Helping Children And Youth Cope With Stress
Children and youth often struggle with how to cope with stress. Youth can be particularly overwhelmed when their stress is connected to a traumatic eventlike a natural disaster, family loss, school shootings, or community violence. Parents, caregivers, and educators can take steps to provide stability and support that help young people feel better.
According to the American Heart Association, stress can have serious long-term health consequences.
When your stress response activates, your heart rate is higher than normal. This increase is not a problem if it only lasts a short time. But when stress dominates your everyday life, it can put pressure on your heart.
Symptoms Of Workplace Stress And Anxiety
The first step to managing stress and anxiety is to be aware of your symptoms:
Physical symptoms
When we are stressed and anxious we often experience negative automatic thoughts . These are:
NATs can follow certain patterns of unhelpful thinking styles:
Worry
Worrying is common when you feel stressed and anxious. It is a thought process in which you predict that an outcome of a future event will be negative because the outcome is currently uncertain. This makes you feel stressed and anxious.
If you are worrying a lot you may:
- Avoid things which are causing you to worry or you may distract yourself.
- Believe that the worry is helpful because you feel as though things are under control when you worry.
- Believe that the worry is making you unwell thus escalating the worry.
- Use a lot of your time and energy worrying whilst other responsibilities build up.
There are two types of worry – practical and hypothetical worries:
Hypothetical worries are usually the most distressing for an individual because there is usually no solution.
How To Identify Your Current Stress Levels
There are many warning signs that you’re experiencing high levels of workplace stress.
Physical symptoms include frequent headaches or muscle tension, persistent sleeplessness, and stomach upsets. You may also experience significant changes in your weight.
Psychologically, you may be irritable, depressed, and experience prolonged difficulty in concentrating. If continuous stress starts to cause burnout, you may also find that you lose interest in your work and hobbies, and become socially withdrawn.
Tip:
to explore your current levels of long-term stress.
Note:
Stress is not the same as pressure.A manageable level of pressure can actually help you to perform at your best. However, if pressure increases to a point where you no longer feel in control, the result is stress. Unlike pressure, stress is never positive.
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Rely On A Strong Support Network
Keep in touch with trusted friends and family members to help cope with stressful work situations.
If youre struggling with an especially challenging work week, try asking parent friends if they can help out with carpooling your kids to school on certain days.
Having people you can rely on during the tough times can alleviate some of the built-up tension.
Use Quick Coping Strategies
In addition to tackling larger issues that are contributing to your work-related anxiety, it may also be helpful to practice quick-working coping strategies that you can use in moments when you begin to feel especially anxious. These in-the-moment strategies could include:
- Going outside for a few minutes
- Listening to a calming song
- Try visualization
- Watching a funny video
Grounding is another technique that can help positively shift your attention in the moment. Grounding involves using your senses to connect to your physical surroundings. This might involve:
- Holding on to a hot cup of tea or a cold glass of water
- Listening to sounds that you find calming
- Noticing specific things you can see in your environment
- Smelling a candle, perfume, or essential oil
- Tasting food with a strong flavor, like a lemon or lime
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Can Meditation Help Ward Off Depression
Studies show that one factor consistently associated with depression is the number and degree of major stresses experienced in life. Meditation provides a way of reducing reactivity to the stressful thoughts, feelings, and situations that are a major precipitant of depression. There are many styles of meditation, and meditation has been incorporated into many behavioral therapies for depression. Meditation slows down reaction so that it is not automatic, and it trains people to recognize that, however troubling thoughts and feelings are in the moment, they are not facts, they are transient, and they can be acknowledged without needing to be acted upon. Mindfulness is a popular form of meditation that teaches people to focus on the rhythm of their breathing while letting thoughts and feelings come and go. The goal is to detach people from their thoughts so that they can choose what to pay attention to, rather than automatically buying the negative thoughts of depression and being dragged down by them.
Identify And Learn To Manage Your Triggers
You can identify triggers on your own or with a therapist. Sometimes they can be obvious, like caffeine, drinking alcohol, or smoking. Other times they can be less obvious.
Long-term problems, such as financial or work-related situations, may take some time to figure out is it a due date, a person, or the situation? This may take some extra support, through therapy or with friends.
When you do figure out your trigger, you should try to limit your exposure if you can. If you cant limit it like if its due to a stressful work environment that you cant currently change using other coping techniques may help.
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Coping And Management Techniques
Luckily, workplace stress and anxiety do not have to lead to burnout, and there are several coping mechanisms people can learn to prevent burnout and reduce stress and anxiety. Although in some cases it is better to change career paths, many people will find the following tips and strategies helpful in managing stress. Heres a few tips on how to prevent burnout.
