What kind(s) of stress do you have? What can you do?

Long Term (or ongoing) Stress is the most difficult for us to have as it affects our bodies and minds (& spirits) more.

I have a few clients with long term stress and they are suffering.

Here are some symptoms:

·       You are always tired and rather forgetful

·       You are irritable and maybe self-medicate to stay afloat

·       You have physical symptoms such as headaches, body aches, stiff muscles (especially in the neck, shoulders and jaw), stomach and other digestive problems, and sexual dysfunction

Stress happens to all of us, and for some it is a “given”- and for some it is on-going or long term. 

Sometimes it’s the job, or the season, or it’s COVID, or…

Some of my clients run companies.  This often causes long term stress.

Running a company, a division, a department (and a team) is, by definition, stressful, and your long-term stress must be dealt with. 

Seasons at work or in life can also be stressful.

A client works full-time and has young children at home and the spouse is working, too.  Working with small children at home is a season of long-term stress. Raising young children can be stressful all by itself, let alone when both parents are working.

We as a family are facing a big wedding. Weddings are fun, but the preparation time can be stressful. For the perfectionists, the wedding itself can also be stressful but I thank God that I am not a perfectionist.

Also, bankers and insurance companies and other professions have “special seasons” where there is a lot of stress.

Then there is/was COVID and the long-term stress associated with it, with lockdowns and working at home (maybe with small or school age children at home), etc.  COVID, in one way or another, is still happening and friends of mine had it recently (in 2023).

COVID is an unexpected stress that has lasted for over two years. How many masks do you still have in your home? And hand disinfecting liquid? are you still hesitant to shake someone’s hands?

BUT NOW everything is opening up and there is a REAL stress for us to have to deal with how many in-person activities that are happening all around all the time. For some there is “catching up” to do. But for others this leads to stress as calendars are now overfull with networking events. I usually suggest ONLY one to two event per month, as you need to do preparation and follow-up if it is to be a successful time for your goals.

Change is always stressful, and we know that this has been three years of constant change.

It is not “just” networking events. A lot of work meetings that have been postponed for two or even three years are finally happening, not to mention the conferences, social events and presentations that are now in-person once again.

I have a friend who is giving presentations (note the plural) this week.  This, of course includes the Q&A afterwards and the required networking aperos (snacks and drinks) following the events. After two years of relative quiet everything is “noisy” again. It is a big transition and the calendar is overly full.

There are other stressors that also are more long-term.

I have not yet mentioned the other life stressors that many people have: chronic health problems that a person has or loved ones have, unsatisfactory relationships, financial stress that is chronic, difficult job situations or team situations, life transitions, cultural issues (my clients often have these),  abuse/violence, …

Then there are other ways to look at stress

There are Two kinds of Stress: Mental and Physical

There are two kinds of stress: cognitive and body stress (remember your body keeps score and you are interconnected). You may not be able to totally reduce cognitive stress, but you CAN take care of your body, at least mostly.

So, what can you do to help the stressors that are always there and you can’t get rid of them.

First and foremost, breathe well and take care of your body as best as you can - and get outside (and remember your PPFs – more about this below).

Part of Body stress is environmental stress:

A few weeks ago, there was an awful train derailment with an ensuing gas leak of a great magnitude. This is stressful and dangerous for those people living nearby.

When we talk about environmental stress we mean:

·       Pollution of all kinds, but often: Noise pollution and disruptive sounds, air pollution – other toxins

·       Climate and room temperature - and perhaps allergens

·       Crowds and personal space invasions

·       Screens of any kind

·       Odors, Light (or lack thereof)

Some of these above environmental stressors can be mitigated and reduced. (Maybe you need a light for SAD with ocean noises to keep difficult noises in the background, for example).

Focus on what you can control. ALWAYS.

 How stressed are you right now?

This is part of a chapter in my upcoming book on burnout, stress and resilience.

Have a great week,

Patricia Jehle

patricia@jehle-coaching.com