I want to ask a question – How do you handle stress in your life? Do you know how to recognize the slowly mounting pressures that negatively impact your physical, mental, and emotional well-being? I’ve often heard the impact of stress described as a rubber band that can only be stretched so far before it breaks. You really want to be proactive and prevent this from happening to you. Some people feel that they are not negatively impacted by stress; well, let me share some relevant statistics for us as healthcare professionals.
Nurses have stated that it is not the work that they find stressful, but it is the work environment that causes the stress. Caring for patients is one thing, but the irregular work schedules, the long shifts, the tendency not to eat or sleep properly creates stress that is not always recognized. When this is combined with life’s other responsibilities, the results can be overwhelming. There are so many situations with unclear role expectations.
Part of the solution is to know yourself and what your limitations are. Being able to identify your strengths means you recognize when you need help to overcome some obstacles that might pose a challenge. When you focus and meet your needs you can be a more effective caregiver to patients, family, and yourself. Are you willing to consider some changes that might be helpful? There are positive and negative changes. Let’s look at the positive changes – the changes that excite you. You can start with your thinking. This can lead to changes in your behavior which will lead to increased wellness and decreased stress. Recall past successful transitions, what did it feel like? Spend some time recalling what steps you took to succeed.
Two important points to know when you embark on your change journey. First, you must clearly identify the change you are seeking to make. Secondly, it will not happen overnight. You must give yourself adequate time to learn, practice and internalize the change. Do you recall the saying that if you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know when you get there? It is helpful to make a plan so the actions to be taken are clearly identified. While you are in the process of changing, keep in mind that you might ‘mess up’ and forget. That’s acceptable and expected. The important thing is to get up and continue on your path to success. It is important to remember that it could take up to eight months before the change is fully internalized.
Recently I was seeing a client who was having issues related to her weight. She had lost and maintained for about 5 years when some unplanned events occurred in her life. She found herself gaining weight. She said she felt out of control and it was negatively impacting her self-esteem. We worked through the behavior changes she needed to make to get control of her weight again. There were times when she did really well, but along came something that took her off tract and she would gain a pound or two. We were able to keep the goal in view and accept that bumps in the road were likely to occur. After a few months, she was back in the range she had set for herself. Your issue may not be weight management, but whatever it is, you can also achieve success while not becoming overly stressed.
Please share your insights about how you cope with the daily issues that create stress in your life.