"Making It Make Sense" (SM) with Dr. Pamela Brewer
HOLIDAY
STRESS MANAGEMENT
by Pamela Brewer, MSW, Ph.D., LCSW-C
Holiday season is certainly a time that brings on many stressful feelings for many people. Now is the best time to take a look at how you handle stress - what works, and what doesn't... But don't limit your stress tolerance/ stress management quotient just to tax season. Holidays, birthdays, graduations, vacations.....all carry with them a measure of stress. If you are experiencing stress you may feel many things including anxiety, headaches, muscle aches and pains, eating and sleeping changes, feelings of being overwhelmed, feeling stuck, feeling angry. You can determine how you will survive the good times and the challenging by how you think about stress and how you plan to manage your stress.
Do not assume that stress is always a bad thing - it can be a good thing and in all cases is a very human thing. Here are some things to think about as you develop your stress management plan.
1. Plan. Plan. Plan. Look at the task. Plan how and when you will accomplish your work.
2. Develop a realistic time frame and write the dates in your calendar. Make a promise to yourself to honor your schedule.
3. If you can not get it all done right now, what do you need to do to extend your deadline?
4. If it's too much too do, what can you do to share the responsibilities?
5. If you have a large task, separate each of its parts and build in break time between each portion of the task. Break time can be a 5-minute stretch, a 10-minute walk, 15-minutes to close your eyes, or whatever you choose. Taking a planned, timed break can actually increase your productivity - while " going straight through" can reduce your focus, accuracy and productivity.
6. Avoid drugs, alcohol. They will not "relax" you - they will hinder the quality and quantity of your productivity.
7. Loud noises can add to stress - try to eliminate as much as possible.
8. Clutter can add to stress - try to eliminate as much as possible.
9. Be curious about "mistakes" not judgmental. Judgment hinders your ability to learn and promotes a feeling of powerlessness.
10.Be good enough to yourself to remember that stress is a part of living - don't blame yourself for the fact of experiencing it - give yourself the gift of knowing how stress affects you and what and when you need to care of yourself in a way that will reduce the effects of stress in your life.