Stress

Stress has been the topic of conversation a lot this week. It was pointed out to me early in the week that work stress is not important. When this was said the person did not mean that we should not worry about our clients or be passionate about our work. What I think he meant was that there are more important things in life than work and that we shouldn't let the stresses of the job impact our lives. In talking about stress another person said that you cannot put a price on stress. No amount of money that you get paid in a job makes it work being highly stressed because of work. 

I wanted to take time to reflect on stress and draw on the above conversations. In life, we will all feel stress to some degree. We have simple everyday stresses such as only having a certain amount of time to get to an appointment or engagement and we are running late already. Choosing what clothes you are going to wear may also cause you stress, especially if you are like me and hate decisions....... What top will I wear with the green trousers....... Different people are stressed because of different things. So while picking a top to wear with the green trousers might stress me it might not necessarily stress you. But that doesn't mean either of us are wrong.

How we handle stress will impact strongly on how stressed that we get. Anyone who knows me knows that when I have loads to do and I am in the middle of one task while under pressure asking me to do anything is pointless and may lead to an outburst. That's why I keep a diary in work so that I know exactly what I need to do. That way I can see on paper I have five things to do and they need to be done by the end of the day or within the hour. It helps to focus me. I find that getting stressed actually stops me from getting something done. If I am feeling stressed I have to step away, breathe and clear the head in order to complete the task. By doing this I find I can complete the task in good time too. 

If you do not have strategies that you use when things are causing you to feel stressed you could burn out in work or get angry at people at home. When overcome by stress we do not act rationally and we might unintentionally hurt does around us by what we do or say. We need to develop strategies for dealing with stress rather than letting it overcome us. It might be something as simple as regularly chatting with colleagues about what is stressing you at work. Or at home having a trusted friend who you can turn to and talk to honestly about what is causing you stress. Talking is a two-way thing, you must also listen to the advice given.

Work stress. Jobs come and go. If you are feeling high levels of stress in your job and despite going to your manager for support you still feel highly stressed regularly get out of the job. All the stress we feel builds up in our body and this can impact on our physical and mental health. Now some people may feel highly stressed in their job but when they are finished their shift they are able to leave that stress at the gate before going home. If you can do that don't leave your job but work on strategies to not let stuff cause you to feel so much stress or deal with the stress. Don't give up at the first sign of stress. Work with your managers in order to find ways to combat the things that are causing you stress. There are so many things that you can do to deal with stress and there is nothing wrong with asking for help. 

Not all stress is bad. I believe that we need a certain level of stress in order to keep us sharp and engaged. So the meeting which is an hour of a drive away, leave a little earlier than you need to in order to ensure that you will be there in time despite anything that may happen that is out of your control. And then if something happens to delay you you will feel stress but not as much stress as you know that you have given yourself plenty of time to arrive at that meeting. You can control the amount of stress you feel. When I am running late I like to think, 'I am exactly where I am supposed to be'. 

Look at stress as a positive, that there is learning for you in the situation, a chance for you to grow. Don't get stuck in a job that is causing you high levels of stress. If you can't deal with the stress and be fully happy where you are leave. Even if that means being unemployed for a while. But if leaving a job means unemployment make sure that you don't get stuck in a rot. Plan your days and keep busy. Do all those things that you have been putting off. At the end of the day, there is nothing more important than feeling good in yourself and having good mental and physical health. No amount of money is worth sacrificing your health. This also goes for professional help. If you need professional help to deal with stuff do not let cost put you off. Put yourself first, find a therapist that is right for you. If you can't afford their fee most good therapists will be willing to chat and reach an agreement on the fee that suits you.