Traumatic Overwhelm and its Impact for Managers

A certain amount of stress can be a good thing. It gets the adrenaline going, motivates, excites and helps to focus on the task at hand. However, when the effects of various stressors accumulate, they can reach a critical level where it not only compromises important functions such as decision-making, creativity and problem-solving, it can block them altogether. The cumulative effects of stress and negative life events can take people to a place of Traumatic Overwhelm. Much like the effects of a serious incident such as death, injury or unexpected job loss, being in a state of traumatic overwhelm can render an individual unable to cope in a healthy or productive way. The impact of this state can affect the person’s mental and/or physical health, and their ability to perform satisfactorily on the job. When an individual or organization reaches a state of traumatic overwhelm it can lead to lower levels of morale, decreased creativity and productivity, increased sick days and turnover – all of which have a negative financial and human resource impact on the bottom line. This workshop explores the important background factors that may surface in your workplace environment that can contribute to traumatic overwhelm. We will look at the role that loss, grief, mental health, addictions and emotional awareness play in this situation, and develop various strategies that can be applied towards better understanding and supporting your team members.