Although it is unrealistic to believe we will always be stress free and is unavoidable at times, we must ensure we keep it at bay. Stress does not discriminate and has been identified to be one of the most serious health issues in the 20th century (Workplace Stress, 2018).
Stress manifests itself in different ways and at different levels. We can identify stress via physical symptoms such as….
- Sleep hygiene – Insomnia or excessive sleeping
- Irritability, short tempered
- Lack of concentration and foggy brain
- Tense jaw, teeth grinding
- Neck pain from tense shoulders
- Fatigue
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Obsessive/compulsive behaviours
- Flu like symptoms
- Digestion issues/stomach pain/irritable bowels
As we can see prolonged repetitive exposure to stress can lead to physical health issues and burnout. Burnout is when we reach our limits and there is no more to give. It leads to exhaustion, anxiety & mood swings, fearfulness, impulsiveness, negativity, resentment and disengagement. Individuals can even become so discouraged they question whether they are in the right job or even workplace. The impact of this is then staff negativity which can quickly spread. Furthermore, unintentional comments can create misunderstandings.
So how do we prevent it? Steps below on how you can help yourself….
- Identify your stress and where it comes from? Ask yourself what is causing you to be stressed? Is it family, work or other triggers?
- What does stress manifest into for you? Body scan, what have you observed changing when you are feeling overwhelmed? What are your symptoms? Headaches, stomach pain?
- Reflect and write down what your unhelpful or unhealthy comping strategies are. Do you self-medicate with alcohol/drugs or have an unhealthy relationship with food?
- Identify what a good, healthy stress management system is, and what works for you.
Self- care means spending time to do things that make you relax and feel happy. It is about lifting the weight of the world off your shoulders. I may have mentioned this in previous write ups but a good way to remind yourself is to refer to a hypothetical question called “the miracle question”. This is, “if I told you after waking up from a night’s sleep and a magical fairy, during your sleep, sprinkled some fairy dust and wiped away all your trouble and worries, what would be different for you? How would you feel? What would others notice about you?”
Think about the above miracle question for a moment…… that is what stress free should feel like. So how do you create the magical fairy dust? You take steps to help yourself through self-care!
- Talk about what you are dealing with. Sharing your problems and worries can help half them. When we speak out loud we are externalising our worries which helps with the problem solving.
- Meditation. Some quiet time whether progressive muscle relaxation exercise, listening to guided meditation, a walk-in nature or going to a quiet space, closing your eyes and listening to white noise for grounding.
- Practising gratitude daily. Write down what you are grateful for, even if it the warmth from the sun’s rays. It takes a moment out of your day to appreciate and again ground yourself.
- Exercise, it doesn’t have to be strenuous. A 20-minute walk daily is enough to begin with.
- Healthier eating. Adding nutritious food to your diet gives you the energy boosts required to get through the day. Have you noticed when you eat “healthier” how you feel?
- Ensure you get enough sleep! Sleep is to conserve energy or act as a restorative function for the body (Lavie, 1996 & Chiropractor’s Association of Australia, 2009? Adults require an average of 6.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep is consistently getting less than 6.5 hours sleep per night.
- Set yourself realistic short-term goals and long-term goals.
- Set boundaries, what you accept from others and what you do not accept.
- Spiritual connection
- BALANCE between work & leisure
Overall, happiness comes from being fully engaged in the things that have meaning to us. Make some small changes and notice how you can renew and recharge your energy levels and have a more positive outlook on life.