Understanding Self-Carein 15 Minutes via e-learning
It is bene cial for workers to realize their stresslevels, learn coping mechanisms and strategies,
and put them into practice. To be aware ofstress, workers need to understand stressresponses to stressors and mental health, andto be able to appropriately monitor their stresslevels and mental health conditions. For the rst
step, let's learn the basics of awareness andmanagement of stress and voluntary healthcounseling.
*It will take about 15 minutes.

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11. Recognize thatsomething iswrong with you〜Has this ever happened to you?〜

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1.Has this ever happened to you?
When stressed, changes occur in yourbody, mind, and behavior. Looking backover the past month, have you
experienced anything like this?

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https://kokoro.mhlw.go.jp•Feel very tired•Feel exhausted•Feel sluggish•Feel tense•Feel anxious•Feel uneasy•Feel depressed•Not feel like doing•Feel gloomy

anything

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2.What is stress?

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1.What is stress?
Stress has three components: stressfactors (stressors), stress responses, andstress resilience. Stress resilience, as
shown in the diagram, is the ability of theball to return to its original shape.

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2.Stress factor
Stress factors are external stimuli thatcause stress and exist in work, working
life, at home, in the community, etc.

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3.Stress response
Stress factors trigger various physical,psychological, and behavioral responses.
This reaction is called a stress response.
Even when the stress response is turned
on, it is not easy to know the cause.

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4.Job stress modelContinued stress responses causedby stress factors lead to healthproblems.
As shown in the gure, stressresponses depend on non-work,individual, and bu er factors.
A vital bu er factor in the workplace
is support from supervisors andcoworkers.

NIOSH: National Institute for Occupational Safety & Healthfffiff

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5.Have a healthy relationship with stressStress is an inevitable part of work.
It is important to have a positive
relationship with stress.

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3.How to deal with stress

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1.Coping with stress responses
The goal is to be aware of stressresponses, such as mental and physicaltension, and relieve them.
Here are some tips for doing this.

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112.Relaxation
Learn a relaxation method that suits you.
Relaxation means relieving the tension in
the body and mind.
One easy way to do this through abreathing technique (abdominalbreathin).
It can be done quickly and easily athome or your desk at work.
Yoga is also a stress-relief technique.

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3.Stretching
If you stay in the same posture for a longtime (standing or sitting), the tension of
the muscles will increase. Also, musculartension increases under stress, such as
the quantity of work and di culties inhuman relationships. Slowly stretching
the muscles relieves muscle tension,increases blood ow, and relaxes thebody and mind.

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4.Moderate exercise
Some people think of exercise as acontest of skills focusing on winning andlosing, but to relieve stress, it isimportant that you enjoy it. Enjoy afavorite and easy exercise in a funenvironment.

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5.Good sleep
Having a good sleep is one stress relieftechnique. Good sleep means sleep thatfeels good when you wake up and doesnot make you become sleepy during theday. The amount of sleep a person needs
varies from person to person.
Also, taking a nap of about 15 minutes issaid to improve work e ciency.

ffi

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6.Connections with companions
Talking with friends and acquaintances
may help you soothe a mind
overstimulated by anxiety andfrustration. You may also nd a solution
and get advice.

fi

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7.Laughter
Laughter is e ective in balancing theautonomic nervous system andnormalizing immunity.
Try laughing in your daily life!

ff

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8.Have a hobby outside of work
Cherish the time when you can do what
you like. The feeling of being free fromwork also increases motivation for work.
Interacting with people unrelated towork through hobbies creates new
friendships and broadens your horizon.

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9.Misconceptions about stress relief
Smoking for stress relief is notrecommended.
Drinking alcohol may sometimes help
relieve stress, but you need to control
the amount and frequency. Habitual
drinking is not recommended.
Overdoing exercise and hobbies thata ect the next day's performance iscounterproductive.

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10.Usefulness of consultation
Various consultation services are available.
If the problem cannot be resolved bytalking to someone close to you, you canaccess a professional in the workplace(such as an occupational physician or publichealth nurse) or a consultation agency
contracted by your company or healthinsurance association.
You can also consult with local medical
institutions and health centers.
◯ Specialized consultation organizations &consultation desks(Japanese)
https://kokoro.mhlw.go.jp/agency/Mental Health Portal Site for Workers

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4. Why do we needmental health carein the workplace?

