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Feeling Overwhelmed?

I am lucky enough, as part of my profession, to be able to take the time to be present.  I need to in order to provide a calm, supportive space for clients.  This means that I prioritise being calm myself so that clients feel safe, supported and heard.  As you can imagine, a stressed out counsellor is the last thing clients need!

Stress can be Good

Stress is an important part of our lives.  It provides the impetus to respond when challenges arise.  It stimulates productivity and creativity.  Think about how much more productive and creative you become when there’s a deadline involved.

When Stress is Not so Good

However, if we are constantly stressed, it can be damaging both physically and mentally.  Acknowledging and knowing your own capacity for stress is important.  Not all of us can handle the same amount of stress as others.  Often, part of the problem, is comparing ourselves with others.

 

Tips for Managing Stress:

 

Identify your stressors:

Some people thrive on being busy and going from one task to another and back again.  However, if you’re like me you like to do things one at a time to completion.  Once you’re aware of what stresses you, you can then choose how you respond by changing your thinking patterns.   Becoming more self aware and acknowledging what is workable for you personal will prevent you from being reactive and stressed.  You can’t necessarily control what’s happening to you, but you can control how you respond to things that happen to you.

 

Step away from toxic relationships:

Toxic relationships or being around people who are negative causes stress and won’t help you de-stress. It’s helpful to surround yourself with people who lift you up – creating a sense of positivity and energy.

 

Reduce your digital use:

That feeling you get when you scroll through newsfeeds and social media?  It doesn’t tend to be a good one.  So why do we do it?  Try reducing your use.  It  takes you away from achieving the things you want to.  It also contributes to that ‘compare and despair’ sentiment – we envy other people’s lives and therefore see ours as ‘less than’.   We may also read the news and feel negative about the state of the world.  You may not even realise this contributes to stress, but it is sometimes overwhelming. Perhaps even try unplugging altogether for a couple of days and see what happens?

 

Sleep hygiene:

The World Health Organisation considers sleep hygiene as an emerging health issue.  Having good sleep rituals is essential to good quality sleep, such as avoiding caffeine in the afternoon, switching off devices an hour before going to bed, going to bed at the same time and waking up the same time in the morning, drinking less alcohol – all contribute to a good night’s sleep – essential to reducing and maintaining stress levels.

 

This is not a comprehensive list, but if you are stressed it might be worth exploring what aspects of your life are creating negative stress and how you can change.  Sometimes a counsellor can help you explore your lifestyle and thinking patterns in order to de-stress and feel better on a daily basis.

 

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