stress

Change is all around us and stress is the brain and body’s way of responding to it. Whether we interpret change as real or perceived, short or long-term, stress is the result.

Stress is not intended to be harmful.   In fact, it  does  serve  a  purpose.   Your body’s  stress response is meant to protect you from danger. It releases chemicals and hormones to aid the “fight or flight” response.   This quickens your pulse, increases your breathing rate, and tenses your muscles. Oxygen shoots toward your brain and your immune system is charged with a short boost.

While stress can be beneficial, our bodies aren’t event such as an unexpected job loss, death, illness,  or  divorce.  Lastly,  traumatic  stress follows a disastrous event like an accident, acts of war, assault, or a natural disaster.

RESILIENCE

While  we  don’t  always  have  control  over stressful events in our lives, we can manage how we react to them.  Resilience is the ability to adapt well over time in response to stressful events. How well do you “bounce back”?

 

Y N   Do you have access to supportive family and friend relationships?

 

Y N   Are you readily able to make a plan and stick to it? Can you problem solve?

 

Y N   Do  you  believe  in  yourself  and  your abilities?

 

Y N Can  you  identify  and  regulate  strong, emotional responses?

 

Y N Do you open up and communicate with your support network?

TYPES OF STRESS

There  are  three  main  types  of  stress  we experience: routine, sudden event, and traumatic. Routine stress occurs with the regular changes in  our  work,  school,  or  family  environments. Another type of stress happens from a sudden and unexpected negative event such as loss of job or investment.  Chronic stress takes a toll, and over time prevents your body from returning to its normal functioning state.   As a result, people might experience high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or mental illnesses like depression or an anxiety disorder.

ACTION STEPS

Practicing  the  following  healthy  habits  will help you develop resilience and cope with life’s stressors:

✓ Pay attention to your body and where you’re

feeling physical tension.

✓  Be mindful of your limits and learn to say no

once in a while.

✓  Clarify your values and prioritize tasks and

responsibilities accordingly.

✓ Focus on the positive and what you have

accomplished.

✓  Eat healthy foods, limit caffeine and alcohol,

get rest and exercise regularly.

✓  Relax your body and focus your thoughts

on whatever is uplifting for you.

✓ Schedule an appointment for a check-up

with your primary care provider.

 

KEEP IN MIND

Life is challenging and can be very stressful. You’re not alone, and help is available. Consider reaching  out  to  your  health  care  provider and engaging other counseling resources for guidance on next steps.

What steps will you take today to be well and live life more fully?

Want to talk to a counselor today about this? 

Call us at 800-453-7733 and ask for your “Free 15 Minute Phone Consultation" with one of our licensed counselors. We’ll listen, answer questions you may have, and help you plan next steps.

Avoiding Burnout

There are many “outs” in life.  We can be stressed out, worn out, and experience burnout.  As passionate as we may feel about our work, we are all susceptible to burnout if we fail to exercise good self-care and relaxation techniques.  Burnout is a constant feeling of physical, mental, and/or emotional exhaustion and pessimism in the workplace.  This usually results in a decline in performance and passion.  You may experience doubt over your job competence and value in the workforce.    

Early Signs of Burnout

There are several early warning signs of burnout.  Do you dread coming back from vacation?  Are you experiencing interpersonal problems at work and home, growing irritable and impatient?  Do tasks you once enjoyed no longer excite you?  Can you concentrate easily on assignments?  Is your overall attitude pessimistic toward your coworkers and your performance?  These questions are all indicators of a burnout.  There are also several health problems that may arise from chronic stress in the workplace.  Burnout symptoms have been linked to anxiety, depression, digestive problems, weight fluctuations, and changes in sleep patterns. 

