.Welcome back empowered readers,

For this weeks empowered journal I wanted to discuss the concept of stress and how one can OWN their stress. After reflecting on a pamphlet at a physician’s office, it stated that if someone is experiencing high blood pressure one should make steps to eliminating or lessening the amount of stress in one’s life. Although I agree with that piece of advice up to a point, I couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that wouldn’t the more beneficial way to help cope with stress is to…

Change how one reacts to stress?

The fact of the matter is, is that stress is inevitable and that not all stress can be avoided, eliminated or lessened. Stress forms and manifests in many different ways and areas throughout life. There is “good” stress that can motivate you by propelling you forward and helps you to achieve goals, for example, by pursuing further education. These are generally relatively short bouts of stress and provide motivation to help get something done or to help overcome an obstacle. There are also other forms of stress that can present, for example, through one’s environment. This can be experienced through surviving a natural disaster, like a hurricane or earthquake. Stress is key for survival, but too much stress can be detrimental. Then there is “bad” stress, this type of stress can stay around for weeks or months and can weaken the immune system and cause such health effects like high blood pressure, fatigue, depression, anxiety and even heart disease.

So, this leads to the question…. “How can I change how I react to stress?”

Ways to OWN Your Stress

1. Be Optimistic Adopting an optimistic attitude can help you respond to stress in a confident manner. Stress tends to arise when you feel that you no longer can cope with the challenges which you face. Optimism helps you regain your sense of control, which in turn helps you ease and eliminate stress. For example, through adopting an optimistic attitude, this will help you realize that you do not have to have all the answers.
2. Take a Break Taking a break from what is causing stress for you may not make sense in that moment, but giving yourself permission to step away from the stressor can help you develop a new perspective or to practice techniques that can help you feel less overwhelmed. Even just a 20-minute break can give you immediate relief that can last hours. This can include going for a walk or practicing deep breathing.
3. Have a Support Network Reach out to someone you trust. When you share your feelings or concerns with another person, it can help relieve stress. More specifically, sharing your feelings with someone who understands and can validate your feelings versus someone what causes you stress is more beneficial.
4. Break the Pattern Learning to recognize the signals within your body when you are experiencing stress can help you respond to stress in a more productive and healthier manner. These signals can include feeling tension in your shoulders or developing sweaty palms. Gaining insight into recognizing your bodies response to stress can help you to choose a more productive response to stress can help you feel more in control of the situation and can help cause the stress to disappear.

​Are you experiencing physical, psychological and emotional impacts of stress on your well-being? Seeking support from a counsellor can help you cope with such life issues as work-related stress, bereavement, an upsetting physical health condition or a difficult life event. Reach out today.
 
To your empowered wellness,
​
Exchiela Benusic, MA

Welcome back empowered readers,

For this weeks empowered journal I wanted to discuss self-love tips for those in the helping profession, those who volunteer as helpers, and caregivers.

Empathy is the tool that helpers, healers and caregivers must use to establish a healing relationship. Over time, working in continuously emotionally charged situations, this empathy can become overtaxed and exhausted, even when the helper is diligently maintaining self-care skills.

​Burnout, secondary/vicarious traumatization and compassion fatigue affect most helpers at some point in their professional cycle and are challenged to reach out for help. This is a very difficult position as one may feel fear of judgment, ridicule, difficulty trusting other professionals, and fear of exposing ourselves. This can prevent us from reaching out for the help we need.

Some self-care tips include:

Connection & Support
Feeling supported, heard and cared about by your colleagues is a crucial skill to maintain resiliency and combat burnout and compassion fatigue. Meet with other professionals to reduce the feelings of isolation. For example, within my own professional network I have created a support group for other helping professionals where we meet every 6-8 weeks. This has helped normalize my own experiences while providing support to others.

This can also include accessing your own personal support group, like friends and family, to help you feel connected.

Revitalization
There are a number of ways that we can re-fuel and revitalize by utilizing self-care. For some, it can include more physical components while for others it is more refined. It is our responsibility to learn and regularly practice what works for us to sustain our energy, buoyancy and hope.

Some examples that work well for most people and represent the essential components of good self-care include:

Regular Exercise * Healthy Diet * Good Sleep Hygiene * Regular Social Activities * Spiritual Practices * Creative Activities or Hobbies * Professional Enrichment

If you are currently feeling impacted by the work that you do, the good news is that burnout and compassion fatigue is very responsive to treatment. When we, the helper or healer, take the crucial first step of reaching out to ask for help, we are well on our way to recovery. Treatment programs offered through Empowered Wellness & Solutions include the Accelerated Recovery Program and the balanced YOU program. 

If you would like to learn more about our programs, please click the button below.
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To your empowered wellness,
Exchiela Benusic, MA

Welcome back empowered readers,

For this weeks empowered journal I wanted to discuss stress and the workplace. Stress should really be termed the disease of the 21st century. If left untreated, stress can manifest in physical symptoms that can include high blood pressure, heart disease, or even heart attacks. Stress can also be described as a “silent stalker”, with employees and managers wary to speak its name. But it is this exact environment that stress thrives on. Because when one adapts to stressors, instead of resolving stress, this can lead to chronic stress and very high costs for the company and individual.

Every organization can prevent the effects of workplace stress by spotting the signs of stress and knowing when it’s time for a stress management program. Despite the nature of stress, there are many signs that can tip off the problem. Here are examples of key indicators:

Absenteeism and High Turn Over
Health problems that can be set off by chronic stress include a suppression of the immune system, tissue repair system, and digestion, which multiply with sick days and absenteeism. If employees know how to manage stress, and management understands what fuels it, absenteeism is no longer the only coping option. And when employees feel there’s no possibility of stressors changing, they may decide to just quit. If your company, or the company you are employed with, are seeing more people heading for the exit sign, look closely, and stress may be the driving force.

Burnout
Burnout is a red flag for stress, the terminal fatigue and cynicism that comes with experiencing burnout includes a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion that is caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. Burnout is perceived when an individual’s demands outweigh resources.

Reduced Efficiency and Production
When individuals are experiencing burnout, rumination on stressors can distract employees from attention on tasks at hand and future planning. Chronic stress can zap physical vitality as stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline deplete the body’s energetic resources. It is not working harder and longer that pick up productivity, but working smarter. This can include taking breaks, developing proper self-care strategies and investing in the wellness of your employees.

If you would like to learn more about our workplace wellness programs, click the button below.

To your empowered wellness,
Exchiela Benusic, MA