More than ever recently I have been hearing people say that one of the impacts of covid has been that there sense of resilience is much lower than it normally would be. I can totally resonate with that myself.
Normally the stresses and strains of work are balanced out at least to an extent by being able to do things in our own lives that we enjoy and take pleasure from. Finding this sense of balance is integral to our wellbeing. The extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic have meant that work (or the loss of it) has become more stressful for a great many people. At the same time most of the normal ways that people have had to look after their own sense of wellbeing were at least temporarily taken away. This has meant that many people have felt that their work life balance is worse than it ever has been. If you have also been feeling more stressed than usual then this is a normal and very human reaction.
We know that when our bodies experience long term feelings of stress this has a dramatic impact on our sense of wellbeing. Symptoms can be wide ranging but typically include headaches, bodily tension, raised blood pressure, difficulty getting to sleep, change in appetite, irritability and low mood. It’s important to recognise that stress will manifest itself in a variety of different ways. No two people are exactly alike, so a crucial question is to ask yourself how you yourself know that you are becoming stressed. When the word “stress” is used – what pops into your mind? In what circumstances would you describe yourself as feeling stressed, and how does this manifest itself?
Being aware of this is a first step towards taking action at an early stage. Anyone who has ever experienced burnout will know that this is not something that happens overnight. The build up of stress can happen over months or years. Looking back, there are almost always clear signs of stress well before the feeling of being absolutely burnt out. Being aware of your own stress levels and triggers as well as finding out your own stress relief mechanisms is therefore a really important part of keeping yourself well.
Unfortunately, although you will find many books and articles on stress, there is no “one-size-fits-all” remedy that suits everyone equally. At the same time though, there are things which will help each of us individually provided we take the time to spot what they are.
After a long time on hold with the bank this morning (on what should have been a day off), only to be told that they could not resolve their own IT issue and that I would have to go into a branch – I found my own stress levels rising. In my case, my shoulders started feeling tense and I started to feel both angry and frustrated that I would have to spend an afternoon off going to another town to queue in a bank. This triggered even “bigger” feelings that having worked hard recently, my planned day off was now interrupted by having to sort out admin at the bank. I found myself feeling resentful and hard done by. When my husband spoke to me I was unnecessarily snappy back. However, I also knew, that by allowing myself to feel stressed at this situation I was making my own day even worse than it had to be.
I asked myself the following questions. What is going to help in this situation? What is going to make the day less stressful than it currently feels? How can I go to bed this evening not feeling as though I have lost the whole of my day?
Knowing that fresh air has helped in the past I decided to go for a walk to clear my head a bit. I did some stretching to ease the quite significant tension in my shoulders. I was able to combine the bank trip with lunch with my husband and on the way there I put on some music that always puts me in a better mood. None of these remedies removed the “problem” but they all served to make the day a little easier and a little less stressful.
The impact of the pandemic has far from disappeared and many people’s stress levels continue to be elevated. So when you have a little time to yourself either alone or with a friend, think about how you react when you are feeling stressed and the signs that you notice. The next time you start to spot these signs, take early action to try and prevent it getting worse. Take the time to think about the things that help you personally unwind - and the things that alleviate your stress levels just a little bit. Taking early action to keep ourselves well and reduce stress where we can is never a waste of time – and in some cases can prevent much more serious cases of burnout in the future.