and Continuing Professional Education

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by Katherine J. Igoe

Recent social justice movements (Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and the Women's March, Stop AAPI Hate, and others) have spotlighted the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across all facets of our society. The workplace is no exception; even though DEI initiatives have been around in some form since the 1960s, in the months and years following early 2020 there's been an explosion of organizations creating DEI offices, equity officers, and other commitments to formal improvement (both internally from a staff perspective and externally from a client or patient perspective). Between May and September 2020, the number of DEI-related job postings increased by 123 percent.

From a health care perspective, lack of equity translates to higher costs. "When we exclude particular populations, decrease access, increase barriers, or provide subpar care, then at the end of the day, those people are going to utilize health care dollars at a much higher rate," says Mary Fleming, MD, president of the nonprofit Reede Scholars, Inc. and program director of the Leadership Development to Advance Equity in Health Care program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A DEI representative or office can pinpoint these areas-like lack of access to public transportation, for example-and propose effective solutions that can lead (directly or indirectly) to better outcomes.

Since 2020, there's increased interest in doing this work. "We've seen DEI offices in academic and healthcare settings, but that's not unusual," adds Fleming. "Now it's moving into the corporate, non-traditional health care and academic spaces: we're starting these offices, and the vocabulary around these issues has expanded as well."

But beyond this important moment, where organizations see this as a hot button issue worth paying attention to, how are these groups or individuals set up-or not, as the case may be-for actual success? How have they been integrated into an organization? Is their work sustainable in the long term and, if so, what are effective predictors of success? Are adequate resources being allocated?

Common DEI Mistakes and Pitfalls to Avoid

In her work with health care organizations, Fleming has noticed that there isn't necessarily a full staff or support system behind DEI representatives-with individuals potentially being hired in isolation to fit the name of the office instead of to do meaningful work. Keeping the person siloed, either nested within an HR office (and seeing the problem as merely a personnel issue) or as a separate part of the company is an ineffective way to help make change.

"For those of us who are entrenched in health equity work, we really want to change the culture and change people's lives so that it's sustainable. A singular person in a single office is not going to do that," says Fleming.

Another problem is when executives create DEI positions but have no formal plan for how they're going to execute the work. This could manifest as not giving the office or representative the correct resources, authority, or executive buy-in for them to make and carry out recommendations. On a deeper level, explains Fleming, DEI representatives are often Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC). "What does the rest of your organization look like-and how do you want to it to look in the future and why? Is your company ready to do the necessary work to create culture change? What is the overall recruitment and retention plan? Or will the DEI officer serve as the sole source of diversity?" she says.

What's Important When Considering Formal DEI Programs

For those who are in a position to either create, scale, or contribute to DEI work within an organization, there are several important factors to consider:

1. Understand the mission and purpose of the organization, and the mission and purpose of the office within that framework. Make sure to ask: Why are we doing this work? And how does it actually impact our organization?

2. Consider the metaphorical "seat at the table" of this person or group. How do they integrate into the rest of the leadership structure? Is there an identified place for them? Do they have a voice and authority? Are they able to make policy changes? How much autonomy do they have?

3. Think about how organizational infrastructure can support these changes. What does the rest of the organization look like? How are changes implemented? Is there a long-term plan (and financial resources) to sustain DEI work? Is there a culture change that should occur as a part of this work to be multiculturally supportive?

4. Define what success looks like. What are the easy, short-term wins that can help demonstrate that this work is worth doing-and what are the medium-to-long-term goals? If these efforts are not working, what changes need to be made and how?

5. What resources are available? How much is the organization investing in DEI initiatives?

The exact manifestation of this work varies depending on the organization. One way to implement DEI work, which Fleming has seen success with, is creating policy change in every department. "Then equity, diversity, and inclusion is part of the senior leadership's responsibilities for each department, and not just one person's responsibility in the organization," she explains.

How to Build on Effective DEI Work in a Health Care Institution

Institutional change can be hard-especially when it contradicts existing norms and procedures. Looking at the health care system, it's important to identify what Fleming calls "the mutually beneficial bottom line," i.e., the principle that improving quality improves revenue. "Being more inclusive is going to bring you more business," she explains, which can help executive leaders rally around the work as a financial incentive.

"When we think about the big public health interventions in our recent past: we have to consider that some people started wearing seatbelts not because it saves their lives, but because they didn't want to get a ticket. What created the biggest decrease in the number of people smoking cigarettes? We started taxing cigarettes, preventing people from smoking inside, preventing people from smoking at work," she says. "Sometimes, people have to be motivated in a different way. Because this is a systemic problem, we have to think about systemic solutions."

Thinking about DEI work in a more holistic sense can also help with broader, more innovative initiatives. Partnering with non-health care companies (like getting a ride-share company to offer free rides for screening appointments) can also appeal to audiences who might not otherwise be exposed to these health care services. Collaborating with schools, food banks, and other institutions to dovetail with medical care can underscore the importance of preventative health interventions.