 

Triggers of Burnout

What ultimately leads to workplace burnout?  It’s different for everyone and could be a variety of items or one major one.  Here are some possibilities:

• Limited or no control- Perhaps your schedule or job requirements are determined for you- without your input. Lacking sufficient resources to do your job effectively may also trigger burnout.  
• Expectations- If an employer anticipates a higher performance than possible, this could cause an increase in stress. Also, when expectations are unwritten or unclear, this brings confusion and interpersonal turmoil. 
• Job mismatch- Are you currently in a position not suited for your skillset or interests? Boredom, frustration, and long term stress may occur. 
• Social dynamics- It’s no secret there are introverts and extroverts. Some people work best in solitude; while others would not.  Isolation could lead to internal and/or external stress. 
• Clashing values- Differences in values or convictions can be deeply felt. Situations resulting from a clash in business ethics may produce emotional stress.
• Out of balance- When work begins to eat up your energy and time for family or social events resentment may appear and accelerate to burnout.

Preventing Burnout

Far from being inevitable, burnout is actually preventable.  Consider putting these practices in place to help in avoiding workplace burnout:

• Take small breaks- Your overall performance can be impacted negatively by failing to take (short) breaks. Concentration wanes after a long, laborious stretch; so take a quick five or ten minutes.  Your brain will thank you. 
• Evaluate- Take a step back to see how you are using your time. Where and when are you most productive?  How is the quality of your work?  Being efficient does not equal being effective.  Take inventory and prioritize your time. 
• Set vacations in stone- If you are financially able, plan that trip today. It will give you something to anticipate.  Or consider doing a “staycation,” and treat yourself to some rest and relaxation. 
• Reward yourself weekly- Establish a routine that invests in you. Perhaps, schedule a dinner out with the family or coffee with a friend.  You will be more motivated to complete a task when you have something fun to look forward to each week.
• Determine what’s urgent- We are easily distracted by items we label as urgent. Whether that’s email, phone calls, or administrative work, set less-urgent tasks aside for later. This will increase your productivity and help you feel more organized.
• Build community with coworkers- Relationships with positive people who inspire and motivate you are important. Negativity breeds exponentially, so look for coworkers who can empathize with your challenges and encourage you.   
• Note your negative feelings- Pay attention to your negative thoughts and jot them down. Which of these situations can you control?  Focus on what you can change about your work and environment.  This mindset allows you to control more choices in your career.
• Engage new passions- Look for a new hobby to catch your interest during the week. Often, new activities reignite passions for forgotten interests.
• Unplug your devices- Avoid checking your office email, voicemail, and logging in to do work when you’re not in the office. Maintaining a clear distinction between work and home allows you to be fully present and enjoy whichever one you choose.
• Practice self-care- Taking care of yourself with proper rest, exercise, and nutrition is essential to reducing your risk for or managing existing burnout.  Research shows that less than six hours of sleep nightly speeds your chance of burning out.  Good self-care, conversely, will bring you more energy and increase your productivity. 

If you think you may be experiencing signs of job burnout, ignoring the symptoms is never the best decision.  Ask your doctor or schedule an appointment with a mental health professional before you feel worse.  Implementing these strategies, as well as healthy self-care, will help restore the passion for what you enjoy most.  

 

Want to talk to a counselor today about this? 

Call Amplified Life at 800-453-7733 and ask for your “Free 15 Minute Phone Consultation" with one of our licensed counselors. We’ll listen, answer questions you may have, and help you plan next steps.

Sources:

http://fortune.com/2012/10/08/5-ways-to-avoid-burnout-at-work/

http://idealistcareers.org/5-things-you-can-do-each-day-to-prevent-burnout/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642?pg=1

 

 

 

Managing the Stress of Parenting

Being a parent provides many fulfilling and beautiful moments. Often, parenthood can encompass the majority of your schedule and is at the forefront of your mind. Occasionally, you might have more trouble coping with the responsibilities of parenting. Learning about stress can be a valuable life lesson.

