We all have our own ways in dealing with both personal and work stress and they are completely unique to each of us. It is important that you find the option that works best for you whether its talking about it or going out for that 10k jog (rain permitting). We want to encourage you to explore how combating stress rather than ignoring it can be hugely beneficial so I have enlisted some of the Sinclair Wellbeing team to share theirs as well as a sneak peek into our Stress top tips.
Linda Watt (Tutor) - Over the past year I have never felt any real stress issues & I believe this is a direct result of being introduced to Mindfulness Practices & focusing on the present moment. Whenever I have ever felt stressed in the past- I usually take a step back from what I am doing & look at my to-do list. I accept that I cannot do everything at once-so I start to prioritise & diarise my tasks.
Mark Sinclair (Director) - I am usually quite good at dealing with stress, although it wasn’t always that way! For me it comes down to having a calendar, notepad and using my phone as an organiser to keep me in check. If I try to retain all that information in my head, I will probably forget something, which would lead to more stress! Fortunately, I am able to relax and de-stress in a number of ways. Firstly, I meditate most days and try to embody mindfulness in my daily life as much as I can, this allows me to see things objectively and not get caught up too much (as much), it’s important to be able to put things into context. Spending time connecting with people, especially with the kids as they help to put it all in perspective! Also, I’m a musician / music lover and have always had that as an outlet, there’s no better way to blow off the cobwebs. Walking the dog, photography, reading, Netflix, I could go on! Even though it may not be possible to find time for yourself every day, I make the conscious effort to switch off – even if it’s just for 1 or 2hrs at night.
Judith Eck (Tutor) - I find that I get stressed when I’m feeling overwhelmingly busy and/or disorganised – I freeze and don’t know where to start, or else I jump from one task to another, not doing anything properly or finishing anything. My coping mechanism is very low-tech: a piece of paper, a pen, a highlighter and a ruler. I write the list of everything I need to do in the next week, and I mean EVERYTHING no matter how small or routine. Then I “chunk down” and highlight the easy quick wins rather than trying to decide what task is the most important. As I complete a quick win, I score it out (even using that ruler and seeing neat lines helps relax me!) and seeing the list diminish quickly helps me feel a sense of achievement and renews my self-confidence. I feel calmer and able to address the bigger, more important tasks: success breeds success and self-belief!
Rachael McConnell (Business Development Manager) - Lists, lists and more lists is my general go to for combating stress, I write a list of everything I have to do and start breaking it down into smaller more manageable tasks. Everything is less daunting for me when I am organised, whether that be personally or professionally. I also believe massively in the benefits of exercise to help in stressful situations, I just pop on my trainers, put some music on and start running, having 30 minutes of ‘me time’ usually gives me a bit of perspective on the situation.
When managing stress it is important to identify what is causing you stress in the first place and acknowledge it, isolating the reason is the first step to combating the problem. Once you know the problem you can work on potential solutions. Write a list of possible solutions to your problem then talk to friends/colleges to get perspective and input (sometimes we ignore the hard to make solutions) Don’t be afraid to verbalise what you are struggling with, you might find that other people have experienced the same thing. Having outlets during stressful period in life are great and can work wonders in maintaining balance, exercise and physical activity is proven to increase the production of your brains endorphins (feel-good chemicals) these not only make you feel good but also improve the ability to get a good night’s sleep. Hobbies are also a great stress reliever and there are a multitude of options out there to get involved in from reading to knitting and skiing – basically anything that makes you happy do more of!
With more and more of us spending increasing numbers of hours at the office or at work, stress in the workplace is something lots of people are dealing with every day. Everyone has felt stress at one point or another however feeling overwhelmed at work is something we are passionate about helping companies alleviate. We have built a bespoke training course for senior staff to help them understand and recognise the symptoms and behaviours of a stressed colleague and to give them the confidence to deal with those team members. Having an open and supportive workplace culture is key, let us help you build that.
We hope that by sharing our stress combating techniques have given you some options to consider when you are feeling overwhelmed – it would appear we are a team of avid list writers! Also if you are unsure where to start in finding a hobby let us know, we love helping our Sinclair Wellbeing family develop a passion for something new.
Thanks, the Sinclair Wellbeing team.