BLOG - Part 1 of 3 - Stress Awareness

Since 1992, April has been designated as National Stress Awareness Month 

April Stress Awareness 3-Part Series
Part 1 of 3  

You are probably wondering why on earth I would be sending out a newsletter shedding light on a month of Stress Awareness. Aren’t we all stressed? Having lived through over a year with the pandemic experiencing all different levels of shutdowns, social isolation, glued to our devices and screens, and everything else I could list that we have all endured and/or know friends and families who have endured, we are all maxed-out and exhausted! 2020 will go down in our history books on so many levels. I know of no one who has come through this past full-year unscathed in one or more areas of their overall wellbeing.

A recent Harvard Business Review Article, Beyond Burned Out, by Jennifer Moss, highlighted just how stressed and burned out we all are across the globe. Some stats:

• 89% of people reported their work-life had worsened
• 85% of people said their well-being had declined
• 62% of people were struggling to manage their workloads and were experiencing burnout
• 55% of people didn’t feel they had been able to balance their home and work-life
• 25% felt unable to maintain a strong connection with family, 39% with colleagues, and 50% with friends.
• Only 21% rated their well-being as “good”, and a mere 2% rated it as “excellent.”

In 2019, the World Health Organization officially classified burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

So “How are you really doing?” One study found that on average an adult will say “I’m fine” 14 times a week, though only 19% of people really mean it. Most of us would much rather avoid talking about our stress than increase our awareness–which is a great reason to have stress awareness month. The more we know about it, and the more tips we can gain, the more we can make it work for us.

Let’s take a short look at stress. The fact is stress itself is not the problem. It is how we react to stress. The stress response is critical to our survival and with a perceived threat our fight/flight/freeze response is activated. It can save our lives or enable a firefighter to rescue people from burning buildings. The fight/flight/freeze response releases cortisol, a stress hormone that helps the body divert its resources to deal with the immediate sense of danger. However, if we are frequently stressed and constantly producing cortisol, it can wreak havoc on our mental and physical well-being. An elevated and prolonged presence of cortisol causes us to ruminate on problems, leading to symptoms of irritability, intolerance, negativity/cynicism, focusing on our own and other’s weaknesses, combative intonations of voice and distrust.

Anxiety, depression, insomnia, lack of energy/exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, decreased work productivity, and numerous physical ailments, are just some of the symptoms of long-term exposure to cortisol.

The more resilient we are the easier it is to calm ourselves and think carefully when something or someone triggers our survival alarm.

Imagine a well full of clear, sparkling fresh water – when you drink it, it nourishes and sustains you.

How full is your inner well?

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this 3-part series which will outline some tips to build and fill your inner well of resilience!

Have you ever wondered how working with a coach can help you decrease your stress and burnout?" I invite you to explore and book a complimentary call with me!

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