REPORT ANNUAL CONFERENCE
No ‘ magic bullet ’ to happiness , delegates told , but you can re-train your brain
In a plenary presentation , Professor Bruce Hood discussed his highly wrong . You have to recognise when you are at fault , otherwise you successful university course , The Science of Happiness and why we won ’ t ever get better .’ can all benefit from developing strategies to cope with adversity .
But learning to become more optimistic when facing problems is
Explaining some of the theory and neuroscience involved , generally a good thing , he acquiesced . There are techniques to train Professor Hood provided delegates with some valuable practical yourself to be more optimistic and he focused on the the ABCDE advice about how to improve mental wellbeing . technique – Adversity ; Belief ; Consequences ; Dispute ; and Energise .
He shared three techniques to coach yourself through a crisis : He explained that it is about stepping out of the negative psychological distancing ( short term ); learned optimism ( medium framework into a positive one : ‘ Even in the worst situations you can term ); and mind control ( long term ). always find something to be positive about ,’ he stated .
Psychological distancing , he explained , is about looking at your The final technique is based on mind control , or more accurately , problem or worry from a non-first-person perspective rather than the about meditation . He told delegates that ‘ mind wandering ’ goes on first person – this works because emotional regulation enables you to all day , and that these thoughts are generally quite negative . turn up or down your emotions appropriate to a situation .
‘ Mind wandering is associated with unhappiness ,’ he said . ‘ Using non-first-person language makes stressful situations less ‘[ But ] it is possible through meditation to shift away from habitual stressful , more of a challenge and less threatening ,’ he asserted . mind wandering and to a place of being more present-centred and
Learned optimism is about training people to become more happier .’ optimistic and hopeful . He talked about research on the way
He ended with the general point that developing mental strength people process and react to things – and looked at the concept of and wellbeing ‘ is a little bit like physical exercise ; don ’ t expect that pessimism versus optimism . there is a simple magic bullet or simple way of achieving it ... In the
‘ You might think being optimistic is the best way to be ,’ he same way that when you want to build up physical strength you don ’ t said . ‘ You do need to find a balance – you don ’ t want to be overly walk into the gym and pick up the heaviest weight , what ’ s better is to optimistic so that you don ’ t take responsibility for anything going take things gradually , and this is true of happiness activities as well ’.
How can rehabilitation help to address health inequalities ?
In an RCOT Insights session jam-packed with information and debate around the question ‘ How can rehabilitation help to address health inequalities ?’, Lauren Walker , RCOT professional adviser , sent the profession one clear call to action .
Setting the background to the agenda , she said that ‘ we all believe in the importance of addressing health inequalities , but our particular clinical backgrounds as occupational therapists ourselves really influences the perspectives we have and the expertise we can bring to tackling health inequalities , which is a large and complex issue .’
With that in mind , she urged everyone to talk to other occupational therapists from completely different areas of practice and life experiences – not just those in your own area of practice with similar backgrounds – when looking to tackle health inequalities .
So why should we be concerning ourselves , she asked ? It ’ s a moral and ethical issue she stressed . ‘ I don ’ t think I need to sell this to you at all … morally and ethically we have a responsibility to address discrimination and injustice ,’ she said , and indeed ‘ this ethical responsibility is reflected in our professional standards .’
She also unequivocally stated that ‘ when we talk about equality it doesn ’ t necessarily mean we treat everybody in the same way
– our approaches as occupational therapists need to be equitable rather than equal .
‘ It is not just about the amount of resources each community gets , it ’ s about making sure that they are the right type of resources , and tailoring services so that they are appropriate for the people that they serve .’ On the profession as a whole , she said ‘ no matter our area of practice , we work with people who are affected by health inequalities every day . Our whole professional rationale is about identifying individualised approaches to support people to overcome barriers in their daily lives .’
She reflected that occupational therapists support wide and diverse populations , in rural and urban areas : ‘ We pride ourselves on working with people in the context of both their environments and occupation , and not only work with people to recover from ill health and loss of independence , but in health prevention also .
‘ So in short , we are not lacking in the opportunity or the skills to really make a difference to people ’ s experience of health inequalities , and I am sure that many , if not all , of you are already making a difference , but I would like us to think about how we can amplify and spread the existence of good practice in this area , and think creatively about where the gaps are and what the opportunities are to make more of an impact in eradicating health inequalities .’
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20 OTnews July 2021