How Not To Answer How Do You Handle Stress And Pressure
Here are the big no-nos when it comes to answering how do you handle stress and pressure?
- Of course, dont say that you cannot handle stress and pressure. Youve basically taken yourself out of the game if you do this.
- Dont mention that the stressful situation made you stressed. Instead, talk about being in that energy of pressure and stress, and how youre able to remain unaffected.
- Be careful how you respond in terms of the particular role it is. If its a multi-tasking role, and you share that you have trouble juggling many tasks and that makes you stressed, youll not be seen as a fit candidate for the role.
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Make A List Of Your Work
One of the first steps to reducing stress is identifying what, exactly, is causing it. If you cant name your stressors, you cant begin to address them. So, sit down and list all the things at work that are causing you stress. This may include unrealistic deadlines, difficult co-workers, or an overly demanding boss. Once you have your list, you can start looking for ways to mitigate these stressors.
If unrealistic deadlines are stressing you out, see if theres any way to negotiate a more reasonable timeline. If Difficult co-workers are the issue, try to find ways to avoid them or set boundaries as needed. And if your boss is the source of your stress, see if theres anything you can do to make your working relationship more manageable.
What Is The Interviewer Really Looking For
When they ask you how do you handle stress and pressure? what the interviewer really wants to know is what you would do in potentially stressful work situations and the impact that may have on how you perform in the role. They want to see that you know yourself and that you are prepared for there to be some stressful situations in the future.
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Stop Trying To Please Everyone
One of the main contributors to anxiety at work is our need to please everyone. But its not possible. Were not suggesting you start making enemies of your colleagues by ignoring instructions or by incurring the irritation of your staff by disregarding them when they make legitimate requests. But you can decide what you are capable of doing. If you are upfront about it, peoples expectations will change to suit you, and they wont expect more than you are able to give. If you give the impression that you want to please everyone, its likely that the people you work with often come to you with their requests and complaints. Set your boundaries and your anxiety about pleasing people should reduce.
Causes Of Workplace Anxiety
Anxiety, or being anxious, is a natural response to stress, and it affects people both psychologically and physiologically. A rush of adrenaline and cortisol tries to prepare your body for anything and everything â freeze, fight or flight. Your mind races, your heart rate goes up. In many situations, this is helpful: adrenaline and cortisol can help you to keep going before a big deadline or focus during an especially difficult task. But as well as being triggered by tangible stressors, anxiety can also be brought about by an unknown âthreatâ of some kind in the future.
As a manager, itâs not up to you to diagnose an employee with an anxiety disorder. But if you can spot the symptoms of workplace anxiety, you may be able to start an open conversation with your colleague about whether they need any adjustments to feel more comfortable and productive at work.
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Laughing And Support Groups
While many believe that laughter is the best medicine, studies have already proven that laughing promotes many physical and mental health benefits. For instance, it can boost your immune system, can make your brain and muscles relax, can slow down the production of stress hormones, and can help the production of endorphins.
Plus, your support group may also provide their strategies in coping with such disturbing symptoms. Lastly, do not be afraid to talk to your doctor or mental health professional about what you are going through. They can provide or recommend therapy or medical intervention for your well-being.
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Meet Yourself Where You Are
Depression is common. It affects millions of people, including some in your life. You may not realize they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles.
The key to navigating depression is to be open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what youre going through.
Every day with this disorder is different. Its important to take your mental health seriously and accept that where you are right now isnt where youll always be.
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Disclosing An Anxiety Disorder Diagnosis To Your Employer
While at work, people should take care to not over-disclose personal information. They can inform their employer because they need accommodations or want to provide education about their illness. However, think about boundaries and how much information is too much.
You may want to start by discussing your diagnosis or special needs with your employers HR representative. He or she may be able to direct to you existing programs or workplace accommodations that will help. Many employers have employee assistance programs as part of their benefits package. Employee assistance programs often offer referrals to mental health professionals and sometimes cover the costs of several visits. They also may offer a mental health or counseling hotline.
If your company does not have an HR department, or if you feel you need to take it further, consider talking to your supervisor. Be as specific as you can in describing the accommodations you are requesting, like an adjusted schedule or quieter space to work.
People with anxiety disorders have laws protecting their rights in areas like work and education. The laws that give people equal opportunities to those who dont have a disability are stated in the Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA.
Avoid Drama In The Workplace
Workplace stress and anxiety nowadays is a bigger problem than in the past because it’s so much easier to drum up drama and turmoil. Online social networking has made it easier for people to prey on others by using anonymity, and sometimes the boundaries of work and personal life can blur.
