STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress management is very similar to work-life balance. We look at and identify what the stressors are in one’s life and how we define stressors. Typically, stressors are changes in our lives which can include positive changes, such as marriage, having children, or getting a new job. A job promotion can be stressful even though it potentially brings increased compensation and perhaps opportunity; it can be stressful because it brings increased responsibility. We also need to be able to recognize that stress can also be not only change, but loss or challenges. We look at what control we have over these changes in our lives.

Often, when people are feeling “stressed out” it is because they experience themselves as having little control and things are being thrust upon them. They feel they have to react to these events. We begin to put emphasis on how they can respond as opposed to reacting and how can they identify the things within their lives that are within their control.

We need to be able to look at things and be aware of how they are perceived – whether or not it is compounding our experience of stress.