Slowing Down to Speed Up: Recognising and managing stress symptoms.
In our everyday lives we engage in experiences that both stimulating and stressful. Stimulating experiences involve a match between the demand of a task and our ability to complete it. These are experiences that feel simultaneously challenging yet rewarding and provide a sense of satisfaction.
On the other hand, stressful experiences describe a situation when the task demands are greater than what we are capable of doing. Essentially we don’t have the tools to the job.
Stress can be useful, indicating that skills needing improvement or a sign we may need to better resource ourselves. However, if we are constantly engaged in stressful experiences we can find ourselves unable to cope.
Think of your coping threshold like a bank account, if too many demands or transactions are made we go into the ‘red’ and become overdrawn, similar to being stressed.
To start combatting prolonged stress we need be aware of our ‘red flags’.
What signs can you notice that point to an experience of stress? These can be across different environments and spheres of life, common red flags of stress can be:
So know we know we’re stressed, maybe you’re feeling stressed about being stressed – what do we do about it? Here some ways to move our of the red and put ‘credit’ back into your resources account.
1. Understand YOUR experience of stress. Slow down and notice your stress threshold, understand what area is most affected when you feel stress. Anticipate and plan for stressful times, what resources do I need to cope?
2. Try to problem solve. Definite your problem clearly, state your goal and break the process down into achievable actions. Take things one step at a time and praise your efforts.
3. Validate your feelings accompanying stress. Validate and accept that you might feeling a certain way, express this to others and notice how past experiences shape our feelings.
4. Develop new behavioural skills. This can be things like efficient time management, learning realistic or helpful thinking and practicing assertiveness or boundary setting.
5. Establish a support network. You are deserving of help and are allowed to ask for it! Asking for or accepting help can really reduce the weight of stress. Seek out supportive positive relationships by talking to people.
6. Create a self-care routine. Engage in activities that support your health through diet and exercise. Participate in hobbies or passion projects. Plan breaks in your day and week to do activities purely for enjoyment.
Coping with stress is essentially an exercise in knowing yourself and being able to confidently rebalance your account!