It’s Stress Awareness Month, and I know the JHP team have provided lots of support around
this. Those of you that have followed my blog series for a while, will know I’m a fan of reflective questions and journaling; it gives us a chance to ask ourselves the questions we don’t stop to do otherwise.
I wanted to share with you a series of questions I have reflected on and asked myself over the
years that have helped me to understand my experiences of stress, inside and outside of clinical practice. Maybe these could be questions to ask yourself too, if the time feels right?
Please remember that everyone is different, and whilst I share some of my own insights here, it is absolutely natural if yours aren’t the same. These aren’t questions to ask ourselves when we are stressed, but when we have time and space to look back. Alongside this “I don’t know right now” is an acceptable answer too, as is asking someone to hold space to help you answer these further.
1. What triggers my stress? Is it a specific situation or person?
To ask this question I really had to learn to take the judgement off and let go of the “I
shouldn’t feel stressed about this” focusing on curiosity, rather than criticism. Sometimes
we’re not sure, and that’s ok too. Our stressors may change over the years – when I first
graduated I was more stressed by surgery, and as the years went on long lists of
call-backs and client requests caused me stress.
2. How do I usually respond to stress? Do I tend to avoid it, or do I confront it head-on?
Again, everyone is different and we might not always do the same thing each time. I
know many times I’d do a mixture – sometimes in busy practice it was harder to avoid the
things I was stressed about. I always notice this with compassion and curiosity.
3. What physical and emotional symptoms do I experience when I’m stressed?
How did I know I was stressed? Well – I felt stressed, duh! It’s actually a great question
to dive into as it helps us to notice when we experience stress and to take actions that
help us, if we can. I know I’d notice lots of worry and time pressure thoughts, I’d feel
overwhelmed and hold my shoulders tight up by my ears. Sometimes I might spot more
shallow breathing as I became more self aware over the years.
4. How does stress affect my behaviour, mood, and relationships with others?
Again, a place for zero judgement but to kindly notice. I know I used to definitely get
shorter sometimes with colleagues on very stressful days or not have patience for jokes,
sometimes I might even feel tearful.
5. Am I taking care of my physical and emotional needs during stressful times, such as getting enough sleep, exercise, connection and healthy food?
For many years, my answer was no. I didn’t do any of these things. As the years went
on, I saw their importance, especially when I feel stressed.
6. How have I coped with stress in the past, and what worked and didn’t work for me?
Previously I just tried to work longer and longer hours to get the work done, I didn’t let
myself rest and I bought into the self criticism that I listened to – this didn’t help me. I
know I relied quite heavily on sugary snacks which I noticed I’d have an energy crash
shortly after.
Now I know that for me, when I start to notice the signs of stress I create a small check
in with myself to see what I need and practice self compassion. Talking things out loud
helps me, writing things down, breathwork and spending time outside. Although I still do
reach for chocolate, I also make sure I nourish myself properly and stay hydrated.
7. Do I have a support system to help me manage stress, such as family, friends,
colleagues, or a therapist?
We don’t have to manage our stress alone, and sometimes we need help from a variety
of sources. Crafting a support system is valuable. Everyone reading this will have a
different answer
Remember Vetlife is available 24/7 and you can remain anonymous, call 0303 040 2551
or email https://helpline.vetlife.org.uk/ – not just in times of crisis.
8. How can I change my mindset and beliefs about stress to reduce its impact on my life?
Personally, learning more about what stress is and isn’t was a gamechanger when I was
in practice as a vet, as was understanding the physiology. This helped me to take the
judgement off myself a little when I did feel stressed. You will find lots of expert led
articles during Stress Awareness month. Also, that not all stress was ‘bad’ stress and
sometimes we might have good stress (some call eustress) when we are excited or
preparing for action.
9. Am I willing to seek help if my stress becomes overwhelming or unmanageable?
I sought help many times over the years, and it has been invaluable every time. Even at
the end of last year, I felt grief was adding to my stress levels and so I sought to speak to
a therapist to process and understand that further, even as a coach and in the middle of
an Emotional Wellbeing Masters.
10. What steps can I take to reduce stress in my daily life, such as practicing
mindfulness, setting boundaries, having conversations, or delegating tasks?
Everyone is different, this is a powerful question to ask ourselves. If you’re not sure, then
reaching out to someone you trust or a professional can be a valuable starting point.
Quite often we aren’t taught to do these things, but we can learn and taking action on
these things can make a difference. Remember, it’s not always completely on us to
manage every stressor, we can ask for help or speak further with our workplace.
Please do check out the fantastic resources available for Stress Awareness Month