The psychological effects of work stress can be hazardous to your health, even prompting work-related stress claims in extreme cases. To eschew the effects of new job stress and anxiety, it’s best to avoid drama as much as possible.
As with any workplace, your new job is bound to have internal disarray that may stem from any number of issues. It’s best to try avoiding unnecessary conflict while maintaining your focus and a positive attitude. Remember that completing your work is more important than establishing arbitrary relationships or feeding into the negative energy of others who only want to gossip and meddle.
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How To Manage An Employee With Anxiety
As a leader, you need to be prepared to respond to mental health issues that arise in your team. But it can feel like a lot of pressure. We asked a Spill therapist how to deal with an employee who approaches you to disclose theyâre feeling anxious at work. Besides making some practical adjustments to their working day or environment, there are some important steps you need to take to have frank and open communication with your colleague and protect both them and yourself from unnecessary emotional distress.
ðââï¸Be conscious of your professional boundaries
Itâs perfectly possible to maintain your professional distance while showing your colleague that you care. For empathetic people, setting boundaries can feel counter-intuitive, but absorbing someone elseâs emotions is not helpful to either of you. Itâs appropriate to ask whether thereâs anything at work thatâs contributing to their anxiety, but itâs important to avoid rooting around for any causes of anxiety outside of the workplace. Your first instinct might be to âfix the problemâ, but youâre not best placed to fix someone elseâs anxiety, and you canât get personally involved. You risk blurring those boundaries, giving the wrong advice and ultimately doing more harm than good. What you can do is listen to your coworker, point them towards professional help and make changes to their workday â all with your managerâs hat firmly in place.
How To Manage Anxiety And Depression: 3 Strategies That Work
These days, it seems like everyone is feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed, thats what most people think. Those who suffer from an anxiety disorder or manic depression know that what others think is stressful may not sound stressful to them at all.
Even a positive event such as a wedding or graduation can send anxiety and depression soaring for those who are predisposed to the afflictions. How then can those suffering from these brain conditions manage their anxiety and depression?
Well, giving up isnt one of the options. Keep reading to learn about how to manage anxiety and depression.
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Stress At Work Warning Signs
When you feel overwhelmed at work, you lose confidence and may become angry, irritable, or withdrawn. Other signs and symptoms of excessive stress at work include:
- Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
- Apathy, loss of interest in work
- Problems sleeping
- Using alcohol or drugs to cope
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The Physical Effects Of Stress
Stress can have profound physical effects on the body, especially if the stress is fairly constant. Stress can cause headaches, migraines, and increased blood pressure. Having high blood pressure means you have a greater chance of succumbing to heart problems such as abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
Stress can also play a role in exacerbating several health problems, including mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. If youre stressed out and havent felt like eating, thats because stress can also contribute to a lack of appetite, leading to other health concerns such as weight loss and malnutrition.
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Ways To Cope With Stress And Anxiety In High
The number of people dealing with stress and anxiety in the workplace is on the rise. According to a survey of more than 2,000 full-time U.S. employees aged 18-79, more than half find themselves stressed during at least 60 percent of the workweek. While all jobs come with a certain amount of stress, some high-pressure jobs where stress and anxiety are consistently reported include roles like health professionals, lawyers, and therapists.
With many of us now working from home, this stress is bleeding into our lives more than ever before. Stress and anxiety seriously impact our physical and mental health, so its essential those working in high-pressure jobs adopt some healthy coping strategies.
How To Tell Whether Youre Experiencing Stress Or Anxiety
Not sure whether stress or anxiety is behind your symptoms?
Take a step back and think of whats going on in your life right now. What kinds of things do you tend to worry about? Are they specific threats or events?
Consider car troubles. Maybe you know you really need new tires, especially now that its starting to snow. But you cant afford to replace them just yet.
For the next few weeks, you feel uneasy about driving. What if you slide on a patch of ice? What if you get a flat on your way home from a late-night shift on that stretch of road with lousy reception?
A few weeks later, you have a fresh set of tires and stop worrying about driving to and from work safely. In this case, your nervousness was due to stress, triggered by having old tires.
But maybe you get new tires and dont really notice a change in your symptoms. Youre still nervous about driving and feel a vague sense of unease that you cant quite put your finger on. Or, your tires were never an issue in the first place, but you can shake an overall feeling of nervousness about getting on the road. That would be anxiety.
If you can tie your feelings back to a specific trigger, theyre likely the result of stress. But if the exact cause isnt clear, or your symptoms stick around after the initial trigger goes away, it may be anxiety.
Stress typically happens in response to physical or mental pressure. This pressure might involve a big life change, like:
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