Stress

Most of the time stress is easy to identify. However, sometimes you might prefer to blame how you are feeling on something else. If you are noticing any of the following symptoms, you might have a high stress level:

• Headaches, stomachaches, or chest pain/heavy chest
• Muscle tension/pain
• Fatigue, sleep problems
• Anxiety, feeling restless, feeling overwhelmed
• Irritability, anger
• Lack of motivation or focus
• Depression, sadness

Many of these symptoms can be attributed to other causes, but if you notice that you also have had a significant lifestyle change – increasing drug or alcohol use, increasing or decreasing how much you eat, are fighting more often, or are not participating in activities that you enjoy – you could be experiencing stress.

Stress is a normal reaction to environmental changes and helps to prepare the body to prioritize and act as necessary to respond to the changes. At times, stress can become constant. The changes that stress causes in the body are helpful in short bursts, but can be hurtful if prolonged, leading to high blood pressure, weight gain, heart disease, diabetes and mental health issues.

Another important side effect of your stress is the impact it has on your children. While many parents think that they can hide their stress, children are able to notice and when parents are stressed and be bothered by it. Stress can make you less understanding and more critical of your child. It can also decrease the quality of your relationship with your children. Furthermore, how you handle your stress is one of the first examples that your children have for how to handle their own stress.

Tips to Handle Stress

Even if you are not feeling the effects of stress, incorporating these tips into your family’s activities can help to prevent stress and teach healthy coping.

• Do a stress self-assessment – Increase awareness of your own habits by asking yourself how you handle stress. Do you drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes? Eat a special treat? Blow off steam by yelling? By paying attention to what choices you make when stressed, you have a firm basis for knowing what might need to be adapted.
• Take some “Me Time” – Being a parent is a 24 hour job. However, taking some time to be you and to relax and rejuvenate can make a significant difference in the quality of parenting that you can provide. Spend time with friends, read a book, go for a walk, take a bath, or re-connect with your spouse over a date night. If finding or affording a babysitter is a challenge, look into community events or gyms that offer free childcare.
• Build healthy habits – Developing a solid routine full of the fundamentals of health can prevent stress from taking over. Make sure to eat as many nutritious foods as you can and eat regularly throughout the day. It is also important to stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and get regular physical activity. Bonus: most children also respond well to consistent schedules.
• Increase quality time – Maybe it is time to say no to extracurricular activities and yes to spending a night at home with the family. Or find a creative way to build quality family time into your schedule.
• Talk – If you are feeling stressed, or notice that your child is, talk about it and help them to understand what role emotions play in life. You may also want to consider talking to a mental health professional, if your stress does not seem to be improving.

Single Parents

If you are raising children on your own, you face some unique stressors. The following tips can help to keep stress at a minimum.

• Know your budget – Financial issues can add up quickly, so keep to your budget. If you need a job or financial assistance paying for groceries or bills, contact employment agencies or local community services for assistance.
• Use support systems – Join a single parent group, keep regular contact with friends, and make connections with other community services. No one can do it totally alone and you need to find appropriate sources of support and sympathy. Your pediatrician or doctor’s office can provide helpful connections to community services if you feel like you do not know where to start.
• Plan child care – Have a list of trusted babysitters ready for any instance where you may need to go somewhere without your children.
• Use consistent discipline – Perhaps your child will be alternating between the home of each parent. Try to work together to provide as consistent a discipline method as possible.
• Talk – Provide time to allow your children to express their thoughts and feelings on any changes in the family, and talk with them – at an appropriate developmental level – to keep them in the loop.

 

Want to talk to a counselor today about this? 

Call Amplified Life at 800-453-7733 and ask for your “Free 15 Minute Phone Consultation" with one of our licensed counselors. We’ll listen, answer questions you may have, and help you plan next steps.

 

 

Sources

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-race-good-health/201306/4-tips-managing-parenting-stress
• https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/types-of-families/Pages/Stresses-of-Single-Parenting.aspx
• http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/managing-stress.aspx
• http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987