When was the last time you stopped and counted the number of stressors in your life?
Pair up with a colleague or friend/partner. Go ahead and grab a bunch of books or magazines . Now place your hands outfront and get your partner to place a book on your hands for every stressor.
For example:
- a book for money stress,
- a book for a relationship issue,
- and another for stress around a job interview.
So on and so on. Keep going until it’s hard to carry the books. You will be surprised at the amount of books (or stressors) that you carry around. Stop and recognise this. Is one area of life out weighing other parts? If so it’s time to think about how to reduce these stressors and/or share that load.
The biggest issue is feeling alone with all these things we are carrying. By breaking things down we can see the need to stop, reflect and make changes to support us and our load.
Stress is normal however too much stress can result in physical and mental health issues. The National Health and Safety Commission has described stress as the most significant psychological hazard in the workplace.
It has been estimated that stress has cost Australian business 10 billion dollars a year in related costs. In 1997 a large survey, representing 12,000 respondents found that:
- 1 in 4 people took time off work due to work related stress.
- The most stressful conditions at work were management issues, increased workload, organisational change and job insecurity.
Some important questions to ask yourself:
- Which stressors do I have control over?
- What can I put in place to minimize this stress?
- What stressors don’t I have control over?
- What supports and strategies do I have?
Do you want more information about stress? We have prepared a number of articles that can help you with this.
If you need to talk this through, our team at Safe Place Therapy are ready and able to work with you.
Book stress management counselling online, and in-person, in Melbourne, Australia. We have strategies that work to help you manage your stressors.
Contact us to book a time.
