Page 23 - The Edge - Winter 2021

AASBO 2020 VIRTUAL ANNUAL
CONFERENCE WRAP-UP
BY DON HARRIS
Kendall Taylor
Here’s How to Deal with Stress in a Pandemic and Why

Coping with stress at a time like this becomes a must Taylor expressed concern that people are staying in a
for school business officials and everybody else, and stressful mode far too long, resulting in an increased
AASBO members were provided some tips on dealing heart rate, dilated pupils and dry mouth. “There are so
with an emotional roller coaster in your job and your many physiological effects of stress,” she said.
life.
As part of her presentation, Taylor showed a brief film
In a presentation as part of the AASBO 2020 Virtual on some of the effects of stress. The brain releases
Annual Conference, Kendall Taylor, Valley Schools hormones, including adrenalin, that cause the heart
Wellness Director, emphasized the importance of to beat faster and increase blood pressure. That, in
having the resilience that helps you to bounce back addition, can result in plaque buildup in arteries and
better and quicker from adversity and stressful increase chances for a heart attack or stroke. It can
situations. also affect digestion, leading to an increase in calorie
intake and belly fat.
Taylor said resilience has been defined as: “A set of
inner resources, social competencies, and cultural What’s more, people dealing with acute stress can
strategies that permit individuals to not only survive, have difficulty concentrating and how they respond to
but recover, or even thrive after stressful events, certain situations.
but also to draw from the experience to enhance
subsequent functioning.”

“There are a lot of stresses out there,” she said.

Taylor identified ways to promote resiliency in schools.
They include, proactive empathy, helping students feel
welcome so they feel appreciated, developing realistic
expectations, discussing the role of learning from our
mistakes, and developing responsibility, compassion
and problem-solving skills.

There are three types of stress. Eustress – or normal
stress – might be related to routine exercise and can
be beneficial to the individual.

When acute stress occurs, your body’s responses are
triggered and it usually takes more time to relax.

Chronic stress is what is happening more often
during the pandemic, causing negative physical and
emotional effects, Taylor said. “You want to stay away
from this,” she said. “One of biggest reasons is that it
can affect immune systems and can lead to the onset
of chronic diseases.”

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