Fleming explains, "How do all of these things go together? The intersection of these health inequities can follow people for their whole lifespan. We need to continue to think about this outside the health care space, too."

"Our health is affected by more than the care we receive in a hospital or clinic or our personal behaviors at home and at work. Improving health equity requires cross-sector interventions that address food insecurity, housing instability, lack of access to equal education, exposure to environmental pollutants, and so on. Improving health outcomes for our most vulnerable populations improves health for all Americans."
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers Leadership Development to Advance Equity in Health Care, a healthcare leadership program that is designed to pioneer innovation in policies, practices, and programs that advance health equity.

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Approaching Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Through a Future-Oriented Lens

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Recent social justice movements (Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and the Women's March, Stop AAPI Hate, and others) have spotlighted the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across all ...

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resources

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Concrete ways that accredited providers can address DEI include (1) focusing continuing education topics and content on inequity and racism that exacerbate health disparities, (2) reflecting DEI in planners and faculty for continuing education-including patients, families, and other public representatives, and (3) ensuring that DEI variables such as social factors, affordability and access of recommended treatment, and cultural/linguistic competency are considered and addressed in continuing education.

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Connect with OTs and OTAs who understand your aspirations and challenges on CommunOT, our member-only online forum. Online discussions on best practices, growth opportunities, and interests of the profession inspire creativity and innovation.

CommunOT is the place to be

Explore threads filled with discussion, expertise, and connections that enhance your practice and broaden your professional network.

Volunteering made easy through CommunOT

Making its debut in March 2023, the Volunteer Center welcomes members to view and apply for non-governancevolunteer roles. This growing, and eventually comprehensive, list of opportunities includes those that will take less than an hour and others that are a bit longer.

With opportunities for students, OTs, OTAs, practitioners, and academics, there's an opportunity waiting for you in the Volunteer Center.

In its first year, you'll see the center grow as more opportunities will be added on a rolling basis.

CommunOT links to your membership and provides enhanced access

When you join or renew your AOTA membership, you'll select or confirm your Special Interest (SIS) selections--up to 3. Those 1 to 3 selections will appear in your CommunOT profile and you'll be auto-subscribed to receive notifications from those SIS forums. You'll also be auto-subscribed to the General Forum, which is where discussions across practice settings take place.

While your membership makes you an official member of up to 3 SISs, on CommunOT you're not limited in your participation. On the online forum, connect and participate in as many SISs as we offer!

CommunOT is a secure, moderated place to ask profession-related questions, share ideas, and respond to others.

Access CommunOT

Get help using CommunOT

CommunOT is chock-full of forum space and discussion threads awaiting your contributions. But sometimes it's hard to jump right in and start connecting. To help you get started, we've compiled a list of initial steps. For additional information, check out the Frequently Asked Questions list where you'll find answers to everything from questions about logging in, to profile set-up, initiating a discussion, and using the library.

AOTA members connect frequently in CommunOT

The General Forum links members across practice areas and discussion topics. CommunOT is quite the active space!
Login here

Introducing the Volunteer Center on CommunOT! A new place to discover all the ways you can volunteer with AOTA.

CommunOT is the place to be

Explore threads filled with discussion, expertise, and connections that enhance your practice and broaden your professional network.

Volunteering made easy through CommunOT

Making its debut in March 2023, the Volunteer Center welcomes members to view and apply for non-governancevolunteer roles. This growing, and eventually comprehensive, list of opportunities includes those that will take less than an hour and others that are a bit longer.

With opportunities for students, OTs, OTAs, practitioners, and academics, there's an opportunity waiting for you in the Volunteer Center.

In its first year, you'll see the center grow as more opportunities will be added on a rolling basis.

CommunOT links to your membership and provides enhanced access

When you join or renew your AOTA membership, you'll select or confirm your Special Interest (SIS) selections--up to 3. Those 1 to 3 selections will appear in your CommunOT profile and you'll be auto-subscribed to receive notifications from those SIS forums. You'll also be auto-subscribed to the General Forum, which is where discussions across practice settings take place.

While your membership makes you an official member of up to 3 SISs, on CommunOT you're not limited in your participation. On the online forum, connect and participate in as many SISs as we offer!

CommunOT is a secure, moderated place to ask profession-related questions, share ideas, and respond to others.

Access CommunOT

Get help using CommunOT

CommunOT is chock-full of forum space and discussion threads awaiting your contributions. But sometimes it's hard to jump right in and start connecting. To help you get started, we've compiled a list of initial steps. For additional information, check out the Frequently Asked Questions list where you'll find answers to everything from questions about logging in, to profile set-up, initiating a discussion, and using the library.

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Participate and engage in member-only discussions, share your expertise, and expand your professional network on CommunOT, AOTA's online forum.