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1.The environment surrounding workers
In line with changes in social conditions,
the workplace environment has
undergone signi cant changes.
Some environments may cause anxiety
and tension for workers.

fi

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2.The need for mental health carein the workplace
Under these circumstances, an increasing number of people are taking a leave ofabsence for mental health reasons.
A leave of absence may increase the burden on coworkers.
This can lead to a vicious circle that results in more people with mental healthproblems.

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235. Mental health problems
can be prevented

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1.What are mental health problems?
According to the guidelines of the Ministryof Health, Labour and Welfare, mental
health problems are "problems that include
a broad range of mental and behavioral
problems, which may a ect worker's
physical and mental health, social life, andquality of life, such as mental disorders,which are classi ed as mental andbehavioral disorders, as well as suicide,stress, intense worry, and anxiety."(Depression is also included in mental andbehavioral disorders.)

fffi

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2.Misconceptions about mental health problems
People with mental health problems areoften considered as being "mentally
weak," "lazy," "spoiled," or "people whowill get better with a little rest," or"people to whom it is hard to delegatetasks even if they return to work." These
are misconceptions.

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3.Mental health problems can come to anyone
Mental health problems can come toanyone in an overstressed situation. It
does not matter if you are mentallystrong or weak.
Mental health problems can come to you
too.

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4.Recognizing and dealing
with mental health problems
There are three keys to prevention.
1. Improve stress awareness
Make it a habit to look at your stressobjectively.
2. Deepen your understanding ofmental health
To understand mental health problems,
learn about mental health throughbooklets and online articles.
3. Get a consultation
Have someone to listen to you. Knowthat there are many people with whom
you may consult.
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5.No abnormality is detected by a doctor,
but for some reason you feel pain
Some of you may have had the experienceof taking leave due to a frequent headacheor stomach pain, and so have visited a
medical institution but been unable to nd
the cause.
In this case, you are possibly su ering frommental health problems.
It is a good idea to consult with a specialist(industrial physician, public health nurse,etc.) at the workplace.
If you do not have an in-house healthprofessional, consult an external advisor ora specialist (psychiatrist/psychosomaticadvisor).
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6.If you have mental health problems
These consultation services are available.
◯ Specialized consultation organizations andadvisors (Japanese)
https://kokoro.mhlw.go.jp/agency/◯ National medical institutions (Japanese)
https://kokoro.mhlw.go.jp/facility/◯ "Ears of the Heart" for working persons(Japanese)
https://kokoro.mhlw.go.jp/soudan/

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6. We are promoting
mental health carethroughout the country

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1.The number of suicides in Japan
In Japan, suicides exceeded 30,000 for
14 consecutive years from 1998 to2011. Although the number has fallen
below 30,000 since 2012, there arestill many deaths due to suicide. In
2022, about 39% of the people whodied by suicide were working persons.
Suicide is no longer a personal
problem, and developing suicide
prevention measures is also asigni cant issue for society.
The national government alsoestablished the Basic Act on Suicide
Prevention in 2006 and is takingmeasures.
Source: National Police Agency. "Suicide Statistics"fi

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2.Suicide prevention measures in Japan
Therefore, the Ministry ofHealth, Labour and Welfare hastaken these measures and hastaken mental health measures
for suicide prevention.
◯Major progress of national governmentpolicies for mental health measures (Japanese)
https://kokoro.mhlw.go.jp/guideline/mentalhealth.html

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3.We are promoting mental health carethroughout the country
The Ministry of Health, Labourand Welfare has established theGuidelines for Maintaining andPromoting the Mental Health ofWorkers (Mental Health
Guidelines; formulated in March
2006) and promotes workplacemental health measures basedon Article 69 of the Industrial
Safety and Health Act.

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4.Four types of care
It is practical to have these fourtypes of care function as one
system in the workplace, as
stipulated in the Guidelines for
Maintaining and Promoting theMental Health of Workers.
In this course, you have learned
about self-care among thesefour types of care.

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