Stop, reflect and laugh
Most of us are being pulled in a million different directions and it’s easy to get stressed out or burnt out in the process. Recent data show 50 to 70 per cent of Canada’s disability and health care costs are now dedicated to psychological illnesses. In fact, the number one reason workers take a leave of absence is because of major depressive and anxiety disorders. There are, however, steps we can take to reduce the chances of it happening to us.
Establishing priorities
If you’ve noticed a decrease in your self-esteem, concentration, motivation, libido, sense of humour, creativity and quality of work - then you might be suffering from stress. In order to reduce stress, Dr. Robert Béliveau, a former family doctor who currently leads stress and anxiety workshops at the Montreal Heart Institute, suggests establishing your priorities by organizing your life into four quadrants: important/urgent, important/non-urgent, not important/urgent, not important/non-urgent. We should then devote most of our energy to important/urgent priorities, followed by important/non-urgent priorities. Establishing these priorities enables us to be realistic about our expectations and maybe even say ‘no’ to certain things without feeling guilty. It also lets us act more effectively and efficiently, all while doing more with less.
| URGENT | NON-URGENT | |||
IMPORTANT | Personal crisis: illness, depression, burn out, crisis involving family Projects with a deadline Urgent breakdown: car, house | Prevention: exercise, rest, meditation Development: both personal and professional Time: planning at work, delegation, training, meetings | |||
NOT IMPORTANT | Other people’s problems Email, telephone calls | Cleaning the garage |
Learning your ABCs… and T
“We live in a very demanding environment and it’s more important than ever to maintain one’s balance and health,” says Dr. Béliveau.
In fact, he says living in balance is as simple as ABCD (T). We need to be aware of our mental health by learning when to stop, rest and stay calm. We also need to focus on our body and its needs by taking more time to exercise and eat well. Dealing with the people around us means communication is also key and so is devoting more time to organizing our priorities. “It’s also important to have a good sense of humour about things,” he says. “Don’t take yourself too seriously.” Over time that perfect balance between work and life can be attained with a little bit of reorganizing, discipline and communication.
Dr. Béliveau also suggests taking some time each day to stop, sit and breathe. Try dedicating one minute at least three times a day to meditation. All you have to do is close your door, sit down, get comfortable, and close your eyes. Try concentrating on the sound of your own breathing for one minute. This will help you calm down and refocus, and studies have shown that regular meditation can have a positive impact on people suffering from stress, anxiety and depression.
Managing your stress does not have to be stressful. We just have to learn how to stop, reflect and laugh once in a while. Anyone know a good joke?